OEM Hitch Receiver Pin doesn't seem to be engaging all the way?

[Justin Allen]

Hey guys - Maybe I'm over-analyzing this but I don't want to end up with a trailer coming loose. So my new LR4 has the older "plow" hitch that was common on the LR3. The one that extends further back to the spare than the current one.

Anyways, when I bought the vehicle it was already installed. The other day I pulled it out just to see how it worked and noticed something. When the hitch is off the vehicle, and you twist the green handle back to retract the main pin, then engage the smaller pin to simulate it locking back onto the vehicle, the main pin protrudes further than it does when locked onto the vehicle. I got under the truck with the receiver installed and the main pin is only barely poking through the hole in the frame. Whereas when its off the vehicle its out a little further. You can notice this as well by taking note of the angle of the green handle when its on vs off the vehicle. With the pin fully protruded off the vehicle, the green handle is at a much more vertical angle than it is when on the vehicle. The handle is closer to horizontal when on the vehicle.

Is this normal? I didn't get the warmest feelings of confidence in it when I barely felt that pin protruding through the hole in the frame...

 

[f1racer328]

Would you be able to post a photo or video of the engagement?

 

[Justin Allen]

Would you be able to post a photo or video of the engagement?

Yes I will as soon as I can.

 

[Justin Allen]

Here is what I'm referring to. Notice in the first picture how far the pin extends and the angle of the green handle. Then in the second two you can't really see the pin protruding through the hole in the mount. Additionally, the green handle is at a different angle than when off the vehicle, hence a different pin extension.

 

[Justin Allen]

Nothing?

 

[cperez]

I don't have this hitch. The physics of this design never made sense to me starting with the aspect that you described. It just doesn't seem like a robust way of latching into the receiver. I know that tons of people use this hitch w/o incident but other than that I can't speak from direct experience.

 

[DaytonaRS7]

i have no experience with this hitch, but a youtube video shows the hitch being installed, and the latch lever is in the same position as yours when installed.

 

[ryanjl]

If it's not working properly, reason dictates either the pin is sticking on something in the mounting area or something internal is happening inside the hitch.

I've already rebuilt my hitch once, but it's acting like I'll need to rebuild it again soon. I leave mine on all the time with my bike rack attached, so it suffers the weather.

 

[ktm525]

Not a great design for being left in all the time. The original plow design as crazy as it is was designed so it limits how far out the hitch protrudes. My shins have appreciated the design.

 

[f1racer328]

I would try giving it a bit of a tap (upwards) with a hammer. This always frees mine if I leave it in for a few weeks without taking it out... maybe it will fully seat it? Not too sure.