Frozen trailer hitch

[Leafs]

I have a trailer hitch that has been painted with metallic paint . Now cant get any of moving parts to work. How do i remove the paint from the moving parts ? Appreciate any help. Thanks Bob

 

[7.62marksman]

Brake fluid maybe most paints dont like it

 

[snafu]

Having worked on trucks, tractors, earth-moving and mining machinery most of my life, I am yet to find anything that a bit of heat and a bloody big hammer wont budge. It must be damn thick paint if you can't move it.

Jeff

 

[Wishfull]

Having worked on trucks, tractors, earth-moving and mining machinery most of my life, I am yet to find anything that a bit of heat and a bloody big hammer wont budge. It must be damn thick paint if you can't move it.

Jeff

Think oxy torch gas axe.

 

[goody2shoes]

I like the sound of the bloody big hammer :lol: :lol:

Send Bob the builder, he can fix it...

Goody

 

[Jaros]

Yep the 2 H'S -heat'n hammer.

 

[mudgee hunter]

Whst type of hitch is? Inertia brake hitch?

 

[Ridge Runner]

If it's made out of Cast don't go Belting it with a hammer when it is Hot or it will break in to small pieces,

Just heat it up slowly and melt the paint and use a wire brush and it will come off easily, And let it cool down naturally don't use water to cool it down or again it might crack.

Never go Wolloping Cast or you will be sorry.

 

[LONEWOLF]

Paint stripper... Remove the paint First and if it wont move, apply a little heat... Or hitch up and go for a drive....

LW.....

 

[Tathradj]

NEVER put heat near a trailer hitch. :skull:
No need to explain that one.
There is only a few moving parts to a hitch.
As Wishfull said, :Y: :Y:
What type of hitch.
If you wish, Do you have brakes on your trailer. ?
And are they electric. ?

 

[Jaros]

Yes there is. Is that because the steel loses its temper.

 

[Ridge Runner]

NEVER put heat near a trailer hitch. :skull:
No need to explain that one.
There is only a few moving parts to a hitch.
As Wishfull said, :Y: :Y:
What type of hitch.
If you wish, Do you have brakes on your trailer. ?
And are they electric. ?

Heat is ok if you only get it hot enough to blister the paint and brush it off the moment it blisters anything longer than that and you risk expanding/exploding any Air bubbles within the casting, Cast Iron can be a problem if not handled with care.

 

[Jaros]

Aha!! thanks-wouldn't heat it too much anyway cos all is necessary is to expand one of the components enough to create a gap between them.

 

[aussiefarmer]

Stanely knife around the joins to cut the paint , if it is unhitched release the catch and hit the tongue inside the ball reciever , if that dont work put something heavy in trailer and winch the handle upwards with the catch released. ower:

 

[aussiefarmer]

Maybe even spray paint thinners up inside the ball receiver

 

[Ridge Runner]

Aha!! thanks-wouldn't heat it too much anyway cos all is necessary is to expand one of the components enough to create a gap between them.

A heat gun would be no good because it is too slow so it would require to be held there for a lot longer which would put too much heat in to it causing the heat to penetrate too deeply which is where a blow torch works best because it heats fast and you can take the flame away as soon as the paint blisters which is within seconds and while brushing the paint away allows the metal to cool enough so the heat does not go too deeply in to the metal, It has been the tried and trusted method for over 200 year+ and as long as you brush the paint off within a second or 2 of it blistering then all should be fine,

Once the worst is removed then an Angle grinder with a wire wheel can be used to remove the residue etc preparing it for a fresh coat of paint.

 

[Leafs]

Thanks for all the suggestions, I will try all until it moves when I get back up to van in the new year, I'll let you know how it goes. Bob

 

[aussiefarmer]

Start simple and work your way up to the more agressive approach :Y:

 

[HeadsUp]

Todays judging panel.....

7.62 had the best answer there . Brake fluid makes most paints scream like a pansy at Mardi Gras.

And thanks doug , no heat on hitches it may damage tensile properties of the steel plus it will bugger up the spring inside.

I could talk for hours on defective work I have witnessed on truck and small trailer hitches

I hate overlegislation but NSW is lacking quality policy on this.

any dikched can weld up a thing that looks like a trailer and get rego for it then they wonder why pissweak welds cause a hitch mounting plate to break off complete with safety chains and the trailer spears into traffic ~ :skull:

 

[Ridge Runner]

Todays judging panel.....

7.62 had the best answer there . Brake fluid makes most paints scream like a pansy at Mardi Gras.

And thanks doug , no heat on hitches it may damage tensile properties of the steel plus it will bugger up the spring inside.

I could talk for hours on defective work I have witnessed on truck and small trailer hitches

I hate overlegislation but NSW is lacking quality policy on this.

any dikched can weld up a thing that looks like a trailer and get rego for it then they wonder why pissweak welds cause a hitch mounting plate to break off complete with safety chains and the trailer spears into traffic ~ :skull:

Brake fluid will damage the surface of the paint fairly quickly but it will take up to 2 to 4 months to have any effect on paint as far as removing the paint is concerned, That's why they make paint remover,

Nitromores is one of the best paint strippers, just don't get it on ya skin coz it stings a bit.