Hitch frustrations :(

[dave52355]

I'm really getting frustrated. I have a 96 LS with a wheelchair carrier on the back. I use a power chair that weighs in around 350 pounds, First time we started using the carrier all was fine but after a couple days we noticed that the carrier was sitting lower. Looking at the plate the 2" tube is welded to we saw it had bent. So we took the hitch off the truck, took it to the welder who straightened it out and than welded a 1/2 inch plate to the back. After a longer few days, again we saw the carrier sitting lower. The back plate was good and we were at a loss as to what was going on. Than a machinist friend offered to put the hitch on upside down changing the height. Just needed to shave off about 1 inch of the hitch's backing plate to allow for door clearance. Worked great for awhile but than the carrier started drooping. We've looked at the tongue on the carrier and there is no bends or kinks in it.

I'm at a loss. Just got home from a 16 day stay at the hospital and need to get to multiple Dr. appointments. Borrowing neighbors cars is hit or miss. Also I used a similar carrier on my old Cherokee with a heavier chair and did not have this problem.

Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[Sabre]

The only thing that comes to mind is that your rig has a mild steel hitch that just can't take the weight. Your Cherokee must have had a hitch made from a different grade of steel. I feel your pain; my son uses a power chair, too. Your best bet may well be to simply add a Hidden Hitch (or other brand) and stop using the OEM receiver.

 

[dave52355]

Thank you. We are going to pull the hitch again hopefully and see if the vibrations and bouncing may be wearing on the inside of the tube. This does not seem like the stock hitch, so maybe it was one of those cheap ones?

 

[rxinhed]

Photos would help this topic out.

 

[MontyMcV]

Class III receiver?

 

[off-roader]

Photos would help this topic out.

Agreed...

 

[dave52355]

The photo idea was a good plan. I think I see the problem. There is no such thing as level up here and the truck is facing a bit uphill, but if you compare the slope of the hitch to the body line, the slope is more than on the body. What ever that hitch mounts to must be twisting under the weight. Guess I'll need to look at some Reese type frame to frame mount class 3/4.

Sorry for the over sized photos.

Thanks

 

[GrassCat]

That's way too much weight for your setup.

The best way to fix the problem is to install a class three hitch that's mounted to the frame as noted above. You can find them in the junk yards all the time.

Sell the hitch you are using as it's great for pulling small trailers where there's very little load.

 

[dave52355]

Thanks, no Montero's in our two junkyards. That part the 4 bolts the hitch mounts to come off or is it part of the frame? There is another Montero running around up here that has no hitch and no bolt holes just wondering how it assembles.

 

[dave52355]

If someone happens to be out laying under their Montero could you snap a couple pictures of the hitch assembly from behind the bumper?

Thanks

 

[rxinhed]

Reese and Valley both offered a three point hitch that uses the center area and legs out to the bumper mounts. Even then, there may be some shift due to the lever length.

Something akin to this, though for a Gen I application is still representative:

 

[dave52355]

I'll have to call Reese, I tried the vehicle lookup on their web page but they showed nothing for the Montero.

 

[dave52355]

OK well hopefully I did good. I bought the Valley hitch 81110 just now.

Thabks

 

[MontyMcV]

Good move on the class III.

 

[GrassCat]

OK well hopefully I did good. I bought the Valley hitch 81110 just now.

Thabks

Looks good, but I think for your task it also needs to be attached to the stock hitch location for strength. I've search online for a picture with no success.

If you start to have troubles with it have someone weld a plate to the two inch receiver part of the hitch, drill four hole and bolt it to the stock location.

Ask the seller what the tongue weight rating is and will it support 400 hundred pounds.