rusty hitch mount bolts... help!

shooter1 · #1 09-09-2007, 12:50 PM

i want to put a Reese hitch on my 99 Caravanhowever the 4 mounting bolts turn very hard, like the top of the bolt is coated in rust and wont come down in to the threaded sleeve.

the first one i turnedtoomuch and the threaded sleeve popped loose, its just loose in its hole now

vice grips on the bolt head and a sawzall through the bolt?

then a hole saw in the side of theframe to extractthe rest of the bolt/sleeveand allow installation of a new nut ?

perhaps i should have used a torch to warm it all up first?i have three to go and would rather do it the right way for the rest of them...

i did spray some penetrant up there onto the bolt but it didnt help.
thanks in advance,
Wayne in Calgary
99 Caravan
86 900 Saab SPG notchback
87 900 SPG
91 900 2.1L NA

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next2pool · #2 09-09-2007, 01:34 PM

Yup--that's a real pita and a common problem. I recently put a hitch on mine and it came with replacement nuts that have a lever attached so you can snake them in thru a slot in the frame section. Luckily my Caravan is an AZ car so I didn't need them. I would try penetrating oil over the period of a few days and turn the bolts out and then back in a bit. Keep doing that and hopefully they will turn out a bit more each time. Don't just try to force them out without turning them back in a bit. If they do break off, I'm sure you can get those special nuts at most trailer hitch shops/

shooter1 · #3 09-11-2007, 11:21 AM

thanks for that advice - if i can get the new nuts as you say, i'll just break off the old ones, fish them out and use the lever'ed kind for attaching the hitch.
take care,
Wayne

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shooter1 · #4 09-19-2007, 11:10 AM

i ended up having the hitch welded to the frame of the van - $100 and a hellof a lot easier than trying to get those bolts out and feed new ones in after having to take the bumper off...
Thanks again,
Wayne

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shooter1 · #5 09-22-2007, 11:29 AM

by the way i was told that there is a shock system for the rear bumper and that undoing those 4 bolts effectively disconnects the shock system (however its also probably rusted to the frame inside) and so i'm glad i wasnt able to undo them! so that's another reason to just weld the hitch to the frame...

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