How detrimental is it to not have that front bolt installed on the trailer hitch? I broke it off on one side. I figured it would be ok. Just don't jack it up at the hitch...

I finally got a hole started in the bolt with a small bit verses the bigger one I was gonna use. Went about 3/8 in. Went to a stepped up size and it went even deeper. Finally thought I was getting somewhere and when removing the bit. It broke off. Son##@@%$#%^... Thought about tack welding it. I only have a stick welder though. Do you think if I turned the amperage down, it wouldn't burn through that thin metal. Just to tack it.

 

Which bolt are you referring?? Sounds like your speaking about one
of the two that bolt the receiver to the bumper Just my opinion but
I would consider any and every bolt necessary regarding a receiver.

 

There are actually two studs with nuts at the rear mount and one bolt at the front mount per side of the receiver where it mounts to the frame. The front bolt that goes into the frame was sheared off level with the frame. Is there a drill bit that will drill out another bit stuck in the hole?

 

Far as I know these bolts which come down through the boxed frame are a female dog to fish into place to originally install a trailer hitch.

I bet if you just smacked the bolt with a hammer and punch it would fling into the frame and rattle around for the rest of its life as removal would be near impossible even with the fuel tank removed.

If you have access to a welder and the skills to do so, and never need to remove the hitch, then leave the sheared bolt in place and weld the sucker in

 

I had a bolt pull through the frame on one side of my receiever hitch on my way to Canada pulling my boat one year. I did not notice it until I got to my destination, then noticed that one side of the receiver was hanging lower than the other side. Lucky for me it did not fail completely while driving. I went to a friendly local garage in CA, and had them fabricate a steel U shaped bracket that they drilled and bolted into the frame from the side. They then tack welded the new bolted bracket onto the frame of the hitch. It took them about an hour to do the work, and it only cost me $100 US to give me peace of mind for the next 5 years pulling my boat many more thounsands of miles.

The hitch was fine, it was the frame that rusted and allowed the bolt head to pull through the rusted frame member.