Do I really have to loosen/lift the box to remove my oem receiver hitch?
Is it welded or secured also or will it come out when the box is lifted?

I want to remove my oem receiver hitch cause it bent down and over when the truck jacknifed a trailer backing up.
Seems like a pretty flimsy design.

I am going to replace it with a aftermarket hitch that incorporates the hitch box into the cross bar, seems like a stronger design?
Unlike the oem style where the hitch box is weled under neath the crossbar. I don't mind seeing the crossbar under the bumper, in fact I think it looks better too.

 

It should just unbolt from the frame...if anything has to come off it might be the bumper for clearance but I doubt it.

 

I have an 06 but i'm pretty sure they're the same. Yes you have to lift the bed off 5-6 inches in order to remove it. The idiots at dodge designed it so the back of the bed covers the area it needs to slide out. Mine had 6 main bolts holding it on. 4 in the back, 2 closer to the cab. You also have to unbolt the gas hose housing from the bed and a little cord by the drivers side door. If you slide under the rear, you should be able to see the 4 big bolts going through the tow package and frame. I'd suggest unbolting those 4 before lifting the bed. Once tow package is unbolted and bed lifted. the whole thing (including rear bumper) slide out. All in all it's a pain in the a$$. Specialy if you have 1 or 2 bed bolts that don't want to come out.

I don't know how you can get a stronger aftermarket hitch than the oem one without custom fabrication. It incorporates into the frame, has 4 big bolts, and also has the bed to hold it on.

Here's some pics from when i removed mine

Bed lifted


Rear end off. On the end of the right frame rail you can kinda see the U notch where the tow package bar slid out from.

 

Thanks for the detailed reply Bud! excellent.

This is what I figured would be the case.
Fawkin' brilliant setup!!

After crawlin under there this aft it looks like the oem bumper is also attatched to the receiver and not the frame?
Can I reattatch the oem bumper with the receiver hitch gone?
Are there different rear bumpers depending on whether the factory receiver hitch is used or not?

When you say there is a cord up front is it a wiring harness?
I assume the box bolts are threaded into welded on nuts on the box?
You can unscrew the box bolts completely and the nuts will stay in place on the box?

Thanks for the help.

PS Did you go to a roll pan? How did you like that?
Did you replace the receiver hitch with a roll pan model?

 

jesus all for a hitch...amazing

 

If you have any other questions, just ask.

Ryan

 

The wire sounds like a ground strap for the tail lights from frame to bed.

 

What a damn PITA !

Has anyone had experience with reattatching the oem bumper after removing the oem hitch?
Am I going to have to buy all the oem brackets and crap to attatch the oem bumper without the hitch?? Prolly?

Maybe an aftermarket rear bumper and hicth is in order?
The oem bumper is starting to rust anyway.
A black bumper and new hitch would be good.
Anyone go this route?


Surely all the holes are present in the rear frame horns to accomodate any aftermarket no drill hitch?

How could they have made soemthing so simple so damn complicated????

 

It's simple business. You design a product in which only your company/associates can work on, you continue to gain money after the product was first sold. Everything from computers to automobiles are built with this theory. Some companys even reject designs because the average person would be able to fix it if ever broken. I'm going to Ohio University next year for mechanical engineering and I'll probably have ideas shot down because they make to much sense. Go figure