A friend my boss brought his Rumble Bee 2nd Swarm (I'm not sure of the year but I'm sure its a 3rd gen) into the shop for me to remove his factory installed hitch. We got all the bolts out and were able to move it, but we couldnt get it off the frame. It appears to have been put on before the bed was put on. Can it be removed without removing the bed or cutting it with a torch? He's putting a roll pan on it, and would like to use the hitch again. He also mentioned possibly cutting the roll pan to fit around the hitch if it cant be removed, so my next question is has any body modded a pan to fit the hitch, and if so did they make or buy a template?

 

Yep, either the bed has got to be lifted or you can just use a sawsall and cut the tubing hanging down(kinda shotty work, but it'll do) or as you said torch it.

 

loosen the bed bolts (6 i think), more so towards the rear. Someone (preferably 2) needs to lift the the rear part of the bed an inch (or 2), then lift the hitch and pull rearward... knocked me on my *** when i did mine, I was surprised how easy it came out..

 

I was going to say a torch also but it was more out of being sarcastically funny....LOL

 

really?,that's kinda wierd.I'm not tryingto knock y'all but i've had mine in and out 3 or 4 times.and i've never had to loosen up the bed or remove the tube bar thingy

 

Yours dealer installed?

 

part of the hitch sits between the bed and the frame...

 

he's trying remove the tube part to install a rollpan... oem hitch's are a part of the tube. stock bumpers bolt onto the tube. To install a rollpan, the bumper needs to come off and then the tube portion..

 

i found a post I did years ago when someone asked the question...I was close:

yea it's kinda a biotch to do..bout fell on my *** when I got the hitch off, took off the rear 4 bolts, loosened the 2 front ones and had a couple of buds (good thing we were doin a cam install, a few of them were over) lift the bed from the rear while I lifted the hitch up and out...

 

a more technical writeup:

1: Remove all bolts that hold your rear bump in place.
2: Remove Rear bumper
3: Loosen all bolts that hold the hitch in place
4: Remove the (4) bed bolts underneath the rear bed by rear bumper, 2 on each side and loosen the (2) front bed ones.
5: Place jack under rear bed before differential cover, between spare tire spot and differental cover.

6: Proceed to raise the rear of the bed up with the jack, I used the stock jack on some brick pavers and a block of wood to protect the bed.

7: Raise it high enough so that the stock hitch assembly arms which mount over the frame clears, but becareful you dont over raise the bed and hit the back of your cab with the bed. Scratches, dings or dents are a NO No!

8: Now grab the hitch assembly firmly and wiggle that sucker REAL HARD up and down until it loosens, then slid off.