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Weight Rating on Steel Tube

ZSK

Well-known member
Joined
May 26, 2020
Member Number
1413
Messages
77
Loc
Gladwin, MI
Receiver hitch on the F250 is a little worse for wear. The side plates and cross tube are in good shape, but the receiver tube itself is needs to be replaced. I was thinking to cut it out and weld in just the receiver tube and in all likely hood this truck won't see more than 6-7000lbs. I have an aftermarket step bumper that the receiver will bolt to in addition to the rest of the hitch structure.

What makes this tube only rated for Class III / 5000lbs? It's about 2 1/2" with 1/4" wall and a 5/8" through hole, is it the quality of steel or tolerances? A safety scapegoat to not rate it to Class IV?

www.harborfreight.com

Class III 12 in. x 2 in. Standard Receiver Tube

Amazing deals on this Class Iii 12In X 2In Standard Receiver Tube at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.
www.harborfreight.com www.harborfreight.com
 
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Current condition with the receiver tube rusted through and the pin hole slopped out.

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Just go on CL and find whatever hitch is probably wide enough to fit and beefy enough and weld your side plates to it.
 
If you can cut/fit/weld at a 100% good enough level there is nothing wrong with rebuilding the hitch.

Fab it all up on the bench and slide it up between the slide plates and weld it out.
Buy whatever reciever tube you want, I usually buy the longer ones and lop off the premade end in the right length then keep the rest for other reciever tube projects.

Edit: new hitch from e-trailer is $200
 
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That whole mess is scrap. Probably the rest of the truck that its bolted to as well. No way would I waste any time trying to fix that. What does the rest of the frame (and truck) look like where the hitch bolts to?
 
I came into the truck really cheap and I'm trying to save it from the scrap yard and pinch pennies along the way. Currently torn down to a roller, but I have identified frame areas that will need to be cut out and repaired.

Back half of the frame is in good shape the middle and front are worse for wear. I've been casually looking for a donor frame and will watch for a hitch also, but it sounds like the material wouldn't be the issue here at all.

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I’m in Tallahassee and believe I still have the complete hitch off an F-350 at my old shop. Shipping wouldn’t be worth it, but if you make it over this way…

Bid a job in St Augustine recently also but haven’t heard back on it.
 
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Hitch is one of few things I will avoid fabricating.

buy new one….

I built a hitch once on an OBS F350, only because no aftermarket hitch will bolt up with the ranch hand bumper. I used 3x3x0.25” box tubing with 2.5” square cut out in middle for the receiver tube and 4” or 5” tall 1/4” thick c-channel for sides and to be bolted to frame.

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ZSK said:
I came into the truck really cheap and I'm trying to save it from the scrap yard and pinch pennies along the way. Currently torn down to a roller, but I have identified frame areas that will need to be cut out and repaired.

Back half of the frame is in good shape the middle and front are worse for wear. I've been casually looking for a donor frame and will watch for a hitch also, but it sounds like the material wouldn't be the issue here at all.
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Wow, is that originally a FL truck? That frame looks terrible. Maybe beach driving?

For some reason I dont think FL as rotting cars, but that may be sheer ignorance.
 
Starboard M said:
Wow, is that originally a FL truck? That frame looks terrible. Maybe beach driving?

For some reason I dont think FL as rotting cars, but that may be sheer ignorance.
Click to expand...
Dude, use your brain. See any pitting? No, that's just surface rust.
 
arse_sidewards said:
Dude, use your brain. See any pitting? No, that's just surface rust.
Click to expand...
In this thread we are discussing replacing a rusted out hitch, not a stretch to assume the frame is in just as questionable shape.

At least in my questionably intelligent brain.
 
This truck came out of Pennsylvania, it was formally a farm/ plow rig. A neighbor brought it down to Florida to use for a few specific jobs in his fencing business. Once the few jobs were finished the truck sat on his storage lot. I mentioned wanting a 92-97 F250/F350 and we ended up trading some welding/fab work for the truck. It's a lower mileage 460 auto truck with 4.10's

There are spots in the frame, primarily under the cab, and around the front leaf spring mount that I'll have to cut out and weld in new steel, I knew it was rusty but wasn't expecting it to be this bad. It was a toss up to start at the back and work forward or start at the front and work backwards.

Unless driven in salt water, trucks in Florida seem to rust from the top down instead of the bottom up. Clear coat burns off, the paint gets really thin and then holes show up because of the salt air. I have donor sheet metal from Florida trucks but starting with this frame and drivetrain.

I posted this question in the tow rig forum because it was specific to the hitch repair and if the receiver stock had any reasoning behind the weight rating. This truck isn't going to necessarily be a tow rig, but long term it'll be a cruiser that might tow my smaller camper or the F100 to an out of state show.
 
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