Last week I was rear-ended by a Toyota. Thank God for the 2 7/16 ball and hitch that I left on, went right through the guys hood. Didn't do a thing to my truck. Just thought I share the story with Y'all

 

Been there, Done that.

Makes a great Alternate Hood Opening device doesn't it?

 

My brother inlaw caught a Buick that way with his Dakota. Really screwed up her vehicle, he just needed the tailgate painted. I think of that everytime I contemplate removing my drawbar to put one of those bling-bling hitch covers on.

~Rob

 

Ever put one through the radiator of a Honda? Just something I have seen before.

 

One time years and years ago when I was in public school, I was walking down the street after school to get a haircut, it was in the winter and after a wrestling practice or something simillar so it was just dusk. A guy in a 1/2 ton Dodge backed into an old large car, (I think it was big old Biege Oldsmobile) His ball hitch got caught in the guys bumper, grill, hood area and he was stuck to the car!!! He would stand on it smoking tires dragging beast of a car (still in park) out into the street, then he'd back up and try and push it the other way. I just stood on the sidewalk and watched for ammusement, this was close to a 10 minute process before finally, with the car half dragged into the street (like literally across one lane) his truck broke free and he took off. I believe by then, someone had taken his plate # for the police. Imagine coming back and finding your car not where you parked it?

Not to mention the dammage it must have done to the poor gus front end and park gear!

 

Thats the main reason I leave mine on my truck..the only thing you have to worry about is if you take a good enough hit it could damage your receiver hitch or losen it up..one of my clients who has a early 90s CTD dually had this happen and didnt think nothing of it and about 8 months later he had his 4 horse hooked up and he had just u nloaded a trailer full of mares. When he went to get in and move the trailer round his hitch droped right off his truck n the trailer slammed into the ground..and to think 10 mins before that he was doing 70 down the road with a trailer full of very valuable brood mares...just something to keep in mind.
~Heather~

 

I keep mine on for that reason also. If I get rear ended, I'll be checking everything out under my truck before we settle. Havn't been tapped yet, but sometimes I do walk around the back and pull the ol Bill Dance shin banger.

 

With a 4x4 and 35s, it'd have to be a Ridgeline for the radiator to be that high, I think. Any other Honda would more likely get a mouthful of Dana 80, with some tractor lights for an appetizer.

I keep mine in as a rudimentary park distance control. When I smack the concrete wall of the parking garage at work with it, I'm parked.

 

I think mine would be more in the upper windshield area.

As I have never towed, I don't have a ball yet though.


phox

 

Been there and done that as well Had a guy rear end me in a Camode......errrr Camaro and didn't even scratch the paint on my hitch. Tore up the front of that Camaro pretty well though...

 

Hmmm.. I'm putting mine on the truck tonight...

K.

 

I leave mine on no questions asked..

Even at TAMIU (Texas A&M International University) there are so many mindless idiots. I have had my clevis hooks hit way to many times to even remember anymore. Ive had my truck hit while i was idlin in the parkin lot too while i was in it!. (as if there were any other way) lol! I leave my hitch on, its a dual purpose pintle with a two inch ball, i learned to close it tho. I was leavin my class once and as i begin to pull out of the parkin lot i feel somethin stall the truck and pull it back. I get off to see what it was im thinkin i cannot be stuck.. its dry pavement. Sure enough it happened to be a large 3/4 ton four wheel drive gmc suburban that was parked on top of my open pintle hook! Ok i had seen this suburban before and the EDIT that drives it... too much money cough cough!! And it was too tight to pull the pin out and i didnt want to back up. I got back in the truck put it in low and just pulled out, pulled her halfway into the next parkin space before her burb decided to drop, did i damage her tranny? i dunno.. but maybe itll teach her to park on top of a hitch, and it taught me to close mine to prevent this from happening again.....

ON my old ford i have had a civic under my reciever hitch. He was so far in that i had to lock my fronts just to pull off of his hood.. My rears were in the air.. Poor hood is all i have to say...

I leave it, the only times i remove it are to wash the truck or when its rainy out, dont want rust on my hitch..

Tx

 

Tx.... MUST be a university thing...... I go to Wright State and there are at least two vehicles (paint smudges tell me otherwise) that have gotten their front ends redecorated while I was parked in a spot. Both times they came into the spot too fast. one was on ice and the other was just stupidity on the part of the other driver. That is why I always leave the drawbars on the truck (one on back, one on front)... great protection against ricers.... and other things.

-Trey

 

been hit four times since i bought my truck in dec 04, not a scratch on the bumper, 3 happened at mcdonalds, one at a stop light. I had a trailer come off my ball also, thought the bumber was done for, as the chains took up the slack, all that happened was a little scratch on the receiver.

 

QUOTE- ds1rider - but sometimes I do walk around the back and pull the ol Bill Dance shin banger. thats the only draw back, been there done that..