I've done a search and seen a lot of opinions about slop in the receiver/hitch, but I'm trying to determine when its time to replace the receiver.

I have slop in the receiver/drawbar, but more concerning to me is the wear I'm noticing in the hitch pin hole. Its definitely worn, starting to get oval shaped, which obviously is just going to accelerate wear in the whole hitch assembly. It appears the receiver is class III, but since I bought the truck used, I have no idea if it was oem or added later, nor do I know how it was abused (or not).

I'm sure the safe bet is to replace it, but with other repairs I've been faced with lately, cash flow is pretty thin. I'm looking at replacing it with a class V Curt, but I've never installed a receiver, so I'm not quite sure what kind of job I'm looking at.

Any help or advice to steer me in the right direction is greatly appreciated...

 

I don't know about the Curt but the Reese cl5 reqd drilling more holes as the hitch itself is longer and I would suspect so is the Curt. A hitch installation is very simple on a second gen truck, just use a floor jack with some bits of 2X6 on top to lower and raise the new one into place. Like I said a very simple installation. There is one thing you can do to take the slop out of a hitch and I would guess yours was used for a bike rack as they tend to bounce around and wear the receiver quickly. You can drill a 1/2 inch hole on the top and the side of the receiver, thread a nut onto a short 1/2 inch course threaded bolt and sit it in the hole then weld the nut to the receiver, once cool lube the bolt and remove it, replacing it with a new bolt. These bolts act as jamb bolts and will remove ALL the play. Forgot to mention the holes may not line up so get ALL the bolts in before tightening down and make sure they are tight to spec. The new hitch may not look like it is going to seat flush, don't be concerned once tight it will be seated flush.

 

If pin hole wear were the only worry, I'd just make (or buy) a couple of 5/8" heavy (usually square) washers. Run a bolt through the works, weld the washers in place, and remove the bolt. You might need a slightly longer pin.

The failure I worry about is corrosion weaking the structrual members of the hitch. It's a problem anywhere in the rust belt. When you have metal visibly flaking off, it's time to change it out.

 

I don't know how they get the weight ratings on hitches to begin with. The hitches may take the weight but the frame they're attaching them to is paper thin in all instances. Truck frames aren't more than 1/8" thick anymore, and the hitch isn't being run up the side of the frame, only being hung off the bottom of the frame. And usually with no more than 4 or 6 bolts. Late 90's/early 2000's GM trucks had a lovely habit of the hitch bolts pulling thru the frames and dropping the hitches.

 

The Reese Class 5 on my 2011 does run all the way up the frame rail for about 8 inches and is bolted right through it, rated at 2000lb non weight distributing it's a pretty good hitch just the 2 1/2 inch draw bar is a pain.

 

On my 1st gen truck I actually tore the frame where the hitch bolted on when I got a trailer stuck in a field and tried to pull it out in 4 low. Welded up the tear, sleeved the inside of the frame with angle iron and then attached the top of the hitch to the bottom of the factory step bumper. There is quite a distance from where the last bolt goes thru the frame to where the receiver slides in. Lots of leverage there.

My 2003 had an oblonged hole in the hitch when I bought it. Previous owner must have done a lot of heavy towing. Never bothered to replace it as I don't tow heavy on the hitch, 3500# 2-3 days a week in the summer, occasionally 7000#. Anything more goes on the 5th wheel.

In 4 years I haven't noticed any increased wear on the hole so if you can live with the clanking I wouldn't worry about it for now.

 

My receiver is egged a good 1/8". Doesn't seem to be getting any bigger towing same numbers and amounts. I've drilled out similar holes on wagons and such to next larger size like 3/4" and used a bigger pin to alleviate the jerking an egg shape hole causes.

 

If you can get your hands on a carbon rod same size as the pin, insert the carbon rod in the hitch through both sides, weld a heavy bead around the carbon rod. When finished welding, break the rod out.
Perfect hole in both sides and inline