Aftermarket trailer hitch refinishing question

[Li'l Work Truck]

I have a U-Haul hitch on my Ranger.

Told you I had a hitch. Anyway, I thought I might try to remove the rust and use something a little bit more durable to coat the receiver. I thought about powdercoat, but I've heard that it can chalk and flake off. I thought about bedliner, but my concern there is how thick the coating is and whether that renders the ball mount unusable. Then there's the old school, it and RustOleum the thing after a coat of rust converter, then just hit it again if the rust comes back.

I'm overthinking it, but have you met me?

 

[scotts90ranger]

I would go with Rick's method of using the brush on rustoleum possibly thinned some so you can get in the nooks and crannies and just spot treat later... I need to stock up on some different color options, spray paint is just so short term and unreliable as I'm finding out...

Keep it minimal in the socket, well check a hitch insert in there first to make sure it isn't tight to start with... they're not all the same and some are super tight to start with...

 

[Li'l Work Truck]

I would go with Rick's method of using the brush on rustoleum possibly thinned some so you can get in the nooks and crannies and just spot treat later... I need to stock up on some different color options, spray paint is just so short term and unreliable as I'm finding out...

Keep it minimal in the socket, well check a hitch insert in there first to make sure it isn't tight to start with... they're not all the same and some are super tight to start with...

Thanks! I didn't consider that the receiver might be a tight fit. I haven't come across one personally where that was an issue. I'll stick my ball mount in there and see what the fit looks like.

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

Electro-descale

I've worn the carbon plates in mine out several times.

 

[Li'l Work Truck]

Electro-descale

I've worn the carbon plates in mine out several times.

Tell me more.

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

Tell me more.

Electrolytic Rust Removal Aka Magic

Electrolytic Rust Removal Aka Magic: This is a relatively simple, safe and cheap way to remove light or heavy rust from any ferrous object. I used this process to restore an old wood plane that I bought for $1 (it looked totally un-usable because of the rust). As opposed to grinding, h…

www.instructables.com

Mine is a 55 gal drum cut along it's side, and an ebay stick welder for a power supply.

Yes I understand that if I get shocked by mine I'll probably die. Is what it is.

I use carbon/graphite plates for my anodes. Cheap on ebay, get them at least 1/2in thick. Bolt through side of plastic drum and wired up with scrap romex.

I've done entire engines like this in steel 55 gallon drums, and used the entire drum as an anode. Works extremely well.

 

[Curious Hound]

Personally, I would not coat the male and female sliding parts or ball with anything. It's just going to rub off in use. Rustoleum is plenty good enough for me for the rest of it.