Anyone ever remove a uhaul hitch from a Buick LeSabre? We had uhaul install it, so I’m not familiar with how they put it on. They also installed a transmission cooling device. Can this be removed easily? Mainly we want to keep the hitch for another vehicle, the trans cooling thing might not be needed.
These hitches are bolted to the vehicle from underneath. Remove the hardware and remove the hitch.
I’d leave transmission fluid cooler installed. Never hurts to have extra transmission fluid cooling capacity.
Tester
Theoretically, the hitch should be easy to remove if the the bolts and nuts haven’t too severely rusted. But why ? They are specific to the car and unless you are getting another car close to the same make, it may not fit. Plus, if I were going to install a hitch to be used, you are only saving a couple hundred bucks and a new one insures they are good to go. I have had hitches on nearly every car or truck I have ever had and it never occurred to me to reuse a trailer hitch. From me, it’s a safety issue. These things want to “mate” to the car due to corrosion if you don’t keep the bolts lubed and paint the structure with grease every so often. Move on and buy a new one. Unless you do all the work your self, and have access to a torch, it isn’t worth it if has been on long enough. One junker to another indentical one, I get when you are absolutley sure it will fit. Just have access to the right tools.
I have to agree with @dagosa here. When you buy a universal hitch you usually get an assortment of nuts, bolts and adapter plates that weigh as much as the hitch itself. Unless you are planning on using this hitch on another Buick LeSabre…I’d forget it.
I, again, agree 100% with @dagosa. The chances of the hitch fitting your next car are zilch unless you buy another 20?? GM Full-size sedan. These hitches are made specific for each car or truck. The hitch I put on my Toyota Pick-up would not fit my Ford Explorer or my Toyota Rav4. They make hitches specifically for each of these, and I purchased them instead.
As far as the trans cooler, they are more generic, but the brackets and fittings are model specific. A model-specific kit would be much easier to install than to have a generic cooler and you’d have to fabricate the brackets and size the fittings to make it work.
Some people remove hitches to save on fuel mileage.
If you’re hauling an extra 50-100 lbs of steel around depending on the class of the hitch, and the hitch is no longer being used, why not remove it?
Tester
@Tester, I guess it is a matter of interpretation, but the OP did say he would like to use the hitch on another vehicle. Unless it is going to another car of the exact same chassis style within the same model years, it will not fit without modifications it wasn’t designed for.
Some people think ahead.
If I plan on using this hitch on another vehicle, I’m going to remove it from this vehicle if it’s not going to be used to take weight out of the vehicle and save gas mileage.
Tester
I bought a used hitch for my 92 Voyager in 97 for $25 bought the bolts and plates from Cole muffler for a couple of dollars. The steel on the hitch was much thicker than the frame rails it went into so I wasn’t worried about a little surface rust. Worked great. My local hardware store was closing out oil based Rustoleum for 25 cents a half pint so that’s all it cost me to paint it.
@Tester: Assuming you place a realistic value on your time, have you ever considered how many miles/years you’d have to drive to break even?
IF the receiver weighs 100# (I doubt it), you’re talking about 3% weight increase, and like 1% increased fuel burn. Add in even the slightest chance of having a need to tow again, and I don’t see how this is the most profitable use of anybody’s time.
There’s another disadvantage to leaving a hitch in place unless it’s a receiver hitch with the drawbar removed.
Go to get those groceries out of the truck and that hitch can put a serious dent in the shinbone…
I had forgotten to remove the drawbar on one of my cars and the guy mounting new tires last year also discovered how hard that hitch is…
If the OP is going to remove the hitch for use on another vehicle then they should remove the trans fluid cooler and install that also or buy another cooler.
Dag makes some excellent points, but I’m going to go with Tester on this one. You might follow especially the comment about leaving the tranny cooler on. There’s no sense in taking the even slight risk that a leak might be introduced during removal and the tranny toasted, and it’s a good addition to have anyway. In addition to keeping the tranny cool, it also increases the fluid amount, and these are both beneficial things.
Maybe I miss read OP but I was under the impression that"keep the hitch for another vehicle" implied they weren’t keeping the car.
http://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Accessory_Step-sf-Misc_Covers-sz-Hitch_Step.aspx
I even have one of these on the sedan type car to make it easy to clean the roof off, protect the bumper from frozen snow backing up etc. Not everyone wants a bike rack or a tow hook but having a positive point to pull a car out of a ditch is an advantage around here. I can see some advantage in clearance to removing one you will keep and may be economy if you’re squeezing that last drop out.
Personally I’m looking for a propeller to put on it or a ram for tailgaters. One of my trucks years ago I put a reciever hitch on the front too. It was the best investment I ever made but they don’t make them for the vehicles I have now…don’t mind me…just rambling about hitches. I like’m on everything, even my bikes.
Some guys really botch the job when they install a supplemental trans cooler. The problem is when they cut the lines (to tee the cooler into the system), but don’t flare them
I’ve seen those hoses blow off the unflared lines
U-Haul hitches are NOT universal hitches. They are made by Reese/Drawtite. The hitches are custom made for each individual vehicle.
Removing one of these hitches should be straight forward. They are usually just bolted on.
I would NOT remove the external transmission cooler. No need.