Hey Folks! I've been lurking here for about 6 months reading up on the different things that need to get done to my 4runner. I've found a wealth of good info and used it to get my hitch removed. It's quite a process!
The main reason we got our V8 last fall is to pull our little camper. It's only about half of what the vehicle is rated to tow so I'm looking forward to easy pulling. But before I pull the camper a mile, I wanted to get the hitch taken off, cleaned up, and installed with fresh bolts. The simple hitch that connects to the rear cross-member was in fairly good shape but the wings that connect to the frame were terrible. They were missing a couple bolts altogether and I went ahead and twisted a head off trying to get it out,
With the MN weather finally nice enough to work on vehicles outside, I went ahead and removed the hitch. There was lots of flame and penetrating oil and at least one of every problem that I've read about others having: another broken bolt head, the internal nut breaking loose, etc...
So here's where things stand:
The hitch is totally removed. I went ahead and cut the bolt whose nut had broken loose inside the frame. In addition to the two bolt heads that I snapped, there was another, but at least they all have some threads poking out. Lots of heat and oil should hopefully coax them out.
There are some plates/shims that were sandwiched between the wings of the hitch and the frame. They are totally destroyed. There are also two plates on the cross-memeber section that are still in good shape.
My two main questions at this point are about the two plates/shims between the hitch wings and frame. As you can see from the pics, they are totally destroyed. Is this a dealership thing or could I find them aftermarket? I don't even know what they're technically called. Second big question is about all the bolts. I will be replacing most all of them but don't know where exactly to find the specs.
Thanks in advance for any help and I'll be sure to update my progress with some pics as the week goes on.