Stuck ball mount

[campingeyedoc]

The ball mount from my reese mini 350 weight distribution hitch has been stuck in the receiver since I bought it. Is there a problem with leaving it in( other than the fact it sticks out 8" from the van and I have the shin bruises to prove it)? The dealer could hardly get the old one out, and this seems to be in there for good.

[Wadester]

Owning a Reese Mini-350 and having bruised shins and occasional greasy pant legs, I can say that leaving the ball mount in is more pain than I'm willing to live with.  I remove mine as soon as I'm done towing.

Suggestion for you and my two cents...
Get that ball mount out again - find an immovable object like a big tree, attach a tow strap around the tree and securely to the ball hitch, spray that hitch/ball mount generously with WD40 and soak. Then gently pull or bounce-roll the vehicle.  Don't allow anyone near the strap which may snap.  Don't pull too hard or fast - try to nudge it out with multiple pulls.   BE CAREFUL - sounds like that thing may be stuck with rust and an interference fit.

Once you get it out (hopefully), take a grinder and take a few thousandths off each surface of the mounting tube.  Try it till you can move that mount in and out of the reciever by hand and repaint both the receiver and mall mount (though that won't last long).

Good Luck and be safe.

[mike4947]

The other route to remove stuck drawbars is if the receiver is open in the back is to drive the drawbar out. Of course this works much better if you have access to a lift.

But once it's out follow Wade's advise and also clean the inside of the receiver till you get a decent slip fit.
If you see the dealer that installed it, slap him. He should have cleaned out the receiver when he had problems getting the old one out.
Over the years I've seen drawbars with an 1/8 inch of clearance over time become frozen into the receiver as the rust swells up.
Needless to say I don't leave them in anymore after having to pound out and clean out a few.