# Gm Oem Hitch Failing



## matty1 (Mar 7, 2005)

Was walking by the back of the trcuk after getting back from camping this weekend, and noticed that the receiver seemed to be angled funny, got down and noticed that there are nice cracks around the weld on either side up around the U shaped metal, and the metal looks extremely stressed. From the back you can see where it is seperating. Looks like I am going to be needing a new hitch. I knew I shouldn't have read those posts about GM hitch failures. Took some pics that I will have to post


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## Scoutr2 (Aug 21, 2006)

matty1 said:


> I knew I shouldn't have read those posts about GM hitch failures.


Now I'm glad that I *DID* read those posts and changed out my OEM hitch for a Putnam before I ever towed the Outback a single mile!

I'm just glad you caught it before anything bad happened.

Mike


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## Katrina (Dec 16, 2004)

Did I mention the Putnam as a good choice for a replacement?
I'm glad you caught it when you did.


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## 3LEES (Feb 18, 2006)

Welcome to the growing community of those who have changed their OEM hitch.

I changed mine on my 2005 Sierra. No failures. I just could not get enough weight thrown forward.

Go with a Putman. Not hard to install and it does the job.


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## z-family (Oct 2, 2004)




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## LarryTheOutback (Jun 15, 2005)

Try reporting it to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/. I understand that grassroots reports to NHTSA has occasionally led to action.

Ed


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## having_fun (Jun 19, 2006)

Where is the best place to order one? Is it a DIY'er?


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## z-family (Oct 2, 2004)




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## matty1 (Mar 7, 2005)

Thanks for the info...I think I will be placing an order, and going to the NHTSA website.


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## GoVols (Oct 7, 2005)

After reading this post (and others before it), I called my local Chevy dealer where I purchased my truck and talked with the service manager. He said they had seen a number of failed and cracked receivers, and told me that GM would replace the receiver for free -- but only if it was cracked or had failed!


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

There is already an open investigation by the Feds happening. There was a link to the dark side once posted here referencing it. Wonder what the receiver on the 2007's looks like ?


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

If the receiver breaks and GM will replace it for free, with what, the same kind









Talk about a catch 22, you need to hope it breaks but does not break apart to where you lose the trailer to get it replaced.







Will GM deliver the replacement to where you are on the road?


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## Scoutr2 (Aug 21, 2006)

California Jim said:


> Wonder what the receiver on the 2007's looks like ?


Hard to say - they have them completely encased with bumper and plastic trim. Hopefully they aren't the same.

Mike


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## Katrina (Dec 16, 2004)

Scoutr2 said:


> Wonder what the receiver on the 2007's looks like ?


Hard to say - they have them completely encased with bumper and plastic trim. Hopefully they aren't the same.

Mike
[/quote]

I've not looked for myself, but was told they went back to a square cross tube.


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## 3LEES (Feb 18, 2006)

Gary (Fire44) would know.

Hey Gary! What does the 2007 OEM hitch look like? Is it still a round tube?

And what does your service dept. think about the round tube hitch?

I know how I feel about it...


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## battalionchief3 (Jun 27, 2006)

We ( the govt ) have 3 2007 2500 Suburbans and the redisigned rear bumper hides most of it but what I see it all square tubing like a reese style hitch. It looks nothing like the old ones from what I see without crawling under the truck.


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## beachbum (Nov 27, 2006)

battalionchief3 said:


> We ( the govt ) have 3 2007 2500 Suburbans and the redisigned rear bumper hides most of it but what I see it all square tubing like a reese style hitch. It looks nothing like the old ones from what I see without crawling under the truck.


Inquiring minds want to know...please crawl under the truck (just kidding). I have an 07 classic 2500 HD; old style receiver. Changed it out to a Putnam class V. That's part of the issue, I think. A Class IV receiver as opposed to a Class V receiver.
david


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## matty1 (Mar 7, 2005)

Since mine is two years old, so far GM has said "Nope, not under warranty..."


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## Rubrhammer (Nov 27, 2006)

Here is a post from the dark side that you should read. It will give you a contact directly related to investigating the GM hitch failure situation.
Bob
http://www.coastresorts.com/cforum/index.c...id/19091364.cfm


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## Dan V (May 21, 2006)

Seems like a witch hunt to me ! With probably millions of this type of reciever hitches on Chevy/GM trucks and SUVS I can hardly believe there would not be an immediate recall on something as dangerous as this !

Have noticed quite a few RVers on this site exceed their maximum tow capacities with 1/2 ton trucks , believe this may be a contributing factor in just about most cases . Anyone actually seen/had a hitch failure or is this an internet hoax ?

I've installed 3 hitches on Chevy trucks in the last ten years , 3 bolts per side , seems to me 2 MORE attached to the bumper would just be a plus !


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## 3LEES (Feb 18, 2006)

Dan V said:


> Seems like a witch hunt to me ! With probably millions of this type of reciever hitches on Chevy/GM trucks and SUVS I can hardly believe there would not be an immediate recall on something as dangerous as this !
> 
> Have noticed quite a few RVers on this site exceed their maximum tow capacities with 1/2 ton trucks , believe this may be a contributing factor in just about most cases . Anyone actually seen/had a hitch failure or is this an internet hoax ?
> 
> I've installed 3 hitches on Chevy trucks in the last ten years , 3 bolts per side , seems to me 2 MORE attached to the bumper would just be a plus !


I changed mine. When you installed your chevy hitch, did you happen to look at the welds? And the thickness of the steel?

I'm not a metalurgist, but my untrained eye can see the difference between a Putnam and a OEM GM hitch. And NO I have NOT exceeded the tow capacities of my TV.

The biggest reason I changed was I could not get the OEM receiver to throw weight forward with my Equalizer installed. I had 7 washers in the Equalizer and still no forward squat.

WITH the Putnam, I have 5 washers in place and have achieved almost equal squat front and back.

As my momma told me, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.


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## GoVols (Oct 7, 2005)

I am in the middle of corresponding with an Equalizer factory person regarding my failed bracket jackets. I took a bunch of photos for them of the jackets and my set up, and answered a lot of questions about my TV and weights, etc.

I say all of that because I also asked him about my inability to get weight transfer to the front axle, and asked if he thought it had anything to do with the GM OEM hitch. I suspect that it is the two attach points on the bumper that somehow is interfering with the transfer.


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## matty1 (Mar 7, 2005)

Dan V said:


> Here is a post from the dark side that you should read. It will give you a contact directly related to investigating the GM hitch failure situation.
> Bob
> http://www.coastresorts.com/cforum/index.c...id/19091364.cfm


thanks for the info!


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## Dan V (May 21, 2006)

I doubt GM makes their own hitches , anyone know what company makes all those hitches ? In case of a failure I would not want to replace it with one made by the same manufacturer . I'll keep an eye on my OEM hitch , so far - so good !


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## map guy (Jan 11, 2007)

Dan V said:


> I doubt GM makes their own hitches , anyone know what company makes all those hitches ? In case of a failure I would not want to replace it with one made by the same manufacturer . I'll keep an eye on my OEM hitch , so far - so good !


You are right - it is sub supplied part. It was not manufactured by one of the name brand trailer hitch companies. The manufacturers name is on the weight rating tag but I can't remember what it is -CRS. I have one from a 2006 HD2500 that is pristine but will only be recycled .......

Map Guy


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## Highlander96 (Mar 1, 2005)

Dan V said:


> Seems like a witch hunt to me ! With probably millions of this type of reciever hitches on Chevy/GM trucks and SUVS I can hardly believe there would not be an immediate recall on something as dangerous as this !
> 
> Have noticed quite a few RVers on this site exceed their maximum tow capacities with 1/2 ton trucks , believe this may be a contributing factor in just about most cases . Anyone actually seen/had a hitch failure or is this an internet hoax ?
> 
> I've installed 3 hitches on Chevy trucks in the last ten years , 3 bolts per side , seems to me 2 MORE attached to the bumper would just be a plus !


It absolutely is not a witch hunt. I have owned two 2500HD's. One Gas, One Diesel. Switched em' both. The two bolts that you think might help you actually hurt you. They keep all of the weight from being properly transfered.

FWIW.....

Tim


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## redmonaz (Jul 24, 2006)

Can someone post pictures of the cracks and failed units? I am a materials engineer who specialized in metallurgy and used to work in a failure analysis lab. I don't want to get into the middle of any law suits, but have an intrest from a geek point of view. (and I own 2 chevy's with a round hitch)

The hitches I've looked at, my 2 and several in parking lots, the welds look different from one hitch to the next. Maybe an automated process that is not as controlled as it should be. Some appear to have good penetration on both parts and some seem to have more penetration on one part than the other. Also some have a piece of metal welded inside the top opening and some don't. My wifes 02 Tahoe does not have this piece, but my 06 2500 does. Is it a change in the 1/2 to 3/4 ton, or a year change?

Thanks,
Don


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## Katrina (Dec 16, 2004)

redmonaz said:


> Can someone post pictures of the cracks and failed units? I am a materials engineer who specialized in metallurgy and used to work in a failure analysis lab. I don't want to get into the middle of any law suits, but have an intrest from a geek point of view. (and I own 2 chevy's with a round hitch)
> 
> The hitches I've looked at, my 2 and several in parking lots, the welds look different from one hitch to the next. Maybe an automated process that is not as controlled as it should be. Some appear to have good penetration on both parts and some seem to have more penetration on one part than the other. Also some have a piece of metal welded inside the top opening and some don't. My wifes 02 Tahoe does not have this piece, but my 06 2500 does. Is it a change in the 1/2 to 3/4 ton, or a year change?
> 
> ...


The extra piece of metal is a 1/2 vs 3/4 ton thing and not a model year thing.
The only pictures of failures I've seen are of catastophic failures.
The change to a putnam for me was because of towing performance, I was unable to transfer any weight tot the front of the truck with the OEM hitch.


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## Scoutr2 (Aug 21, 2006)

When I replaced my GM OEM hitch with the Putnam, a number of things jumped out at me that made me glad I spent the $150 and a couple hours busting my knuckles while lying under the back of my truck.

> The thickness of the steel used in the Putnam is nearly twice that of the GM OEM hitch
> The Putnam spans more of the frame (rear to front) than does the GM hitch, giving it more leverage
> The Putnam does not bolt to the bumper, so there is no "shock absorber" effect to prevent weight transfer when using a WD hitch
> The welds on the Putnam hitch are heavier and evenly penetrate both pieces they are connecting
> The cross-tube on the Putnam is square, and it fits in square cutouts on the fore-to-aft side plates. This locks the cross-tube into the side plates, like a wrench on a bolt. The welds tie it together, but the design is superior, as opposed to;
> The cross-tube on the GM hitch is round, and it fits in a round cutout on the fore-to-aft plates. There is no mechanical locking action between the two pieces, so the only thing that prevents the cross-tube from rotating is the smaller, inferior welds. The welds are taking all the force, and they don't penetrate both pieces very well.

I believe they added the bumper bolts because of the lack of a mechanical lock (cross-tube to side-plates) in an effort to help prevent the angular torque on the round cross-tube from compromising the welds. (Round peg in a round hole - hard to prevent it from rotating!) That did not work, so they added a couple more gussets above the hitch box to strengthen it, but again, not enough leverage and not in the right place.

IMHO, there is only one reason that GM switched to a different hitch - the style they were using failed right and left. And covering it up with a plastic bumper makes it hard to notice that they switched. Kinda appears like they were hoping we wouldn't notice!?

Just my $.02.


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

I had a late model chev pass me the other day towing a camper.. I could see the hitch flexing a bunch as he passed me..

He was pulling about a 27-28 footer.. It looked very unsafe.. I couldnt catch him in my semi, as I was pulling a grade.. I wished the owner could have seen it flexing.. Bad deal.

Carey


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## kjdj (Sep 14, 2004)

Whats odd is the GM full size vans all have the 4" square tube cross member.


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## matty1 (Mar 7, 2005)

I posted some images of the cracking in the gallery (members misc. photos). i wish I would have taken some of the distortion caused to the bumper by the two bolts, or the odd angle of the hitch as compared to the bumper.

Installed the new Putnam Class IV hitch last night. As others have stated, what a difference, that hitch is heavier and extends to the next hole in the frame as compared to the old one. GM has been in contact with the dealer and is supposed to get back to me. I made sure that the dealer documented everything.


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## NJMikeC (Mar 29, 2006)

Now that there is a metallugist in the thread I'll try my version of myth busters on this hitch. Then of course I'll re-bury my head in the sand!

1) Square vs. Round Tube-- concerning torsional rigidity there is very little difference . In fact I would argue that the 90 degree angles are crush points where as with a round tube you have equal torsional loading all around it. Welds being of the same quality and same thickness in tubes gets you nearly equal torsional strength. Myth #1 busted.
2) Bolts in the bumper-- Isn't the bumper also bolted to the frame providing yet another tie point to the frame. Me thinks so! It might be a weaker tie point but it does further tie down that end and adds longitudinal rigidity to the whole setup. Myth #2 busted.

My theory due to Highlander's feed back long ago goes around soft metal, tube isn't long enough and tube isn't tight enough.

So if the tube isn't very tight then that makes a big difference for example look at what adding washers does to the Equalizer. Add a billion washers to the Equalizer. Doesn't matter a bit because you have an ever changing angle due to the looseness of the hitch tube. Besides how could you tranfer weight to something that doesn't provide rigid coupling. It's like trying to turn a bolt with a wrench one size too big!

Now as for the tube being not long enough again if it was tighter and longer then you would ensure that the weight bars are acting against the hitch with the resultant force transferred to the frame. You would get your weight transfer.

Now finally for the holes in Highlanders hitch being elongated. Of course they were, nothing is tight and the metal is soft.

Now finally if you have something flopping around doesn't it cause more long term stress via banging then does something tightened down properly. Enough banging then you have hitch failure, elongated bolt holes, flexing, etc.

So feel free to shoot holes in that! All just fun and games!


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## matty1 (Mar 7, 2005)

my only thing to add is that the two bolts that are into the bumper caused the "step" to flex and bend considerably, nothing there was transferred to the frame.

Not sure about the metal strength..I couldn't bend either one with my bare hands so it must be strong


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## NJMikeC (Mar 29, 2006)

Excellent observation! Then they are serving little purpose for sure, and that point shouldn't be getting that much force transferred to it. Tube is too short and too loose.


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## matty1 (Mar 7, 2005)

Just got contacted by a gentleman from NHTSA, they do have an open investigation into this issue. Mainly seems to be the hitches on the 2500 series trucks (probably more people pulling with those) not many on the 1500's. They are trying to narrow it down to a specific hitch manufacturer and lot if possible. He said one of the tell-tale signs has been significant rust around the welds or joints, they believe caused by excessive flexing leading to paint failure and then metal failure..so keep an eye on that. Mine was sure rusty, even after cleaning it up and repainting a couple times in 2 years.

He wants to get my hitch to his lab, most of them he has seen have been catastrophic failures where it has been hard to determine origin, mine is in the early stages, thank heavens. He is contacting GM on my behalf.

edit: forgot to add...Thank You to Outbackers.com...i would never have been so vigiliant about looking at my hitch without the advice from members here!


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## shaela21 (Aug 16, 2005)

I have been reading many threads on here and on RV.net on the GMC hitch failures. I think the thread on the RV.net went for 60 something pages with a lot of pictures and comments throughout.

I have been debating this problem for about a year now and whether to change out my hitch, or not. I have a hitch specialist have a look at it and he said it was fine. I called GMC here as well as 2 other hitch places and no one has ever heard of the hitch failure problem. But I check the hitch each time we tow looking for any crack or rust formation, and so far all seems well. Time bomb??? I do not know. For now I will keep an eye on it and someday will probably change it out.


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## Highlander96 (Mar 1, 2005)

$150 is a real cheap insurance policy.

I am just curious. What credentials does your "Hitch Specialist" have? I have never heard of one and would love to have them look at my 2 GM hitches that I replaced.

Tim


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## wercertifyable (Jun 23, 2005)

matty1 said:


> Was walking by the back of the trcuk after getting back from camping this weekend, and noticed that the receiver seemed to be angled funny, got down and noticed that there are nice cracks around the weld on either side up around the U shaped metal, and the metal looks extremely stressed. From the back you can see where it is seperating. Looks like I am going to be needing a new hitch. I knew I shouldn't have read those posts about GM hitch failures. Took some pics that I will have to post


Absolutely no problems with mine. It would not be limited to GMC as the Silverado and most likely other vehicles use the same exact hitch. Other than some badging the GMC and Chevy are exact.


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## 3LEES (Feb 18, 2006)

shaela21 said:


> I have been reading many threads on here and on RV.net on the GMC hitch failures. I think the thread on the RV.net went for 60 something pages with a lot of pictures and comments throughout.
> 
> I have been debating this problem for about a year now and whether to change out my hitch, or not. I have a hitch specialist have a look at it and he said it was fine. I called GMC here as well as 2 other hitch places and no one has ever heard of the hitch failure problem. But I check the hitch each time we tow looking for any crack or rust formation, and so far all seems well. Time bomb??? I do not know. For now I will keep an eye on it and someday will probably change it out.


My GMC OEM was and is almost pristine. The welds are intact, the holes are not elongated. No sign of fatigue or structural failure.

However, the OEM hitch would NOT transfer weight. This is why I and many others have changed the hitch.

What is the point of having a Weight Distribution Hitch if it can't distribute the weight?

Those of you who are thinking about changing or are keeping an eye on your current GMC OEM hitch, seriously consider changing soon. As Tim has already said, $150.00 is cheap insurance AND you will get a better ride and driving experience.

Go for it.


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## map guy (Jan 11, 2007)

shaela21 said:


> I have been reading many threads on here and on RV.net on the GMC hitch failures. I think the thread on the RV.net went for 60 something pages with a lot of pictures and comments throughout.
> 
> I have been debating this problem for about a year now and whether to change out my hitch, or not. I have a hitch specialist have a look at it and he said it was fine. I called GMC here as well as 2 other hitch places and no one has ever heard of the hitch failure problem. But I check the hitch each time we tow looking for any crack or rust formation, and so far all seems well. Time bomb??? I do not know. For now I will keep an eye on it and someday will probably change it out.


The two issues that seemed to be reoccuring in the RV.net threads on the GM hitch:
1. Failure or distortion over time with larger trailers and or heavy tongue weights
2. Lack of ability to transfer weight to the front axle without distorting the hitch. Again with heavy tongue weights -something several members here at Outbackers can confirm first hand. See Beachbum's journey with getting his 28KRS to tow properly and transfer weight to the front axle.

These hitches are risky to use with heavy tongue weights or trailer weights per the evidence I have read /seen in multiple places besides Outbackers and RV.net or one of its' sister forums badged under a different name.

People with small trailers shouldn't see the distortion / failure but for my family $150 to eliminate the risk of failure is pretty much chump change and a no-brainer..... IMHO

Map Guy


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## Rollrs45 (May 7, 2007)

So, now that we agree....







I've noticed several of you mention a hitch made by Putnam. I would assume since many of you are using this style it's of quality construction. Therefore, remind me again where I can purchase one? Thanks......

Mike


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## 3LEES (Feb 18, 2006)

Rollrs45 said:


> So, now that we agree....
> 
> 
> 
> ...


www.etrailerparts.com This is where I bought my Putnam.

I got my electrical parts (trailer plug receiver, trailer plug holder) from www.etrailer.com

They are different sites.


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## redmonaz (Jul 24, 2006)

NJMikeC said:


> Now that there is a metallugist in the thread I'll try my version of myth busters on this hitch. Then of course I'll re-bury my head in the sand!
> 
> 1) Square vs. Round Tube-- concerning torsional rigidity there is very little difference . In fact I would argue that the 90 degree angles are crush points where as with a round tube you have equal torsional loading all around it. Welds being of the same quality and same thickness in tubes gets you nearly equal torsional strength. Myth #1 busted.
> 2) Bolts in the bumper-- Isn't the bumper also bolted to the frame providing yet another tie point to the frame. Me thinks so! It might be a weaker tie point but it does further tie down that end and adds longitudinal rigidity to the whole setup. Myth #2 busted.


As far as #1 You make one major assumption, "the welds being the same thickness and quality as the tube." From the few I've looked at the welds look different from one to the next. On some the penetration does look equal on both sides and others it looks like it is deeper on one side. That is an observation from the outside. If I still worked in the lab I would be begging for samples to do a proper cross section on to inspect penetration and grain size analysis.

Also, yes the 90 degree angles (meaning the square peg in a square hole) will be "crush points" this will also act as a stop to releive the torsional foces that will be applied to the weld. (ON EDIT: The torsional forces would act as a shear force on the weld)

For #2 I have not done an analysis on this, but the round tube sticks out creating a lever arm from the welds. (Much like putting a cheater bar on the end of a breaker bar.) The bumper is very long between points where it is tied to the frame, this will allow flexing to occur in the bumper. (think of putting a board on some elevated blocks. If you stand on the board with the blocks close together not much flex, move the blocks 5 feet apart the board will flex more.)

When metal parts are welded together many things change at a molecular level. One definition of a weld is a small continuous casting. You wind up with larger grains in the weld and a transition zone from the weld material to the base material. Impurities can be driven into the grain boundries where they can act as stress risers making a fatigue failure more likely. You may also have a weld material that is different than the base material where material compatibilitey can come into play. These are things that I hope GM's subtier knew what they were doing.

These welds were most likely done with an automated process. There are many things that need to be watched and adjusted during a shift. Contacts can become worn or dirty, bad wire and gas flow to name a few. Too many people beleive once the process is set up you only need to change parts.

Until recently the only failures I have seen were with Hensley hitches so I jumped to the conclusion the Hensley must put a huge load on the hitch. I was suprised to see a failure with a standard type WD hitch. Also I must agree the load transfer on my '99 Tahoe, with a square hitch, seemed to be much better than my '06 Sierra 2500. I am watching my hitch closely and will likely upgrade it in the future.

Some advice would be if you notice cracks in the paint on your hitch insepect it carefully before you repaint it. If a crack is starting it will stress the paint causing a crack. The crack can then hold moisture leading to rust along the crack. Clean the paint off and look at it very closely, use an eye loop if you have one or borrow a maginfieing glass. One other thing to try once you have cleaned the paint off is put some acetone, or rubbing achohol, along the suspect area. Use an eye dropper to apply if possible. If there is a crack the acetone will flow into it and evaporate from it last, leaving a crack wet just a little longer.

As I reread this it sounds like I'm jumping on my high horse and I do not mean it to sound that way. I'm trying to quickly put down thoughts that have been in my head since I started reading threads about failing hitches. (Probably a year of rattling around inside my head.) I have been following these with a geek type interest and I think about it eveytime I walk behing a GM truck. (God I need a hobby!) I hope I did not offend anyone, these thoughts are mearly my humble opinion and poor spelling. Thanks for allowing me to ramble, and too all a good night!


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## NJMikeC (Mar 29, 2006)

redmonaz,

I don't see the high horse, not even the Shetland Pony.Knowledge is knowledge and thanks for providing it for free . I too was thinking out loud trying to stir the creative juices. I'm a member of the geek squad for sure.

Beyond that though it doesn't take much thought to replace this hitch if it isn't performing correctly. Couple other points while I'm at it.

1) This isn't limited to heavier trailers. 3LEES, Katrina and I all have or had a 21RS and the weight transfer was still an issue. I myself wasn't too concerned as I have a 2500HD pulling a 21RS and weight distribution wasn't as important as sway and the Equalizer was still providing that. I was going to change in the winter but upgraded to a 5'er so it became mute. Besides 700 lbs (21RS tonge) to maybe even 900 lbs (28KRS??) isn't such a huge variation , 28% increase maybe.

2) Hitch specialist as in somebody who has a mechanical engineering degree. Understands static and dynamic loads, strengths of materials, Mohr's circle. Clearly then with all of that he would tell you to change the hitch because it is too loose and cannot transfer the weight via a weight distributing hitch. Try not to get bowled over by "garage talk". Get to the scale and see for yourself.

There should be a recall but few of us would go there with the weight tickets.


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## matty1 (Mar 7, 2005)

I should add..according to Peter from the NHTSA, the percentage of problems is very tiny compared to the sheer number of these hitches out there...but the ones he sees have been catastrophic failures involving trailers well under the weight ratings for both the hitches and the trucks.

I got my hitch of amazon.com, with the pricing web engines it came out the cheapest even before the free shipping.


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## map guy (Jan 11, 2007)

Rollrs45 said:


> So, now that we agree....
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I got my Putnam here
Performance Center

It was $137.00 delivered to my door -At the time they had a shipping special going and a sale price on the hitch -price was better than Amazon or Etrailer.com. These guys will beat the lowest price too. I had to call on the phone because their online fitment sofware didn't show my application. The hitch was drop shipped from Putnam to my door.

Map Guy


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

matty1 said:


> I should add..according to Peter from the NHTSA, the percentage of problems is very tiny compared to the sheer number of these hitches out there...


I'll betcha that less than 20% of the installed hitches are actually used, or are rarely used. That might make the number a little more significant.


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## Collinsfam_WY (Nov 9, 2006)

California Jim said:


> I should add..according to Peter from the NHTSA, the percentage of problems is very tiny compared to the sheer number of these hitches out there...


I'll betcha that less than 20% of the installed hitches are actually used, or are rarely used. That might make the number a little more significant.
[/quote]

Good point.

-CC


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## redmonaz (Jul 24, 2006)

I agree that a small number of hitches will fail. Take that number and multipy it by the number of hitches that are used will give you an even smaller number. I would bet money that GM has looked at those numbers and performed a cost analysis on replacing all hitches vs. a few high dollar payouts for serious accidents. I'm not saying it is right, or that I agree with it, I just bet it has been researched.
Don


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## tripphammer (Oct 3, 2006)

One of the things that I haven't seen much discussion about is the Class of the hitch. Is a Class III sufficient or is a Class IV or Class V necessary. IMHO that the higher class would be desireable but I can't quite figure out if the Class III is is an equivalent replacement for the OEM hitch. Anyone out there with the answer?

Take Care,
Tripp Hammer


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## 3LEES (Feb 18, 2006)

I replaced mine with a class IV hitch. Since I tow with a 1500, I reasoned that I would never be able to come close to the rating of a class V.

Those with a 2500 and above have usually used a class V for a replacement.


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## GoVols (Oct 7, 2005)

TrippHammer said:


> One of the things that I haven't seen much discussion about is the Class of the hitch. Is a Class III sufficient or is a Class IV or Class V necessary. IMHO that the higher class would be desireable but I can't quite figure out if the Class III is is an equivalent replacement for the OEM hitch. Anyone out there with the answer?
> 
> Take Care,
> Tripp Hammer


The specs on the OEM hitch on my Chevy say 600 lbs tongue / 1500 lbs WD tongue limit, 5000/12000 lbs towing limit. (The truck however, is limited to 7400 lbs towing limit.) These numbers put it between a Class III and a Class IV hitch, but I would opt for the more sturdy Class IV. A Class V hitch really isn't going to buy you anything more than a IV on a 1/2 ton truck.


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## Fire44 (Mar 6, 2005)

I have never seen a failure of the factory hitch....I'm not saying that it hasn't happened but I have never seen one. I had problems transfering weight to the front of all my trucks that had the factory hitchs.

Now...the past fire chief of my fire company had a 2005 Chevrolet 2500HD and was involved in an accident on a interstate while towing is 10,000 pound Cougar TT. He rear ended small SUV that merged on to the highway and then stopped. No one was injuried and the SUV he hit was totalled. The hitch held the trailer to the truck, it did bend the rear bumper down but the hitch did not fail....

As for the new trucks..the new body style trucks are using a different hitch all together. I don't know if it is a round or square tube but I will check on Monday. I do know that the new body style 2500 and 3500 trucks are using a 2 1/2" hitch instead of a 2" hitch.

Gary


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## redmonaz (Jul 24, 2006)

I looked under a new Sierra in the parking lot as I left work yesterday. The hitch was built using round tube. I don't know what year the truck was, just a new style Sierra, regular cab short bed.

It would be interesting to know the failures point of origin on failing hitches. If the failures point of origin is the same location it would indicate a bad design. If it varied from one failure to the next it could point to the welding process.


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## samvalaw (Feb 17, 2005)

I can't tell if I am transferring the weight as well with my 02 Suburban 2500 with round tube hitch as I did with my 97 square tube 1500....I dont' really see a difference. The trailer dealer that installs hitches says he knows of no problems, but I don't want to be unsafe. I'm only towing a 21rs, what would you do?


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## beachbum (Nov 27, 2006)

I found that "guessing" the weights was pretty much useless. The only real way to tell if there is transfer, how much tongue weight there is, etc. is to go to the scales and weigh your rig. I bought the Sherline tongue scale mainly to monitor/check tongue weight under different travel conditions. But you really can't tell anything until you weigh everything. Just my opinion








david


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## Justman (Jul 22, 2006)

Just purchased a new Putnam class V from Amazon for $138 including shipping. This was the best price I found on the net. Hope this helps out with my weight distribution problem...


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## battalionchief3 (Jun 27, 2006)

I saw the pics of cracks on the hitch welds and such, I looked at mine and saw nothing. I will keep an eye on it just to be safe. If I ever see one it will be replaced. I cant see replaceing it when I dont see anything wrong with it.... not like it would give me more power or look really cool, those are good reasons.....


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## Highlander96 (Mar 1, 2005)

battalionchief3 said:


> I saw the pics of cracks on the hitch welds and such, I looked at mine and saw nothing. I will keep an eye on it just to be safe. If I ever see one it will be replaced. I cant see replaceing it when I dont see anything wrong with it.... not like it would give me more power or look really cool, those are good reasons.....


If your holes on the pin box are rounding out, you may want to consider replacing this component. It is a sign of inferior metal used. It is not just the welds.

However, it is your choice.

Good Luck!

Tim


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## battalionchief3 (Jun 27, 2006)

I will have to check that, I havent noticed. I use a lock pin in mine and its still tight to get in. More good info, thanks.


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## Scoutr2 (Aug 21, 2006)

NJMikeC said:


> Now that there is a metallugist in the thread I'll try my version of myth busters on this hitch. Then of course I'll re-bury my head in the sand!
> 
> 1) Square vs. Round Tube-- concerning torsional rigidity there is very little difference . In fact I would argue that the 90 degree angles are crush points where as with a round tube you have equal torsional loading all around it. Welds being of the same quality and same thickness in tubes gets you nearly equal torsional strength. Myth #1 busted.
> 
> ...


I'm not trying to be argumentative, but I have a differing view, mainly from years of experience in an engineering and manufacturing environment for heavy equipment.

_1) Square vs. Round Tube-- concerning torsional rigidity there is very little difference . In fact I would argue that the 90 degree angles are crush points where as with a round tube you have equal torsional loading all around it. Welds being of the same quality and same thickness in tubes gets you nearly equal torsional strength. Myth #1 busted._

Well, I'll give you that. But I'll bet that with the thickness of the steel used in the hitches, the square tube will go a long way to cutting down on the stresses to the welds. Round tube in a round hole - the only thing keeping the cross tube from rotating in the round hole is the weld. And the welds on my GM OEM hitch appear to have little or no penetration in a number of places. Cat uses round tubes in round holes also, but the welds for a component that is safety or structurally related are much larger (there are formulas for designing welded joints) and the welds are sonic tested 100% to ensure there are no voids in those welded joints. I'll bet that GM's hitch manufacturer does not sonic test the welds.

_2) Bolts in the bumper-- Isn't the bumper also bolted to the frame providing yet another tie point to the frame. Me thinks so! It might be a weaker tie point but it does further tie down that end and adds longitudinal rigidity to the whole setup. Myth #2 busted._

Have you looked at those bumpers? The metal is not much thicker than the body panels. The bumper's strength is designed for square-on impacts. I watched my bumper flex when I stood on the trailer tongue with the Outback hooked up. The bumber flexes WAY too much to provide any structural help for that hitch. If a weld on the hitch fails, the bumper will be destroyed.

Also, someone else pointed that the cross tube on the OEM hitch is bent out (towards the rear). That bend serves as a lever, which magnifys the forces on the inferior welds when using a WD hitch.

There are a lot of those hitches out there on the backs of GM trucks and SUVs. I'd guess that only a small percentage of them are used with WD hitches that produce the forces from towing a heavy travel trailer as it bounces down the road for hours at a time. The hitch used on a 1/2 ton truck appears to be the same hitch as that on a 3/4 ton truck. And most of these OEM hitches that are used for towing are probably used to tow boats, pop-ups, light utility trailers, etc. When I asked my RV supply store owner about this (when I bought the Putnam hitch), he said that a lot of contractors use the OEM hitch and he's never heard of a problem - but he added that most don't use a WD hitch.

But no matter what - I KNOW that I'm much safer with the Putnam Class IV hitch than I was with the OEM. Just looking at the photos on RV net convinced me that I did not want to find out the hard way whether my hitch wouyd fail or not. 150 bucks is cheap insurance!

Mike


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## Justman (Jul 22, 2006)

My brother and I just installed my new Putnam Class V on my Yukon XL in about 20 minutes. The secret? We used his air impact wrench. Amazing what the right tools can do for you! Now I have to convince the wife we need one of those...

The new hitch sits about 1 inch higher than OEM and just looks tougher than the OEM.







Plus, I can now tow 16,000 lbs!







Or not...


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## 3LEES (Feb 18, 2006)

Justman said:


> My brother and I just installed my new Putnam Class V on my Yukon XL in about 20 minutes. The secret? We used his air impact wrench. Amazing what the right tools can do for you! Now I have to convince the wife we need one of those...
> 
> The new hitch sits about 1 inch higher than OEM and just looks tougher than the OEM.
> 
> ...


Very cool. Now your Hensley can do it's magic.

I wish I had an impact wrench when I did mine. That sure would've saved me some busted knuckles.

Did you torque the bolts after installation? I think the instructions said to torque to 75 lbs. If you haven't, you should. If perchance something goes wrong, at least you followed the instructions to a tee.


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