Was rear ended this morning

[Firebird]

I always left my big azz WDH hitch installed on my dually, if someone rear ended me, it would protect my truck

Sponsored

 

[Lost1wing]

Not a dig... but why do people always hide their tag ? It's not like you drive around with it visible 365 days a year... seen by millions of cameras and public information ?

Real question, genuinely curious ?

Foremost, I'm glad you are okay... hopefully nobody was injured.

By the way, thats a skinny finger...

I don't have a problem sharing my tag in a photo but there are individuals that take social media information and use it for dubious deeds, kind of like connecting the dots for them. So the less you put out there the better.

 

[Ohio JKU]

I got rear ended last year in my JT.... landscaping truck (Chevy 4500) and trailer. Low speed but a solid hit, only damage to my truck was the bumper. I think the snow plow plate on their truck matched up with the hitch on mine. My bumper looked fine but the clips that hold the trim pieces on (plastic bumper, steel frame jt Willy's "sport bumper") were 50% broken and internally the bumper was damaged. I suspect parts are designed to crush. But it looked okay.... so inspect the bumper and hitch very well. Mine needed both replaced. No other damage which was surprising.

 

[NVjeff]

I worry about damage to the hitch mounting hardware if the hitch takes the hit.

Will insurance cover replacing the hitch hardware?
Or will they wait and see if you lose your trailer, if the hardware fails?

 

[WILDHOBO]

Yall do know people can see your license plate in public right.

Seriously.

 

[BoxerAJ]

Wet roads. Hit was pretty hard. when I walked around the back, I expected to see significant damage. To of my surprise, I see nothing but the lightest of scuffs on the lowest part of the tailgate.


Best I can tell all the spacing of the bumper and truck bed are good. Did the hitch do most of the saving? He said he was doing 35, which I doubt. The damage would be worse.

I feel your pain.

 

[Zachanadandy]

I worry about damage to the hitch mounting hardware if the hitch takes the hit.

Will insurance cover replacing the hitch hardware?
Or will they wait and see if you lose your trailer, if the hardware fails?

Hardware damage? If bolts are broken they are broken. If not they won't eventually break due to a minor impact. Think about the repeated "impacts" the hitch sees accelerating and decelerating a trailer that weighs as much as that truck thousands of times every time you tow. It's not a thing.

 

[56cbr600rr]

wow. Very similar. Looks like your impact was a little harder, and to heavier vehicle. Kind of neat to see how easily the chrome bumpers fold when there’s a small impact point such as the trailer hitch mount. How extensive was your damage underneath?

I feel your pain.

 

[BoxerAJ]

wow. Very similar. Looks like your impact was a little harder, and to heavier vehicle. Kind of neat to see how easily the chrome bumpers fold when there’s a small impact point such as the trailer hitch mount. How extensive was your damage underneath?

No real damage, just slightly bent bumper end that did not get into quarters, tailgate damage. Ordered an Iron Bear customs rear bumper today in case it happens again.

 

[Mark JT]

Reminds me…I need to go put my triple ball hitch back in!

 

[NVjeff]

Hardware damage? If bolts are broken they are broken. If not they won't eventually break due to a minor impact. Think about the repeated "impacts" the hitch sees accelerating and decelerating a trailer that weighs as much as that truck thousands of times every time you tow. It's not a thing.

If a bolt is over torqued or stretched it loses strength. It may not be apparent until a load is put on it.
The sudden impact of getting rear ended on a hitch applies more force than a trailer will.

I'm a mechanical hypochondriac looking for points of failure so I can be prepared.
Everyone is free make their own decisions with their trucks, I mentioned what I see as a potential problem so others can be prepared and make their own decisions.

 

[Zachanadandy]

If a bolt is over torqued or stretched it loses strength. It may not be apparent until a load is put on it.
The sudden impact of getting rear ended on a hitch applies more force than a trailer will.

I'm a mechanical hypochondriac looking for points of failure so I can be prepared.
Everyone is free make their own decisions with their trucks, I mentioned what I see as a potential problem so others can be prepared and make their own decisions.

Hit at speed sure, looking at the damage I'd say I've panic stopped a heavy trailer that applied far more force many times. There's a reason you almost never see hitch failures regardless of use. Look at Matt's off road recovery. The banana probably has thousands of hard kinetic pulls on that hitch, and if you've seen the soda can unibody where the hitch bolts on an XJ I'd say the gladiator is a tank by comparison. Tight bolts don't get stretched or over torqued in an impact like this. There's a reason you'll never find any body shop replacing bolts on non-damaged components. I'd bet your lower control arm bolts see more force hitting potholes at freeway speed than this little fender bender put on that hitch.

 

[Splenda]

I used to leave one of these in the receiver on my F250.

 

[Viper501]

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...tch-(2-in-ball-10-000-lb-ball-capacity)-48190

 

[Jeeper44mag]

Steel bumpers are great! Add a tow hitch and impale their radiators....and just get a scratch on your ball.

Balls need to be scratched anyway! :-D

Sponsored