Thieves -- Aargh!!!

PPBart · Oct 23, 2016

I had to run some errands this morning: quick breakfast stop for coffee and a biscuit, Home Depot for some project materials, Walmart for some baking stuff for wife, then home. A few minutes after I got home I walked behind my truck and noticed the hitch ball mount and pin were gone! I used my utility trailer yesterday to pickup my lawn tractor from the repair shop. Usually I will pull the ball mount out of the receiver as soon as I drop the trailer, for some reason just neglected to do so this time. I'm almost sure the ball was there when I came out of Home Depot, so probably some Walmart-shopper ripped me off!

John_ · Oct 23, 2016

That just sucks! Some low life just couldn't resist. Should have his hands smashed. Get a pin with a lock on it, what I have.

DAVE_M · Oct 23, 2016

Always weld the ball to the hitch and use a lock pin.

I've had two stolen in the past. I don't even understand why people steal them, other than it's easy to steal and a pawn shop might give you $20.

Big H · Oct 23, 2016

Did you get any of the business places to run a security camera check---there's no charge---maybe to much trouble,
but at least you might find out where it was done.

Drummy · Oct 23, 2016

I had it happen once, been using a lock pin ever since.

PPBart · Oct 23, 2016

Big H said:
...run a security camera check...

I'm almost sure it was at Walmart, not sure if they have camera coverage of all the parking lot. As said, probably not worth the effort to find out. Replacement will have a locking pin!

bigtattoo79 · Oct 23, 2016

PPBart said:
I'm almost sure it was at Walmart, not sure if they have camera coverage of all the parking lot. As said, probably not worth the effort to find out. Replacement will have a locking pin!

Walmart parking lot cameras suck!

Firearmfanatic · Oct 23, 2016

Yeah, that is just low for someone to do that! Lowlife scum is what they are! :mad:

Whitebread · Oct 23, 2016

DAVE_M said:
Always weld the ball to the hitch and use a lock pin.

I've had two stolen in the past. I don't even understand why people steal them, other than it's easy to steal and a pawn shop might give you $20.

If you haul anything heavy I wouldn't suggest this. Grade 8 fasteners are weakened dramatically by welding. Green loctite may do better. If you just got to run the overgrown hot glue gun I would suggest cold joints on bottom of the nut in the threads of the shank.

Labeeman · Oct 23, 2016

Last year someone stole just the ball from out hitch and put their old crappy one in its place. It's unbelievable someone would waste so much time doing this. Stupid runs deep in this state.

DAVE_M · Oct 23, 2016

Whitebread said:
If you haul anything heavy I wouldn't suggest this. Grade 8 fasteners are weakened dramatically by welding. Green loctite may do better. If you just got to run the overgrown hot glue gun I would suggest cold joints on bottom of the nut in the threads of the shank.

Tack welding the ball to the hitch will not ruin the integrity of the steel.

Firearmfanatic · Oct 23, 2016

DAVE_M said:
Tack welding the ball to the hitch will not ruin the integrity of the steel.

+1 on this! It is as stable and as strong as before tack welding on it.

Whitebread · Oct 24, 2016

DAVE_M said:
Tack welding the ball to the hitch will not ruin the integrity of the steel.

If the tack isn't hot enough to ruin the ball it wasn't hot enough. But if you do like I suggested and lay a couple cold joints in the thread it doesn't need to get that hot because all all you are trying to do is create an obstruction in the lands of the threads. Now will it ruin the ball for pulling a lawnmower trailer no but if you pull much weight and you welded the flang of the ball to the shank you are rolling the dice. It takes a pretty decent size machine to weld that thick of metal in the first place. Most hobbist don't have the equipment.

DAVE_M · Oct 24, 2016

Whitebread said:
If the tack isn't hot enough to ruin the ball it wasn't hot enough. But if you do like I suggested and lay a couple cold joints in the thread it doesn't need to get that hot because all all you are trying to do is create an obstruction in the lands of the threads. Now will it ruin the ball for pulling a lawnmower trailer no but if you pull much weight and you welded the flang of the ball to the shank you are rolling the dice. If takes a pretty decent size machine to weld that thick of metal in the first place. Most hobbist don't have the equipment.

What is your experience welding? What is your experience with structural steel?

A tack weld on two sides of the nut and two sides of the ball are sufficient enough to keep a would-be thief from stealing the ball in a parking lot. Unless you are Luke Cage, you are not breaking a tack weld with your hand.

bigtattoo79 · Oct 24, 2016

Whitebread said:
If the tack isn't hot enough to ruin the ball it wasn't hot enough. But if you do like I suggested and lay a couple cold joints in the thread it doesn't need to get that hot because all all you are trying to do is create an obstruction in the lands of the threads. Now will it ruin the ball for pulling a lawnmower trailer no but if you pull much weight and you welded the flang of the ball to the shank you are rolling the dice. If takes a pretty decent size machine to weld that thick of metal in the first place. Most hobbist don't have the equipment.

LOL You have no clue.

Whitebread · Oct 24, 2016

bigtattoo79 said:
LOL You have no clue.

I trust my life to my welds they have been proven time and time again. I can however give you an example where I shattered a lugnut that I welded another lugnut to it. But hell what do I know I only been fabricating my own parts for my rock crawler for years. Fabricated a custom flatbed trailer. And been haulin 8-10k for years.

DAVE_M · Oct 24, 2016

Whitebread said:
I trust my life to my welds they have been proven time and time again. I can however give you an example where I shattered a lugnut that I welded another lugnut to it. But hell what do I know I only been fabricating my own parts for my rock crawler for years. Fabricated a custom flatbed trailer. And been haulin 8-10k for years.

Then you should know that tack welding the nut to the hitch will not penetrate through to the threads, which would compromise the strength of the nut. Similarly, tack welding the ball to the hitch will also not penetrate through to the shank.

Unless you are the god of welding and can tack a full pen weld, I think you are over-complicating things and getting out of your depth.

Firearmfanatic · Oct 24, 2016

Whitebread said:
It takes a pretty decent size machine to weld that thick of metal in the first place. Most hobbist don't have the equipment.

You would be suprised what some of us "hobbist" have at home at our disposal!

bigtattoo79 · Oct 24, 2016

Whitebread said:
I trust my life to my welds they have been proven time and time again. I can however give you an example where I shattered a lugnut that I welded another lugnut to it. But hell what do I know I only been fabricating my own parts for my rock crawler for years. Fabricated a custom flatbed trailer. And been haulin 8-10k for years.

Welding on personal stuff does not make you a welder. Bring a few of those projects to a lab for inspection and get a reality check.

Whitebread · Oct 24, 2016

Firearmfanatic said:
You would be suprised what some of us "hobbist" have at home at our disposal!

Not really my friends machines dwarf mine.

Thieves -- Aargh!!!

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