87xjWagoneer

Hi guys, havn't posted here in a while. Amazingly, the old wagoneer hasn't broke down lately. Anyway, im building a trailer mainly for hauling firewood, and some other odd jobs. I'm looking for some opinions on the trailer and also on removing/installing my hitch. The hitch on there now is rusted all to hell. It wont even hold my reese hitch cargo rack up. It just bends till it touches the ground. Ok so here are my questions...

1. Is it ok that i completely destroy the hitch, nut strips and hardware thats on there now? It's completely rusted into a solid mess. I'm pretty sure i'm gonna have to grind the heads of the bolts off. Will the nut strips have room to come out with parts of the bolts stuck in them?

2. For a replacement hitch, I'm planning on getting a factory reciever from the salvage yard. Assuming they don't have nutstrips, where do i get em?

3. I plan on using the trailer for hauling up to about a half ton of wood out of muddy woods and ocasionally off of peoples lawns. The trailer has 5x5.5 wheel pattern so i'm thinking of going with wide truck tires. Hopefully this will help keep from me sinking in the mud and from making ruts in lawns. My question is, if i go with say a 33x12.5x15 tire, will i have issues with towing on the road? Will the extra tire width cause tracking issues?

cookrw

What is actually broken on your hitch? is it the hitch, the receiver, the frame rails?

87xjWagoneer

The crossbar has rusted completely through. There isnt much left of it.

YZEATER

you should be ok with griding the heads off and getting the old strips out. either way they need to come out.

i bought my nutstrips somewhere online, but it's been a while. like $35.

you'll be fine with the bigger tires.

cookrw

Depending on what your future plans are, I've seen people just weld the hitch on. Not recommending it, but it is an option

Edit: the only problem large tires will give you is a loss of power due to their larger radius.

87xjWagoneer

Thought about welding it on but im not comfortable doing it and i only have a low amp arc welder. I'm not gonna pay to have it done if i'l still be able to bolt one on.

I think i'l end up having two sets of tires for the trailer. Probly some regular street trailer tires for general use and some wide truck tires for when i plan on being in the soft stuff.

the_big_h

Metal is way too thin to weld a hitch on.

cookrw

Depends on how you do it. I know I wouldn't, which is why mine is bolted on, but I have seen XJs at the JY with their hitches welded on. If I was just using it to haul wood around the back 40, I would weld it on in a heartbeat if that is all I had.

For anything at high speeds, I use proper nut strips and bolts. You DO NOT want your hitch coming off going down the highway. It can very easily kill someone. But for low speeds in the back yard, who cares if your trailer breaks off and hits a tree?