3" hitch issues on 2018 F350

CarterKraft said:

First short trip out (75 miles) using the 2" Hensley Arrow in the 2-2½ and then in 2½-3 sleeve it seems I have bent the oem pin and can't get it out of the hitch. I already new this would be a problem but I could not find a 3" WD hitch shank in time.

I can get 2½ shanks all day from several manufacturers but can't seem to find a 3".

Has anyone else had any luck?
Have you had any trouble using just the 2½ shank in the 3" sleeve?
I am thinking I would like to get away from sleeves all together but I could weld strips of steel to the 2½ shank to make it 3" or possibly just weld the sleeve to it...

Click to expand...

I found the following:
https://www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Pins...MIgPrg6fyW2gIVw2B-Ch2AxwsVEAMYAyAAEgLyS_D_BwE
https://www.etrailer.com/p-WS05.html
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...-in-16mm-extended-length-chrome-receiver-lock

mlpeloquin said:

I found the following:
https://www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Pins...MIgPrg6fyW2gIVw2B-Ch2AxwsVEAMYAyAAEgLyS_D_BwE
https://www.etrailer.com/p-WS05.html
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...-in-16mm-extended-length-chrome-receiver-lock

Click to expand...

I am not sure if a stronger pin will be the solution but there is some interesting things at play. The Ford OEM hitch is 3" but has a 5/8 hole. That rules out a bigger pin.

A stronger pin might help but if it breaks instead of bends that's not great either.
I am going to try the 2.5" hitch I bought and if that still causes problems I will add 1/4 plates to the sides to make it fit tight in the 3" tube.

I would call Hensley and see what they had to say.

Hensley is in a bad spot as the license to manufacture the hitch doesn't allow them to make any changes. They don't offer any size but 2" stating it isn't needed.

I should have said this in the original post but I modified my stinger to utilize the common industry standard WD stinger, thus I have just ordered a replacement 2.5" shank.

I am hoping the single 2.5 - 3 adapter sleeve will eliminate enough slack to stop the bending moment.

Edit:thinking about this more I might see the problem. The hole I am using in the stinger is a hole I added. I drilled it to the next size up I had from 5/8 so it's a tight fit. It may actually be holding the stinger in the center of the hitch tube so that when the WD was loaded up and then pulled out here I bet it bent the pin at the edge of the 2" stinger. I will get the 2.5" hitch and see how that all fits up.