Need advice on hitch removal

Need to know what you guys think,I was thinking of removing my entire hitch reviever (I never tow) the reason being I don't want a bent frame in the event of someone rear ending me,
so do you guys think that's a good idea or bad idea since my truck will only have the factory rear bumper for protection,I would rather have body damage than a bent frame AND body damage.And no I will not be putting a heavy duty bumper on anytime soon.
Let me know what your thoughts are.

 

a 3000lb + vehicle smashing into your rear end is gonna do frame damage regardless of a hitch or not, the kinetic energy gotta go somewhere

 

True ,but its well known the hitch's on Taco's act like wedges too bend your frame down when hit.

 

I honestly wouldn't worry about it, this is kinda like precautionary overkill, you may never get into an accident in your life, or you may be in one that ends your life, can't really plan for something unknown like that

 

In most states it is illegal to leave a hitch in your reciever when you are not actively towing.

Just take it out.

Or do you mean your hitch reciever??

Do not remove that. Recievers do not increase risk of frame damage in an accident because they are attached a long the rear extension of the frame, not at a singular point like a hitch extending from the rear of the truck.

And you will seriously deminish resale value of your truck if you do since the hitch reciever is actually attached to the frame itself.

The issue with frame damage is having anything protruding away from the frame creating a wedge. Like hitches, bike racks, kayak racks etc.

The reciever doesn’t extend outward more than a couple inches.

 

This. Just plug up the hitch w the Toyota cover.

 

I think he's talking about the receiver itself. ...IMO, you're over thinking this and worrying over something you can't really predict or control. If you get rear ended, there'll be damage. That's what you have insurance for. No need to diminish the value and utility of your truck over something that'll probably never happen to you.

If you do do this, it's not just a matter of unbolting the hitch frame. You'll need to source some non-tow package bumper brackets too.

 

The bumper attaches to your receiver so if you remove it you are going to need to buy brackets to reattach your bumper.

Guess where those brackets are going to attach.......your frame......so you could be in the same position with frame damage from a rear end collission.

 

My thoughts are stop overthinking shit and live life. Your idea of removing the hitch makes zero sense.

 

Hitch receiver,the entire hitch is what I meant.I never have the ball hitch in anyway.

 

Yes that's what I was talking about the receiver itself.

 

PackCon - can you supply a source for your statement ?

 

@PackCon is correct. It is illegal in many states to run a receiver when not towing because it extends past your bumper. Not something that you're likely to get cited for unless you're doing something stupid.

 

You will have to go to each states regs and pull it.

I deal with personal injury law and in my state and the states I have all dealt with it is illegal.

Reason was just stated, it extends outside the bumper in a non-visible area. So someone can easily swipe or back into it (or walk into it) without ever being able to see it as a protrusion.
For example if you are parked at the end of a corner parking lot and you back up and someone adjacent to you has a gooseneck hitch that scrapes the side of your car... the accident is their fault and should go against their liability. There is no way you could have seen it nor should be expecting to have to look for it.

Some people have some obnoxious hitches too that stick out way further than needed.

 

There's no law in Virginia that prohibits trailer hitches on vehicles when the hitch is not in use. I can't speak for other states but I've never heard of such a law.

As for the statement, "........but its well known the hitch's on Taco's act like wedges too bend your frame down when hit." I'm not sure what your definition of "well known" is but I don't think that's commonly accepted as the truth.

The bumper spans the two frame rails. There's a portion of the frame that spans the two frame rails and a receiver hitch would also span the two frame rails. Seems to me the more sections of steel that we place between those two frame rails, the more rigid that entire assemble will become.
If you have a narrow impact between the two frame rails the forces will tend to bend the rails together. If you suffer a wide impact across the entire rear end, the frame rails will tend to buckle.
I don't think a receiver hitch will matter one way or another in a serious rear end collision.

 

IMO you are better off leaving the receiver. I think it brings everything together and makes it stronger. I was rushing to get to work one day, backed up at decent speed into the turnaround in my driveway which my wife decided to park in (and never does). i wasnt looking at my camera so BOOM into her civic. My hitch destroyed her car, mine was fine. Without it, i would have needed a bumper, reinforcements in the bumper, paint on the fenders from where the bumper bends and hits, etc. Yes, i know its a civic, but $0 to my truck, $3000 to her civic.

I also got rear ended, hitch mostly saved my truck. It took about 90% of the brunt. This was after the civic. A shop checked out the frame, just fine.

 

Get a super bumper and relax

 

If it was covered in rust I would remove it. However I would refurbish and paint, then install it back again. Seems like a waste of time and completely unnecessary to me, but hey it’s your truck. I guess do what gives you peace of mind...

 

I don't buy that bit about it acting as a wedge. Even if that is remotely true, you would be able to cut that active cross member out and it'd restore the rear of the frame back to neutral, or as close as possible considering a vehicle still destroyed the back of your truck.

Furthermore, the front of the other cars bumper would spread the load across your whole rear end after that receiver caves in those few inches

 

Hundreds of Tacoma's hit in the rear where the hitch receiver is stronger than the frame resulting in the frame being bent down where the receiver is attached due too the design of the receiver,its not rocket science,I think the many threads here on TW alone is more proof than anyone will ever need.