Tips for Removing Stuck Gooseneck Hitch Ball

Question:

I have tried to remove the ball but I cannot get it to come out of the assembly.

asked by: Tom

Expert Reply:

The first thing you will need to do is apply liberal amounts of spray lubricant to all of the moving parts that seem stuck. Sometimes it helps to apply some, wait an hour or so and apply more and then do whatever it takes to pry the ball out.

But it really depends on what style of gooseneck hitch you have. If you have a Fold-Down style like the # 8339-4435 then basically you will just want to do whatever it takes to get the hinged cover to pry up since when it comes up it also moves the ball up too. I have dealt with stuck hitches like this before and have had luck using WD-40 and a pry bar.

You might also try getting underneath the truck bed and hit it with lubricant from that angle and move the moving parts around to help free things up.

expert reply by: Jameson C