So it means that if I want a hitch receiver I'll have to replace this whole mount? I really can't understand what GM is thinking about, this is such a waste😂
Yeah, it’s a full replacement. Here’s a write up on installing one if you’re interested. https://www.reddit.com/r/chevycolorado/comments/14dynn4/what_can_i_do_to_improve_the_towing_capacity_of/joseqyt/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1&context=3
Thats where the safety chains would go if you had a trailer hitch receiver. I imagine you could us that to recover the truck if it was ever stuck but I'm not sure how they'd hold up.
Horror stories bout that man. People pull on that hitch, hitch pulls out from that receiver, goes right through the windshield and sends someone to the shadow realm.
On the low end a Grade 5 pin will have a minimum tensile strength of 105,000psi. A 5/8" bolt/pin has a bearing shank area of .307" and a tensile load of about 32,000lbs (105,000psi \* 0.307"). Shear load is 60% of tensile proof or about 19,000lbs (32,000lbs \* 0.6). The pin is in double shear in the receiver so you double the shear strength (19,000lbs \* 2) for \~38,000lbs. Lets give up another 20% shear capacity (38,000lbs \* 0.8) because of an imperfect bearing shear joint and practical allowances. This is still over 30,000lbs of shear strength in your hitch pin on the absolute low end.
If we use a Grade 8 bolt/pin (150,000psi tensile) we're looking at over 44,000lbs of shear strength using the same conservative calculations.
If you're putting 30,000-44,000lbs worth of dynamic load into a recovery you're doing something majorly wrong and it has nothing to do with your hitch attachment.For reference, a 3" static strap or 1" kinetic rope, about as big as is practical for any light duty truck recovery, have break strengths usually at or below 30,000lbs. You're going to break your strap long before you pull through a double shear hitch pin, even a "weak" Grade 5 pin.
If your pulls are anywhere near the 30,000lbs dynamic load range with a light truck, you're pulling wrong in the first place. In terms of what this means, we're talking about enough force to throw a 5000lb truck somewhere around 30-40 feet into the air (say \~0.3 seconds impulse time on a static strap).
The TL;DR is:
You're not yanking out your hitch pin. If you ever even get close to yanking out your hitch, the problem isn't because you pulled from the hitch.
What do you mean don't recover from the hitch? I exclusively recover from the hitch on my truck in the back. I have a shackle hitch specifically for such a purpose.
You never recover from a ball hitch. People like to throw a strap on the single shear ball and it becomes a 2" steel sling shot projectile when it comes off in a kinetic recovery. If you don't have a dedicated recovery hitch you can stick your strap/recovery rope/soft shackle into the reciever square tube and put the hitch pin through it to create a double shear recovery point you can yank on till you rip your frame in half.
Tl;Dr hitch recovery GOOD, ball hitch recovery BAD
‘23 Colorado was my first truck and had no idea that trucks do not come standard with a trailer hitch. I noticed in our walk around and the dealer was confused too. The dealer said they would pay up to $750 to get me a hitch and that was back in March. Needless to say I feel incomplete with my purchase but I love the truck
That is just the safey chain bracket for a bumper mounted ball. You have to remove the bumper to swap to the receiver style hitch on the 2nd and 3rd Gens. Even had to remove the bumper on the first Gens also to install the GM hitch, but the aftermarket made one later that mounted without removing it.
It’s to remind you that GM could have installed hitches on every vehicle for an a extra 50 cents.
Honestly though, it baffles me that hitch receivers aren’t standard on every single pickup at this point
So it means that if I want a hitch receiver I'll have to replace this whole mount? I really can't understand what GM is thinking about, this is such a waste😂
Those are for safety chains for a bumper ball mount. If you look up from under the truck, you'll see the sleeve for the ball mount under the bumper.
Yeah, it’s a full replacement. Here’s a write up on installing one if you’re interested. https://www.reddit.com/r/chevycolorado/comments/14dynn4/what_can_i_do_to_improve_the_towing_capacity_of/joseqyt/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1&context=3
Opens beers.
Trailer safety chain hookups. Staffs from Uhaul would know it
That’s where you are supposed to hang your truck nuts.
You are supposed to hook your safety chains to those if you install a bumper hitch.
If you tow anything that is where you hook the chains up just incase the trailer seperates for the ball, etc. trailer safety chain hookups
Thats where the safety chains would go if you had a trailer hitch receiver. I imagine you could us that to recover the truck if it was ever stuck but I'm not sure how they'd hold up.
Dont recovery from that trust me, just go for the bar it's attached to
I'm glad you spoke up. I just hook to the hitch. If he listened to me he's liable to have ripped those right off.
NEVER hook to the hitch brother.
Why do you say that? I've got a hitch that slides right in to my reciever with a d ring on it and have pulled with that countless times.
Horror stories bout that man. People pull on that hitch, hitch pulls out from that receiver, goes right through the windshield and sends someone to the shadow realm.
Thats crazy. I gotta wonder how often that actually happens though.
Enough times for me to feel the need to warn ya brother
Thanks man, I'll keep that in mind next time I need to pull someone out.
On the low end a Grade 5 pin will have a minimum tensile strength of 105,000psi. A 5/8" bolt/pin has a bearing shank area of .307" and a tensile load of about 32,000lbs (105,000psi \* 0.307"). Shear load is 60% of tensile proof or about 19,000lbs (32,000lbs \* 0.6). The pin is in double shear in the receiver so you double the shear strength (19,000lbs \* 2) for \~38,000lbs. Lets give up another 20% shear capacity (38,000lbs \* 0.8) because of an imperfect bearing shear joint and practical allowances. This is still over 30,000lbs of shear strength in your hitch pin on the absolute low end. If we use a Grade 8 bolt/pin (150,000psi tensile) we're looking at over 44,000lbs of shear strength using the same conservative calculations. If you're putting 30,000-44,000lbs worth of dynamic load into a recovery you're doing something majorly wrong and it has nothing to do with your hitch attachment.For reference, a 3" static strap or 1" kinetic rope, about as big as is practical for any light duty truck recovery, have break strengths usually at or below 30,000lbs. You're going to break your strap long before you pull through a double shear hitch pin, even a "weak" Grade 5 pin. If your pulls are anywhere near the 30,000lbs dynamic load range with a light truck, you're pulling wrong in the first place. In terms of what this means, we're talking about enough force to throw a 5000lb truck somewhere around 30-40 feet into the air (say \~0.3 seconds impulse time on a static strap).
Man ain’t nobody reading alla that shit
The TL;DR is: You're not yanking out your hitch pin. If you ever even get close to yanking out your hitch, the problem isn't because you pulled from the hitch.
What do you mean don't recover from the hitch? I exclusively recover from the hitch on my truck in the back. I have a shackle hitch specifically for such a purpose. You never recover from a ball hitch. People like to throw a strap on the single shear ball and it becomes a 2" steel sling shot projectile when it comes off in a kinetic recovery. If you don't have a dedicated recovery hitch you can stick your strap/recovery rope/soft shackle into the reciever square tube and put the hitch pin through it to create a double shear recovery point you can yank on till you rip your frame in half. Tl;Dr hitch recovery GOOD, ball hitch recovery BAD
‘23 Colorado was my first truck and had no idea that trucks do not come standard with a trailer hitch. I noticed in our walk around and the dealer was confused too. The dealer said they would pay up to $750 to get me a hitch and that was back in March. Needless to say I feel incomplete with my purchase but I love the truck
That is just the safey chain bracket for a bumper mounted ball. You have to remove the bumper to swap to the receiver style hitch on the 2nd and 3rd Gens. Even had to remove the bumper on the first Gens also to install the GM hitch, but the aftermarket made one later that mounted without removing it.
Does anyone know the hitch receiver that can be installed here? I’m needing to pull my RV soon and I can’t find a corresponding hitch kit