Thread: D4 tow hitch maintenance

Ours hsd not been used by previous owner for 4 years and had no issues in unlocking and installing the un-used hitch. We live on dirrt roads and tow frequently and so far I've not had sny issues with the hitch mechanism.

I would not use WD40 or CRC for reasons you note. Others will know but frankly I would perhaps just hit it with compressed air from time to time..to remove dust..if you are particularly worried..or just leave it alone as I do😎

As I go on Caravan trips every month or two, I left mine "permanently" on the car. 3 years later when I tried to removed it I had a lot of trouble as the tongue has almost welded to the frame. Key would turn but I could not get it to budge. Had to drop spare tyre and as the key was turned, tapped the tongue with a hammer and drift. It finally cam loose. I now have a mitch hitch and have ditched the D4 "plough". I have been told on here, if you are not using the tow hitch take it off, for the very reasons I had trouble getting it loose.

At the very least coat the contact points with an anti sieze grease so that you can get it out after an extended period.

I left mine in for about a month and it would not come out without force, same as dirvine

I take mine out after every towing trip. I also hose the hitch off and the receiver as well and replace the red plastic insert to keep a bit of crap out.
It's never a problem off road although we have taken the van into some nice out of the way places along the Fitzroy River etc. Yes it's a crappy designed thing but no way would I pay 700 plus bucks for a bit of square tube welded up in Asia to supposedly get a "superior" bit of equipment.
AlanH.

Thank you all for your advise.
So it seems keeping the hitch mounted while doing my daily dusty ride will bite me sooner or later in clogged mechanism (or rust in the rainy season).
As much as I dislike the idea, I guess the safe approach is to mount it only when needed, which is every weekend in my case.
And then, since I will actually be using it only on paved roads, I can flush it occasionally with WD40 to keep it in running order.
Oh well.

When I took the tongue out I gave all the moving parts a light spray with a can of dry lube graphite powder and put the red plug in the hitch receiver.

Cheers
Jonathan

At the risk of telling you something you already know, the hitch disassembly is pretty straightforward should you wish to give it a good service every few months. Check out the YouTube vid for details. How to overhaul Land Rover Discovery 3&4 / Range Sport tow bar hitch - YouTube

Thanks, actually this was the clip based on which I wished to avoid disassembly .