Removing broken hitch ball?

Portaband . Split the stud and nut all the way . -- Snag Learning keeps you young !

That's probably the best. I don't care if I cut into the screw. Just replace that ball hitch. Were it mine, I'd reconsider brands now, too.

Cut, hammer a proper sized chisel in the slot to open the nut, then toss the two parts. (3 with locknut)

-- Energy and persistence alter all things. --Benjamin Franklin

Maybe if you could wedge the nut away from the ball the threads would bite?

jsw

Secure the ball from rotating with Vise-Grips, jack up on the screw and turn the nut.

Cutting torch.

Grab a chisel or a cheap screwdriver. Drive it between the bumper and the top section of the ball to see if wedging it up some you can get a thread to engage so you can back off the nut.

Thanks, Snag.

An angle grinder I've got. The Portaband is still on the Christmas list.

--Winston

(...)

Yup. I figured I couldn't go wrong with O'Reilly but I figured wrong.

It's positioned up underneath a lip, so I would burn up many, many Mototool discs. Luckily I do have a lifetime supply of them, so I might just do that.

--Winston

I imagine that the nut is now riding on a gravelly bed of metal shavings. The lock washer is still fully compressed so I don't have a gap to place a chisel.

Could be. That compressed lock washer is probably providing a lot of force axially so I figure if the nut was going to engage and unthread, it would have done it by now. The nut just turns and turns with no movement along the stud axis.

--Winston

That is reasonable.

It's real close to the gas tank though. I bet I could notch the nut from the inside surface and smack it off the stud with a chisel and my little sledge.

I will ponder.

--Winston

section of the ball to see if wedging it

The lock washer is still fully compressed. There isn't a gap to wedge into. I don't think I lack for axial force.

Threads, yes. Those I don't have.

--Winston

I suspect the stripped threads have released enough of the pressure. If you can't get a jack under the screw, hook up the trailer and lift its tongue. You may be able to tighten the hitch latch nut enough to keep the ball from turning.

jsw

If you have access, try drilling up through the nut on both sides parallel to the screw, with some tape on the bit to mark where to stop short of the bumper. Drills remove metal faster than cutoff wheels and you could pound a tapered punch into the hole to split the nut.

jsw

Drill into the lock washer, once through, whang away on the remainder of the lockwasher with a chisel.

Would that give you enough clearance?

Hell, at least half their stuff is import now, and most US workers in mfg are illegals, so why feel safe?

Lift the ball as you run the impact on the nut. Once you can get a crowbar under the lip of the ball flange, it will start coming off. Just keep constant lift on the ball and it will eat its threads all the way off, making clearance for separation. DAMHIKT, but it was 3 decades ago.

Here's what I use:

arbor cutoff discs grinder grinder

or the works together for under ten bucks:

discs for $7 and a buck for Uncle Moonbeam and your total for a new, considerably heavier duty, cutoff system is under $20.

I've never had a HF ball go bad on me, either. YMOV.

or Or go with a guaranteed-to-gall, stainless steel, U.S. made ball: for only $45 plus shipping.

Here's better pricing on U.S. balls:

P.S: Be sure to use anti-seize on the threads. And consider running the nut up and off several times (prior to installation) to remove any handling damage to the threads/burrs/dirt/worker parts.

-- Energy and persistence alter all things. --Benjamin Franklin

Get a bigger hammer.

The locknut isn't very stiff, comparatively. Use a jack under the stud to raise it, wedge in a couple crowbars, remove the jack, and use the impact to really spin that suckah. She'll separate.

-- Energy and persistence alter all things. --Benjamin Franklin

section of the ball to see if wedging it

If the jack under the ball stud doesn't provide room, leave it there and use an open end wrench on the nut. Keep the ball from turning with a pipe wrench if needed. Jack the truck all the way off the wheels if necessary for getting the nut/ball separation.

-- Energy and persistence alter all things. --Benjamin Franklin

They have given you some good ideas, but I just have to say: "To make a mess like that really takes balls!" ;-)