Quote:

Will be pleased to hear if you are succesful and how, exactly you managed it it if so!!!

I have one of these towbars on my Freelander.
It’s on its third vehicle with me. Originally supplied in 2011 by Land Rover and transferred to each subsequent vehicle.
It’s been fitted without being removed for the two years I’ve had the present vehicle. It was stuck solid in the receiver.
I’ve done a fair bit of towing recently and noticed when I got home one day that it was rattling around quite alarmingly and I could remove it.
Having looked in greater detail I could see that it wasn’t really safe to have it doing what it was, allowing the trailer or caravan to clunk the bar about.
I removed the whole receiver from the main towbar - it’s only two bolts holding it on.
With it out on the bench I cleaned it up and made a decision to permanently weld the removable swan neck into the receiver - plenty of areas to make a good job of it.
It certainly doesn’t move now, and towing is now a much more pleasurable experience now the clunking and swaying has gone.
Not the best design in my opinion.

https://www.freel2.com/forum/topic35689.html

The 'purists ' here will tell you ......

Quote "I think the solutions here welded to detachable section would invalidate type approval if inspected by DVSA."

read above thread.

Try putting some heat on it from a gas torch.
Plus gas/penetrating oil is better than WD-40.

It’s not the removal part that’s hard.
It’s the fact that it’s not tight in the receiver when fitted.
And mine is one of the ones supposedly fixed by Brink to stop the problem.

The original question was asking how to go about releasing the key lock that is jammed with muck.
My advice was heat and penetration oil.

I can’t see the plastic knob putting up with the heat🤔

a100ian wrote:

I have a swaneck towbar I'm not sure of the manufacturer. I would like to remove it and I have the key but the keyhole is full of crud and won't turn. I have tried cleaning it out with copious amounts of WD40 and nails/screwdrivers etc but it still don't budge.

I know one type can be removed by tapping out a roll pin but I can't see one on the handle of this type. Does any member have a suggestion or is it just a case of drill it out and hope that I can buy a new lock?

@CED Are you sure.

My Witter removable ball shows GREEN when its fully engaged in the receiver and RED when unlocked and ready to be removed or inserted.

GREEN for safe, RED for danger.

The anti-theft key lock is not involved in the engaging /locking mechanism of the ball into the receiver. It just stops you rotating the blue locking ring.

 Jules

Joules, Yes you are correct . Senior moment, as I leave mine unlocked and it’s obviously showing green. New locks are not easy to get or fit .