Front Reciver Hitch

[toomany]

I picked up a new project truck a few weeks ago. It's going to replace my K5 (I ended up parting it out to raise cash for another project). It's an 86 short box, no motor in it. It did come with a 400/203 and a just installed 4" lift though. Anyway....I always thought it would come in handy to have a front mounted hitch. Make it easier to jockey around my trailers and if nothing else, something to hook my reciver shackle into for a solid tow point. I had an extra one left over from my K5 so I decided to see what I could come up with to get it mounted.

This is what I started with. Nothing special going on here. What you can't see is there is/was some frame damage to the front frame horn.

Here is the bumper removed and the hitch I'm going to canibilze for this. You can sort of see the frame damage.

I've seen the tech article about putting a hitch up front and didn't want to go that route. Maily because I had this stuff laying around, and everything was closed last sunday when I was doing this. I ended up cutting the front curved part off so the frame rail was straight the whole way through.

After some measuring I cut down the hitch so it would fit between the rails.

Then after some grinding and hamering it was in.

Welded it in and through some paint on. I did ground the edges of the tube quite a bit. Made two passes of weld on the bottom, top, front and parts I could get to on the back.

I've gotten the bumper mounted back up but still have to make the hole in it. The front of the hitch is approx 1/4" behind the bumper. There is just enough room for me to snake my hand up there to put the pin in. Once I get the hole knocked into the bumper I'll post up thoes pics.

 

[BoondocK5]

Uhm, not that I want to bag on you, because I love the idea of a front hitch, but, I would be extremely worried about NOT having any further support of the hitch. Some kind of support forward or aft, bolted to the frame, just for the little piece of mind.

Other than that it looks great!

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

Uhm, not that I want to bag on you, because I love the idea of a front hitch, but, I would be extremely about NOT having any further support of the hitch. Some kind of support forward or aft, bolted to the frame, just for the little piece of mind.

Other than that it looks great!

x 2

 

[andyblack]

X3. I always heard that it's not a good idea to weld a hitch or tow hook on the frame because it can weaken the frame or break the welds, no matter how good the welds are. They're supposed to be bolted on with grade 8 stuff. There's probably some holes you could use to bolt it up. Looks real good though.

 

[badmix]

Looks good. I had a custom front bumper made and had them put a reciever in it for a winch. Ive got the bumper bolted to the frame with Grade 8 bolts and the reciever portion is all boxed in on the bumper, not the frame. Makes it easy to just remove the bumper to work on truck and not have anything else in the way.

 

[ktmoutfront]

I did the same thing. I welded plates to the end of the hitch then bolted through existing holes for the bumper mount and the spring hangers. No welding to the frame. And I can move it to another truck if I need to some day.

 

[toomany]

Thanks for the coments/concern. I will add some bracing to it when I pull the bumper back off.

I don't want to start a debate about welding to the frame (know it's been beat to death). But...this truck has a boxed frame under already, with some crossmembers welded in. I've also owned several trucks that the rear hitch was homeade and welded directly to the frame, never had much of a problem really.

This is going to be mainly a bogging and Silver Lake truck. Probably won't see much street time. Once again, thanks for the tips, I'll brace it some more next time I'm working on it.