Crazy rear bumper receiver hitch mod idea (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
Sep 18, 2012
Threads
81
Messages
2,265
Location
Orem, UT
While looking at pics of past receiver hitch mods, I had an idea.

What if i found an off-the-shelf bolt-on receiver hitch for some other vehicle that has slightly narrower frame rails, such that i could just cut out the existing reinforcements, cut the requisite square hole in the back of the bumper, hang the receiver hitch over the frame rails instead of under them, and weld wherever i have metal to metal contact?

Maybe it's a lot of work to cut up the existing diagonal support on the cross member.
 
might leave a receiver tube protruding from the bumper, but I'd gladly shove one of those D shaped step things into it just to look neighborly.
 
Why?:hmm:
I have a standard receiver hitch and it acts as armour when climbing/ descending. It only causes slight issues off the trail that don't dramatically affect the trucks capability. Also, I just removed all the plastic covering from the rear bumper, and my first impressions are that the stk rear member with the stk four hour looks plenty stout to mount a receiver "hitch" despite what a lot of people claim to be flimsy sheet metal. I would not even think twice to mount a receiver adapter/ pintle hook to the stk rear member.
 
Yep, that rear x-member is pretty stout. It can be damaged, but it's not easy. It's been a design feature of the LandCruiser wagons since at least the 55 series. Here's a pic of what my FJ55 looked like after a guy totaled a AMC Pacer on it at about 25 mph.

Rearended.jpg
 
Nice looking bumper
 
Indeed. Looks great!
 
Slee makes a hitch that will work as you describe. Just cut the hole in your bumper, drill holes and tighten down hardware. No fuss with finding the right size to fit between the rails or guessing on the mounting depth.
 
Huh. My rig came with a U-Haul brand hitch. I would have to grind off some welds and modify it to get it to fit like that.

At least as i recall, the pieces that bolt to the frame rails are too far apart to fit between the frame rails inverted.
 
Last edited:
I might not understand your plans, but if you have an OE bumper and four factory holes, you can buy an off the shelf receiver. Somewhere in the Design Wisdom of the 80 series, the bumper designer used an FJ40 template for the bolt holes. They match exactly. I don't have a close up of my rig, but you can sorta see it in this one. Also attaching a pic off an FJ40 supply website.

image-1761382804.jpg



image-3043476171.jpg

image-1761382804.jpg


image-3043476171.jpg
 
Just found out that Curt towing makes a hitch to fit 99 Montero that basically bolts to the same four holes. Their hitch is rated 4,000 lbs. Part # 13091. Hangs a bit low, but nothing a drill press wouldn't fix quickly.

I'm using an fj40 hitch on mine, but I don't tow very much.

I would have bought the Slee receiver to tow with, even though it's not 'rated' for towing, if I didn't already have the fj40 one laying around the shed.
 
FWIW...I have used the Slee 4-bolt receiver for about 5 yrs now and it has worked like a champ. Towed a 5x8 utility trailer dozens of times, loaded down, with zero issues.
 
When I was sandblasting and painting my 4x4 Labs bumper I used the factory hitch temporarily. I flipped it upside, pounded in the ends of hitch to fit between the rails, and bolted it up. the tailgate could open fully, but was close to coming in contact with the hitch.

I was only using it to hold a bike rack, NOT towing. I think it could be set up more secure but I had cut off the end bolts for the 4x4 labs bumper. It also was ugly as hell.

We use the Slee 4 bolt hitch on our other two 80s without issue.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom