Cutting trailer hitch to fit in ARB rear bumper receiver?

[Eporter]

So I have an ARB rear bumper on my FJ60. It's the bumper that ARB briefly sold for the 62 series. Nice bumper with an integrated hitch receiver in it.

The problem is that the back of the 2" integral bumper hitch tube is capped. SO, when I go to slide my trailer hitch in, it doesn't go all the way. What this means is that I can't put the hitch pin through and mount it.

I need to cut about 1" off the end of the slide in receiver hitch so that the pin hole will line up with the one in the bumper. Can I do that? The hitch is square tube.

Currently there is about 2.5" from the hitch pin hole to the back of the receiver hitch. Would it be risky if it went down to 1-1.5" I'm thinking the loads needed to pull the pin through the end of tube would mean my bumper was already ripped off the frame?

I hope my terminology makes sense. I can't post any pics right now.

 

[titanpat57]

I would cut out the back of the reciever tube, and NOT cut the hitch slide-in.

but thats just me..

Maybe call aRB and see if they have problems "strucually" if you cut the back of the bumper out.

and yes...

this thread would rock with pictures

 

[Eporter]

Hmmm... problem is the factory bumper cross member is right behind the bumper cap. So I might have to cut a hole in that too...

I will try to get some pics going.

 

[e9999]

you could also make a new hole in the shank of the ball or pintle mount, of course.
I would do that or shorten the shank if you don't need the ball to stick out more.
I don't think either one would significantly affect the strength of the shank.

My basic rule of modding is to always mod the cheapest and/or easiest to replace part. That's just me of course.

 

[titanpat57]

you could also make a new hole in the shank of the ball or pintle mount, of course.
I would do that or shorten the shank if you don't need the ball to stick out more.
I don't think either one would significantly affect the strength of the shank.

My basic rule of modding is to always mod the cheapest and/or easiest to replace part. That's just me of course.

How about that and weld the existing holes shut...just to get some metal in there?

 

[Brian in Oregon]

you could also make a new hole in the shank of the ball or pintle mount, of course.
I would do that or shorten the shank if you don't need the ball to stick out more.
I don't think either one would significantly affect the strength of the shank.

My basic rule of modding is to always mod the cheapest and/or easiest to replace part. That's just me of course.

^ ^ ^ This. ^ ^ ^

 

[Eporter]

Ok, here are some pics. I think drilling a new hole might put it too close to the existing hole. I don't want the two holes getting together and deciding to make an oval.

The first pic is of the capped off rear hitch hole in the ARB bumper. The plate bolts to the factory x-member, so it's kind of needed there.

The second pic is of what's going on underneath. Note the hitch pin hole. I scribed the hole's location onto the hitch receiver.

The last pic is a detail of the hitch receiver, and where the scribed location is. This would be where the hole needs to be for the hitch to fit.

Cut the receiver hitch to use the existing hole? Other ideas?

ARB knows little on this bumper as it was only shortly available and that was over 10 years ago.

 

[zebrabeefj40]

I'd just cut the ball mount shorter to use the existing hole. Shortening the ball mount will reduce the leverage the trailer will have on the hitch which might be a better deal all the way around.

Redrilling the ball mount will work too. Since the bumper is capped there is no way the new hole can join with the old hole to make an oval.

Nick

 

[se2000]

Shorten the ball mount and be done with it.