Lifted 60 + custom rear bumper = huge drop hitch (1 Viewer)

[woytovich]

What do people do with lifted trucks?

I have been using a bolt-on hitch receiver and a drop hitch to properly line up my ball and trailer coupler (level). Now I want to ditch the bolt on and build a receiver into my rear bumper. The problem is that will raise the receiver 6-7 inches. This would mean I would now need like a 16-18" drop hitch... NOT the way I want to go I don't think.

Can/should I raise the coupler on the trailer? Can I do this simply by raising the coupler above the frame (what is the tube that the coupler is attached to called?) Raise the coupler and still use a drop hitch?

FYI this is a problem for 2 different trailers: a 5x8 enclosed and an M416.

I guess I could do a SO on the M416. And I could do a replacement axle on the 5x8 but both of these are more than I want to do AND they make the trailers less suitable for non-lifted vehicles to tow.

Thoughts?

mark

 

[titanpat57]

I would get the needed receiver insert and call it a day....neither trailer is that heavy or has brakes (I'm guessing) so I don't see the need to do a whole bunch of fab to make them work. How often you tow?

The trouble with doing a permanent receiver drop on the bumper is now you've just lost valuable clearance under the rear bumper.

 

[woytovich]

I'm not talking about a permanent receiver drop on the bumper.... I am talking about a drop hitch insert into a receiver in the bumper. That would put the receiver about 6" higher than it is now with the bolt-on receiver. I am also asking about RAISING the coupler on the TRAILER (in combination with a drop hitch insert.)

 

[ntsqd]

I built a dropped receiver socket that plugs into the receiver in the ~waist-high bumper on the rear of my Xcab Mini. At the front end of the receiver tube I welded on some tabs and used adjustable tractor 3 point hitch links to reach forward and out to the OE rear shackle mounts (has GM 63's so in-use shackle mounts are further to the rear) where I built another set of brackets that bolt on. I'd take a picture, but it's currently off the truck. If you really need to see it I can mock it up and take a pic.

I really didn't go to all of this trouble to tow things. I did it for a across the rear of the truck dirt bike carrier, but it works well for towing too.

 

[woytovich]

I'd love to see what you did... a pencil sketch/cell phone pic will probably do it...

 

[woytovich]

Can/should I raise the coupler on the tongue?

 

[titanpat57]

If you had some pictures of the tongue portion of the two trailers, that would be helpful (and some metal sizes)

 

[ntsqd]

To give some sense of scale, this is a 12.5" drop:

Truck was used for an Off Road Driving Skills Intro class with the hitch in place. Only drug it once, maybe twice. Center of the hitch pin hole is 20.5" off the ground.

The next one that I build won't be removable, it will be articulated so that it is always on the truck. I'll use those 3 point links again, they worked out slick!

 

[woytovich]

That is quite a bit of engineering... I'm hoping to find a "less" solution. Plus I want to be able to remove it easily... what I have now works but takes a bit of work to get the receiver bolted on and off... I'm hoping to find a way to eliminate that part of the process.

 

[woytovich]

Looking at your solution more closely I like it... I'm thinking of a plan to build it so I can quickly slide into the receiver and latch pin in the 2 extra supports. I'll be adding another cross member for the front end of the receiver tube anyway and those supports could go up to that at a 45 degree angle or so. Thanks for the idea!