OEM Bumper Hitch Mount revisited....

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You were worried about rear clearance with the spare tire hanging that low? :grinpimp:


LOL


It won't be there for long ;)





I like the finished product alot more more after i saw pictures. it turned out much better than what I was imagining.

are you planning on making anymore of these?

how much did it cost you to make?



Thanx :)


I don't really plan on making anymore...

I was gauging interest at first cause I was hoping to get one of the many hitch companies I contacted to produce sumthin similar, but the few that actually replied shot me down :o

As for cost, here's a rundown:

Saddle Style adjustable ball mount: ($29.99 at Harbor Freight)
3/8" Steel Plate cut to my specs: ($5 bucks at local steel supply)
2" Ball: ($5 bucks at VatoZone)
Mounting bolts, washers, nuts, etc.: ($5 bucks at Ace hardware)


So at under $45 bucks, it's less than the cost of a new combination pintle, doesn't stick out when not in use and can also be adjusted for trailer height :)
 
right on. i was just curious based on how you began the thread. doesn't seem like a bad idea though. I'm only concerned about the amount of weight that the factory bumper can hold.
 
you do know about these, right?

http://sleeoffroad.com/products/products_receivers.htm

sticking out more with the ball mount in, of course, but no welding necessary


Yes, I've checked them out before :cool:


Thing is, it hangs below the bumper whether it's in use or not, it's not adjustable (although, you can buy an adjustable ball mount to fit it) and it's twice the price :o




Anyhoo, I gave it a little test as soon as I got home and yanked out my old jetskis from a ditch where they've been sitting for the past 5 years or so :lol:

bumperhitchjetskiz.JPG

bumperhitchjetskiz2.JPG

bumperhitchjetskiz3.JPG

bumperhitchjetskiz4.JPG

bumperhitchjetskiz5.JPG



Trailer level is perfect, although my cruiser looks like it may need some airbags out back :doh:


Only real problem I foresee will be when I install the lift :whoops:


However, I've already made plans to fab up a new ball mount with a longer slide plate that has more holes that should let me adjust another 8"-10" or so if needed :idea:


Priced the parts at the local steel supply and it'll be less than $15 bucks for the tongue and predrilled slide tubing :grinpimp:
 
Snake Eater,

I admire you handy work. Not sure if your welder was up to burning a bead into 3/8" thick material. It appears your welds are sitting on top of your material instead of being burned into it. Most MIG's, even those that say they can weld over 1/4" rarely do so very well. I understand you only plan to do light towing, but you may want to refab and use an arc welder for better penetration and peace of mind. JM $.02
bumperhitchmount11.webp
 
Snake Eater,

I admire you handy work. Not sure if your welder was up to burning a bead into 3/8" thick material. It appears your welds are sitting on top of your material instead of being burned into it. Most MIG's, even those that say they can weld over 1/4" rarely do so very well. I understand you only plan to do light towing, but you may want to refab and use an arc welder for better penetration and peace of mind. JM $.02




It actually penetrated fine, but I kept the bead low in the angle cause I was worried about the slide clearance at first :o


What you see in the pic is my lame attempt at stitching over the main weld, which is why the beads look so $h!tty :doh:
 
WOOHOO go LS1 power!! do u have a corvette or camaro or are you planning to put an LS1 in that cruiser?
 
Snake,

This picture could be mine (except the background), do you know how they mounted that swing away? Do you have any better pictures of this setup? I will PM you with other questions -- do not want to jam up the thread.

Glen

I plan on doing sumthin similar to this pretty soon:


zjz4476Spindle4.jpg






But I want to mount the spare on the left side and a cooler/keg carrier on the right :cool:


I'll get started as soon as I'm finished with the front bumper...
 
WOOHOO go LS1 power!! do u have a corvette or camaro or are you planning to put an LS1 in that cruiser?




I parked my T/A and swiped the plate when I bought the Cruiser ;)



tarepaintdaytwentythree9.JPG



No real plans for an engine upgrade since I have other toys for going fast, but I wouldn't mind having a TRD S/C under the hood :cool:


Snake,

This picture could be mine (except the background), do you know how they mounted that swing away? Do you have any better pictures of this setup? I will PM you with other questions -- do not want to jam up the thread.

Glen


It's zjz4476's rig (I think) and this is what it looks like underneath...

zjz4476Spindle2.jpg

zjz4476Spindle3.jpg
 
Snake Eater,

I admire you handy work. Not sure if your welder was up to burning a bead into 3/8" thick material. It appears your welds are sitting on top of your material instead of being burned into it. Most MIG's, even those that say they can weld over 1/4" rarely do so very well. I understand you only plan to do light towing, but you may want to refab and use an arc welder for better penetration and peace of mind. JM $.02

dude that weld looks pretty good to me. Only fault I see is not removing the paint first but he burned all the way down both sides. And once you go mig its hard to return to arc
 
dude that weld looks pretty good to me. Only fault I see is not removing the paint first but he burned all the way down both sides. And once you go mig its hard to return to arc

Yep, the weld appears to look good, but you can see the gap between his bead and the 3/8" plate. But as he mentioned the top weld was for cosmetic purposes:grinpimp:
 
i like the looks of the hitch, you would have to make sure it isnt up to high with the ball on, or end up with a nice crease in the tailgate
 
i like the looks of the hitch, you would have to make sure it isnt up to high with the ball on, or end up with a nice crease in the tailgate



Nah, I'd only have that problem if I flip the mount upside down, but neither trailer sits that high :cool:



Few more pix after the paint:


ghettotrailerspainted.JPG

ghettotrailerspainted2.JPG

ghettotrailerspainted3.JPG

ghettotrailerspainted4.JPG

ghettotrailerspainted5.JPG



She's at a slight angle right now, but should level out when loaded :cool:
 
I parked my T/A and swiped the plate when I bought the Cruiser ;)



tarepaintdaytwentythree9.JPG



No real plans for an engine upgrade since I have other toys for going fast, but I wouldn't mind having a TRD S/C under the hood :cool:





It's zjz4476's rig (I think) and this is what it looks like underneath...

zjz4476Spindle2.jpg

zjz4476Spindle3.jpg

Sorry to hijack, but I'd love one of these. Who made it and are they available?

Which swingarm does it need?

Thanks
 

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