I got to thinking, a stock class III hitch is rated for 5,000 lbs right ? I know lots of people have their winches mounted in the hitch reciever. Our trucks are about 4,500 lbs or something right ? So does that mean if you have 2 200 lbs people in the truck and stuck in the mud up to the axel could you be over loading the hitch ?

 

Yes. Just don't get stuck...

I think the 5000 pound rating is a conservative one for sustained use in towing. I do believe it should be able to take a LOT more than that.

But I don't have any evidence to support that other than recoveries where the hitch was jerked which subjected it to probably excessive force. I haven't seen one break yet.

I'd be comfortable mounting a winch to one; but I fall short of RECOMMENDING it just because I'm not sure.

 

What a class IV, or V hitch rated for I wonder and if its really practical to get one.

 

my friend has a 97 F250 crew cab short bed with a pushbar and a warn mount for his winch. it mounts between the pushbar and he used it several times without any trouble. so i would be confident on using a class 3 hitch for a winch.

i have a class 5 at my house for my truck and the only real difference is how far the supports go back on the frame, how many bolts that holds is on and its heaveir than all hell.

 

i have put large amounts of stress and jerked the heck out of it ive pulled larger trucks then me with it. if the hich is probily the best thing to hook to to pull you out. The problem with tow hooks is if you are really stuck and the hook is on one frame rail you can bend your frame rail.(ask me how I Know.). The hitch grabs both frame rails equaly.

 

Also, the 5000lb rating takes into account the downward forces on the hitch.. Strait line pull will give you a lot of extra room. The Class II hitches that they sell for the fronts of our trucks are rated for 400lb tongue weight, and 9000 line pull... The hitches in the back are definitely more robust.

-

 

so most guys put their winch on hitch, couldnt you just go out find a quality aftermakret bumper mount it to that and then weld the bumer on to the frame rails? that way you have a solid mout for the winch and a sold mout for the bumper? how do you guys do it on rangers?

 

It's not that MOST people use the hitch (quite the opposite) -- it's just mighty convenient if you don't want to haul the winch with you all the time, or if you might need to rotate it to the back of the truck to pull you back.

Most of us have custom bumpers with mounts, or some other custom winch mounts. TBarCYa on this board fabricates both and if I go that route I'll try to get him involved with mine.

 

AH*the light bulb over head goes on* thats the point I didn't understand, the class 2 is 400lb tongue weight, and 9000 line pull, the class III is 5,000 tongue weight, and must be a massive line pull

 

I am not going that route, I don't want my winch out in the weather all the time, I am going the same route as Neil front reciever and winch hook ups front and rear.

 

sweet, what d oyou guys use for a hitch hook up in the front? i know that sounds stupid but do you just take a nother hitch and weld her up to the front rails?

 

I have a class III hitch up front and in the rear
the 6k pound tow rating of both exceeds the Ranger's capability
the front hitch has a 400 pound tounge limit, but still is rated for 3 tons of pull
the tounge limit is a factor of the Ranger's T bar suspension, not the construction of the winch

 

They make front recievers, justs bolt in I think, reece and a few other make them.

 

sweet, now i can affored the hitch, but the winch lol that will be a little bit

 

winches are not that bad depends on what kind you get

 

Ha! I'm with you on that one...

 

well i can sell my truck and get a winch, but then i need to sell the winch to get teh truck back, see im kinda screwed

 

Okay, I have an idea...(be very afraid...)

Look, mount the winch, right? And get one with a wireless remote. Okay, so hook up the hook to something secure at your house and set the winch to "free spool".

Sell the truck to someone and they'll drive it home and when they aren't looking, you just use the remote to start taking up the winch. Your truck pulls itself home like a lost dog in the wilderness and you have the guys money, the truck AND the winch.

Simple! I don't know why other people don't think of these things....

 

great idea I am going to do that right now.

 

While you mention wireless winches, can all winches be wireless ? or do you have to get certain ones for wireless use ?

 

Class III is nowwhere near 5k lbs tongue weight!! According to the table on this page a Class III hitch has a rating of 5000 lbs GTW and 500 lbs tongue weight..