I went to Walmart and bought a Reese receiver and the correct mounts to fit my truck. When I installed it, I couldn't raise it up as high as I would like because the side mounts that bolt to the frame hit the bars that hold on my bumper.

Sooo....I was wondering is there anything I can do to raise it up to the highest mounting holes without having to grind the mounting plates of the hitch down? Everybody tells me to refrain from grinding but it sucks because it sometimes bottoms out and hits ground on a dip and it just looks gay not sitting right below the bumper like most receiver hitches.

Keep in mind that this is on an 05 2wd with the 2.3l engine and the heaviest thing I haul is a 16' jon boat that's not too heavy.

 

how far below the bumper is the hitch?
I bought a different brand hitch (Acme) and it is about 1/8-1/4 in below bumper where it comes back to the crossbar.

Is yours a class III (3) hitch?

maxB

 

I had one of those and hated how it looked. Went to Ford and got one from them and now it looks great.

 

Yes it's a class III hitch. That's all Walmart had so I got one because I needed to pull my boat that weekend and the cummins I usually use had the injector pump go out and plus diesel is outrageous so I use my small truck now.

 

I bought one too and returned it before installing it because of the way it would look. I have a Draw-tite(I think) hitch and it hugged the stock bumper real well, but stock bumpers are for weenies. Return the Wal-mart hitch if you can and get a one piece if you.

 

your first mistake: Buying it from ChinaMart. Infact that was your only mistake. Buy a hitch from somewhere else.

 

I agree that your best bet is to get a ford one, take it back to walmart if its not too beat up. get a ford one.
On the other hand, Since your not supposed to pull a class III load with a ranger I don't see why you couldn't grind some off, not enough to totally weaken it but enough to get it up to the next set of holes. that's my opinion, throwing in all that do at your own risk stuff. I've seen online some ford places selling it for about what you paid for the reese from walmart.
Check around.
MaxB

 

You don't need to get a Ford hitch, a draw-tite or a Reese hitch or even one from u-haul will do just as well and it won't cost as much.

 

check www.craigslist.org

 

I threw my receipts and crap away already I think so I guess I'll just try to grind it down a bit and see what happens. Like I said it's not ever pulling anything heavy so I don't think I'll hurt anything. Lesson learned though next I'll ask around to see what fits better. Thanks

 

I got my hitch, a hidden hitch, from some family friends of ours it came off one of there older Rangers and all we had to do was trm the bracket a lil bit and it bolted right up, and by the way it works GREAT!!!

 

I just waited around until I saw one on Cragislist, got a Putnam Class III for $40 with all the mounting hardware

 

My Draw-Tite class III is tucked under very nicely. Wrecking yard find - 40 bucks. Was a biiotch to get off with the truck on the ground w/no wheels at a wierd angle. I had to jack it up with a wrecked Yoda jack to get it off.

But it was easy as pie to install!
I like it a lot!

 

i just mounted it down low, bolted the top of the hitch to the bottom of the frame. im lifted, and im only towing a flatbed 12' trailer with 2 quads on it

 

Aye, snug that sucker UNDER the frame! Anything else goes ontop of that. i.e. bumper bolts, etc.

 

Here's what I did...

Went to junkyard.

Found 03 edge w/ 20k on the clock.

Paid $40.

And installed on my truck.

 

you say its never gonna be used for anything heavy? How do you know that for sure? I wasnt gonna even bother with a hitch, until a friend of mine was gonna trade his ranger in, and asked if I wanted it. So far, i have done some pretty frickin heavy stuff with it... I moved a 14,000 truck 30 ft... I moved a 10,000lbs boat (not including the trucks weight in either of those) about 200ft. Plus I have removed a couple stumps and have the ding to prove it. The hitch has come in handy. Also, another thing to consider, its a new recovery point.

 

Well if I ever need to move anything REALLY heavy, I'll just use dad's cummins. The only reason I got the hitch is to pull my 16' boat and that's it so I know it will never pull anything heavier then that.

I'll do some grinding and take some before and after pics and you guys can tell me what you think of it. I'm sure it will be a hell of a lot better looking after grinding it and raising it.

 

he said he has the 2.3L. I dont think hell be doing anything heavy....

Nothing personal, man.