ok i know i have seen alot of guys that have a body lift on their truck and i was wondering how u guys made the hitch flush with the bumper or moved it up three inches?

and if this isnt the right title or place for this topic please move it for me

 

 

Sorry to bug but I can't quite tell what I'm lookin at there Zach, haha. You just cut the hitch off and re-weld it on?

 

 

My lift is not done yet but the back end is. My hitch is the stock ford hitch and I thought it didn't look to bad at first glance. I have not taken the truck out of my friends garage yet I looked at the bumper and hitch from about 2 feet behind it so I did not get the best look at it, but I think it looks ok. The bumper is lifted and the hitch is in the stock location.

 

that is jared's truck, i am doing mine like his, basically cut it and move it to the left or the right and up then weld it on.

 

is there any way to do it with out welding cause i dont have a welder

 

could use bolts but i wouldnt recommend it... do you tow with it?

 

well i want to use it mainly for a rear recovery point but if i have to pull any kind of trailer i would like to be able to do that too

 

i would find someone that can weld... you will also need a cutting torch to cut it in the first place.

 

do u think u can get better pics so i know what i need to do when i go to class

 

And that was MY hitch until I sold it to jared. I did that mod and I made jared promise hed have smoeone clean up the welds because they were a tad messy. they held but i wouldnt trust sellin it to some one as is and having them install it.


Also i didnt cut it with a cutting torch...

 

probably but, i havnt started doing mine, when i do mine i will take pics.

 

that helps the looks more than anything i think, that low hanging hitch just kills the rear end look

 

I cut and rewelded mine, and put 2 1/2" grade 8 bolts in each side, in case the welds give on me.

 

after the hitch is modified it is acutually stronger than the hitch was before. that is when you do it like gil did, it doubles the side of the hitch for extra strength.
i was also told it isnt as much of the quality of the weld as it is the design, the design is how you get your strength.

 

When you take a solid peice of metal and cut it, and re-weld it, therefor making it 2 seperate peices, you make it weaker. Thats why i put 4 1/2" grade 8 bolts in it. To try and gain some of the strength back.

 

I like mine between the bumper and the hitch....i tow a trailer sometimes, and it looks horrible when people have a 4inch drop hitch....and if you go 4 wheeling or anything, your exhaust is protected by the hitch so if you back into something ro go up a hill and drag your exhaust, it doesnt screw it all up.... just my 2cents


Rocky

 

I've always heard that the welds, at least some types of stick welds, are stronger than the metal (what's used in a hitch) itself that your welding to... Meaning that your NOT making the piece any weaker at all.

Am I off base here? I only have a MIG, but I've heard that same opintions about that. I can't imagine that it would be weaker as long has your cuts and welds are good..

Don

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i like your tips rocky.i think thats the way i want mine done when i re do it.

 

im pretty sure that can be true, heck im doing mine that way, my uncle and dad seemed to think it would make it stronger, not meaning to pull more or anything but the hitch would be physically stronger.
my uncle has owned a steel fabrication shop for over 25 years and my dad and uncle have both welded since they were kids.