I did a 3" BL and now I have no hitch or tow hooks. SO I have a few questions.

1. Can I just cut and weld the hitch right to the frame of the truck? Or will this cause the frame to bend/twist when towing or being yanked from the mud? If I can't just weld it right to the frame, what did you guys with BL do to get your hitches back on?

2. I had to remove the tow hooks in the front to put the valance back on my truck. What did you guys with BL's do to get a new tow point in front? I'd like to avoid hacking up my valance if possible.

3. Is there anyone that makes a winch receiver for our trucks? I know warn makes a hitch mounting kit, has anyone seen these be for? Is there a place to really mount a front hitch securely to the front of our trucks?

Warns Hitch Mount Winch

Thanks
Josh

 

1) you can weld a new braket to make the winch fit perfect, i think winks is doing that... 2)you can cut your valance in the front to acomidate your front tow hooks

 

Thats why im getting a suspension lift...

 

Just remove the front bumper and get a new one, lol. There is no way to put the tow hooks back on withouth cutting the bumper. You can shorten the hitch, cut pieces out of the mounting brackets and weld it back together, its been done before. I am not sure if warn makes a reciever hitch for a winch.

 

i rigged up my own.. and fixed the hitch...

 

I cut and re-welded the hitch itself. then put 2, 1/2" grade 8 bolts through where the 2 peices overlapped each other.

 

I would drill and bolt on to the Ranger frame before welding to it

 

What wrong with the hitch ? I just finished lifting my bed not done with the cab yet but I thought the hitch looked fine and it certainly bolted up like stock. It's just as exposed and hangout to say hello as it was before.

Tow hooks

 

I don't like the way the hitch hangs down. I want it up closer to the bumper.

Has anyone ever put a hitch on the front of there truck?


~Josh

 

lil blue has a hitch in the front

 

So If you get a Bodylift you definately have to modify your hitch, and if you get a spindle lift and and AAL's you dont?

 

You don't have to modify the hitch, alot of people don't. If you don't want to/can't, you can buy a hidden hitch. The hitch just looks gaudy hanging like 3 inches under the bumper.

Correct, you won't have to move the hitch with a spindle lift, but most people with bodylifts here are 4x4er's.

Did you lift your bumper Ben, because the hitch will sit at stock height with a bodylift.

 

Yeah I lifted the bumper, it was still in my friends gargae and I was only 2 feet behind it so i did not have the best veiw of it but first impression was it did not look that bad, I have a stock ford hitch which hung down and was in plane veiw anyway so I don't think it got worse. Lift should be done today or tomorrow.