Receiver hitch

[JACKED88]

 

why D-rings? why not use the hitch for extraction? those ring loops will hang down and drag on the ground. and I'm not entirely crazy about their distance from the bolts. that's quite a bit of rotational force on the little hitch/bumper bolts.

 

 

I integrated a bit more beef into my bumper brackets by extending the beam and adding a 5/8" bolt through the frame (bolt not installed yet in the photo). I figure if I was going to design my own, I could make it better than stock. :D

 

Why D-rings? :dunno: Thats just something I wanted to add to mine. I'll probably never use um. I just thought having a place for some might come in handy. That and for some strange reason those ugly a-s rings create a bad a-s look.

As for um dragging the ground. I don't think so. My truck is lifted 6 inches and if you think about it those extensions would only hang down about an inch lower than the receiver itself. Add to that them being further up under the truck, I don't see dragging being a problem. I agree about the distance and rotational force on the bolts. Using the receiver would spread that force to both sides cutting the stress on the bolts in half.

Better than stock is what its all about. At the same time making it as stock and easy to install as possible. I like your idea of extending the bracket for an additional 4th bolt into the frame. Without access inside the frame to install a nut, I assume that bolt goes all the way through the frame. I like it. Are you gonna use a backing plate on the back side of the frame?

Having seen your extended brackets with the additional 4th bolt hole, why would anybody want brackets with only 3 bolt holes? :hmm: No me. With that in mind, I'll go ahead and make extended 4th hole brackets like yours. ((Thanks for sharing those with us)) :thumbsup:

Going back to our previous topic, I think with a 4th mounting hole and the use of much heavier 3/8" or possibly even 1/2" material, recovery hooks on um shouldn't be a problem. We're talking 3/8"-- 1/2" plate with 4 high grade bolts going into the frame of a light truck. Normal pulling or winching won't be nothin. Unless you use a chain and back up and yank on it hard enough to dislodge you back teeth, they aint goin no where.

 

Motion ......... Your previous post to this thread led me/us to believe you'd be back. Although it'll be a cut and paste copy of what I've already ask for here, consider a PM on its way.

 

fiatslug87 / Mike, thanks for the help. I haven't received it yet so I'm still looking forward to seeing what you've sent me. Thanks again.

[Dechion]

Just a thought JACKED88,

 

You are planning on making an entire hitch as opposed to the side plate extensions for the Reese like I was thinking, and thats a good thing. It's a better, cleaner, solution as fas as I'm concerned.

 

I will still make a tamplate for the extension plates though, hopefully even drawn up as a printable image that folks could just download.

 

Anyhow, that's not why I am posting.

 

I was thinking, if you are crafting an entire hitch from scratch it may be easier and stronger to have a square hole for the crossmember water-jetted into the side plates. That way you could pass a half inch or so of the crossbar through and weld on both sides.

 

More lateral strength, and assuming the holes are identical on both side plates it would help to hold the entire assembly square while you were welding, at very least helping keep the bolt holes even side to side.

 

I think it would make shipping it in pieces a bit easier for those that can weld, but don't have the resources to cut out the parts.

 

Just a thought.

[Pete M]

my truck is also up about 6", the bumper is raised up higher than stock, and I've still dragged it on all sorts of things. :dunno:

 

 

I like the look of D-rings. :D I'm just saying that that particular location might be more detriment than benefit. What about if the tab for them pointed straight back instead of straight down?

 

[Motion Offroad]

Or just buy/build a set of these;

 

[JACKED88]

Just a thought JACKED88,

 

You are planning on making an entire hitch as opposed to the side plate extensions for the Reese like I was thinking, and thats a good thing. It's a better, cleaner, solution as fas as I'm concerned.

 

I will still make a tamplate for the extension plates though, hopefully even drawn up as a printable image that folks could just download.

 

Anyhow, that's not why I am posting.

 

I was thinking, if you are crafting an entire hitch from scratch it may be easier and stronger to have a square hole for the crossmember water-jetted into the side plates. That way you could pass a half inch or so of the crossbar through and weld on both sides.

 

More lateral strength, and assuming the holes are identical on both side plates it would help to hold the entire assembly square while you were welding, at very least helping keep the bolt holes even side to side.

 

I think it would make shipping it in pieces a bit easier for those that can weld, but don't have the resources to cut out the parts.

 

Just a thought.

Ok, first of all this whole thing stared because I want to build myself a hitch. Knowing the worst part was going to be the fabrication of the mounting brackets, I started asking for help in the way of a traced template and some measurements. Prior to that I had found somebody who could cut them out on a water jet cutting machine. Once the water jet was found I thought Hey, if the machine is already set up to cut mine, why not have multiple sets cut and offer um to other MJ owners/CC members that want/need a hitch but as you pointed out don't have the resources to make the brackets? That's as far as it was supposed to go. To offer the mounting brackets at an affordable price so others could do as I'm doing. I wasn't planning on building entire hitches nor did I realize I had made it sound like I was. I apologize for the misunderstanding.

 

However, with that said and although its more than I had originally intended to offer, If entire kits is what everybody wants/needs, then I guess entire kits what I'll have to do. Once the brackets are obtained, cutting square tubing to length is no big deal. The only pcs left to put together a kit would be the 2"x3" pc of angle iron used for the under step mounting plate and the pc with the safety chain hooks. Again, no big deal. What will be a big deal is the additional cost for materials I hadn't planned on buying. That additional cost is why I was only gonna offer the brackets.

 

Now that it appears as though I've stepped off into putting together entire hitch kits, lets back to building hitches.

 

As for the cross pc going through the mounting brackets, I'm way ahead of you. It would be stronger and much easier than trying to hold everything in place and weld it at the same time.

Just throwing this out there but what would you think of being able to store your receiver/receivers inside the ends of the cross ps? (turned up or on their sides so they don't hang down)

 

Before I say any more, I've got to find out about the use of the water jet. If it ends up that he can only cut me one or two sets of brackets, then we're out of business before it even starts.

[JACKED88]

Or just buy/build a set of these;

 

There ya go. D-rings in a box ready to be bolted/welded on. They even have that bad a-s look I was talking about.

 

I was only going to modify my personal hitch to have d-rings. I don't know how it got where that was a mod I was going to do to the brackets I'm trying to get cut for everybody else. :dunno:

[88pioneer]

I have a hitch off my 92 sitting in my shed. I think its a reese, but may very well be draw tite. If needed I could get pics/ measurements.

[Dechion]

Sorry I misunderstood.

 

I honestly thought you were planning on making up a batch of these. I really was only looking for a set of adaptor plates when this all started. Obviously I would rather have a hitch made for the MJ, but I am fine just adapting the reese that's sitting down at the local Wal-Mart.

 

Hell, worse comes to worse I can pull stuff with the XJ I just bought today. (once I put it back together that is)

[JACKED88]

Sorry I misunderstood.

 

I honestly thought you were planning on making up a batch of these. I really was only looking for a set of adaptor plates when this all started. Obviously I would rather have a hitch made for the MJ, but I am fine just adapting the reese that's sitting down at the local Wal-Mart.

 

Hell, worse comes to worse I can pull stuff with the XJ I just bought today. (once I put it back together that is)

No, it's no fault of yours. I should have started my own thread instead of high jacking yours. Maybe then my intentions wouldn't have been misunderstood.

 

But, now that I have high jacked your thread and everybody who's interested is tuned it to it ........ why pull the plug now? :dunno:

 

Regardless weather my intentions were misunderstood or not, I'm still gonna build myself a hitch. With that said, I think the best way to proceed with this project is to let me get everything together for at least one complete hitch.

 

My original offer of making the mounting brackets available is still good. Making sure everybody is clear on that, I'm talking about the mounting brackets only. Not a complete hitch. Just the brackets. The only reason I'm doing this is to help the next person who wants to build a hitch not have to do what I'm having to do to build one. (the previous 3 pages is proof of that) It's the brackets and or the lack of resources to make the brackets that keeps people from building their own receiver hitches. Once you have the bracket licked the rest is a pc of cake.

 

The only thing that could put a stop on me having the brackets available is not getting enough water jet time to make as many sets as we need. I should know the answer to that by next week.

 

What I need to know now is a ballpark number of how many people might want a set of brackets. All this might be for nothing if we're only talking about 2-3 sets. I also need to know how many people might want a complete hitch kit. I'll need add those to the number of brackets we'll need.

No, I don't know how much the brackets or complete hitch kits will cost. I won't know that till I have the above ballpark numbers to average the material cost into. I'll also have to know how much (if anything) I'm gonna be charged per pc on the water jet.

 

I've committed myself to go through with this and that's what I intend to do. Yall may have to bare with me for a couple of weeks till I get everything lined out. (speaking mostly about the water jet)

[Walkenvol]

For those of us who have the ability to cut / drill / weld steel, are you still committed to posting the bracket template?

[Dechion]

For those of us who have the ability to cut / drill / weld steel, are you still committed to posting the bracket template?

 

I still plan on making a template to adapt the Reese hitch, even if I don't end up using it myself.

[sinkrun]

I just picked up a pretty clean draw tite at the local yard. Its laying in the bed of my truck so if need anything from it just let me know.

[JACKED88]

For those of us who have the ability to cut / drill / weld steel, are you still committed to posting the bracket template?

I would if I could. Problem is I don't how to post it to actual size. That and I don't know how you could print it to size.

The bracket covers two regular pcs of paper, It might be possible to draw a reference line across the middle of it and then scan a little over half of it at a time. Then print out both halves and line up the reference lines. In theory that should work but without trying it :dunno: . I'll try it and let ya know. (after I get some printer ink)

[87Warrior]

I would certainly be interested in a complete hitch or even the brackets, assuming the cost can stay decent. I mean, if the cost hits 1/2 of the cost of the Hanson rear bumper with reciever, I might as well place an pre-order for the bumper...

 

I do have a factory hitch that mounts to the factory bumper brackets, but I haven't even unwrapped it because I keep hoping something stronger comes along.

[JACKED88]

I just picked up a pretty clean draw tite at the local yard. Its laying in the bed of my truck so if need anything from it just let me know.

Congrats on your find. If I was that lucky we wouldn't be here right now.

 

Thanks for the offer to help. Yes, I do need something from it. If you don't mind, How bout standing that thing on its end and making a nice tracing of one of the mounting brackets for me.

I'll have to owe you a stamp because then I'm gonna need you to mail that tracing it to the address below.

 

Didn't know what you were offering to getting yourself into did ya? :doh: LOL!!!

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Robert Ehler

271 Concordia Dr.

Katy, Texas 77450

[JACKED88]

I would certainly be interested in a complete hitch or even the brackets, assuming the cost can stay decent. I mean, if the cost hits 1/2 of the cost of the Hanson rear bumper with reciever, I might as well place an pre-order for the bumper...

 

I do have a factory hitch that mounts to the factory bumper brackets, but I haven't even unwrapped it because I keep hoping something stronger comes along.

$500 bucks??? OUCH!!! If I get this hitch deal put together there's no way their gonna cost even half that.

When will I have um? At this point I have no idea when I'll have hitches or even just the brackets available. Just guessing ........ a month or so. (but don't hold me to it) It all hinges on the water jet. The rest I could have in a matter of hours.

[sinkrun]

Not a problem I may not get it out till Monday as I am working weekend. I am or at least was at one time a machinist so anything you need from this I can get. I will do it on hard thin cardboard and get some other dims for ya also. And the shipping is on me. I also have (I think)a old hitch off a Ram I was going to use to make mine. I can burn the ends of it and you can have the tube for the the shipping if you don't want it first dibs gets it.

[JACKED88]

Not a problem I may not get it out till Monday as I am working weekend. I am or at least was at one time a machinist so anything you need from this I can get. I will do it on hard thin cardboard and get some other dims for ya also. And the shipping is on me. I also have (I think)a old hitch off a Ram I was going to use to make mine. I can burn the ends of it and you can have the tube for the the shipping if you don't want it first dibs gets it.

Thanks. That would be great.

 

I think I have most of the measurements but if you'd throw a tape measure on it, I could compare what you come up with to what I have.

 

So you were a machinist huh. So was I for about 15 years. Got out of it because my back didn't like being hunched over a machine for 10-12 hours a day. Call me crazy but I actually kinda miss it sometimes.

 

I appreciate the offer on the Ram hitch ends but I think I'm gonna have to pass on it. Shipping would probably cost me as much as buying a pc of material. Thanks anyway.

[sinkrun]

I miss it also sometimes infact just last week I bought a old war time logan 10" lathe got it loaded with modern tooling for $250.00. Could not pass it up for that.

[JACKED88]

I miss it also sometimes infact just last week I bought a old war time logan 10" lathe got it loaded with modern tooling for $250.00. Could not pass it up for that.

Sent you a PM.

[fiatslug87]

Any update?

[Dechion]

So far I have used the drawings to make a heavy cardstock replica of the side plate. Once I am able to get my hands on one of the Reese hitches that is not actually installed on something I will be making a template for the adaptor plates.

 

Once I get that done I will be posting the scan of it as a high rez picture on my blog, along with a carpenters square in the picture next to it so folks can be sure of the scale.

[sinkrun]

Sorry also guys I have been dragging my feet. Pattern will be in the mail Monday to jacked88 as discussed and anyone else that wants a pattern to compare to what they already have. I am going to go to my friends shop and see if him or his cad guy will make us a complete drawing also.

[dfreeman616]

i don't see a count on how many are interested yet, but depending on how much it costs i'd be interested in just the template, the brackets, or perhaps the whole hitch...

[KCsurfer420]

:agree: Me to...