hitch question

[SaharaTJ]

Ok since i am beyond exhausted of asking my buddy to borrow his truck to tow stuff... for example i was supposed to pick my mj up this weekend but my buddy had to take his old lady out for their 2 year anniversary. so when i get the mj i am going to add a hitch but was wondering which is better, a hide-a-hitch or whatever it is or a rear bumper with a built in hitch? Also does anyone have any pictures of and bumpers with the built in hitch and prices of both options? Oh ya i know that i won't be able to tow much but i have been able to flat tow almost anything with a 2.5L tj and I'm really only looking to tow small things the biggest being a small 2 person hunting boat.

[Eagle]

I have a factory-built hitch/bumper that's only rated for 3,500 pounds. On another MJ I have a Putnam Class 3 hitch that's rated for 5,000 pounds, and it tucks up pretty well behind a fey aftermarket replacement bumper. Putting a ball on a standard step bumper is a very light-duty solution.

 

My vote goes to the dedicated hitch.

[SaharaTJ]

I have a factory-built hitch/bumper that's only rated for 3,500 pounds. On another MJ I have a Putnam Class 3 hitch that's rated for 5,000 pounds, and it tucks up pretty well behind a fey aftermarket replacement bumper. Putting a ball on a standard step bumper is a very light-duty solution.

 

My vote goes to the dedicated hitch.

 

I didn't mean towing with the factory bumper. I ment a aftermart heavy duty bumper like one from detours or something that has a built in hitch.

[Pete M]

Ask if their 2x2 "hitch" is actually rated for anything. I would hesitate towing anything with an unrated attachment point. There's a huge difference between extraction from the mud and hauling 4000# down the interstate.

[Eagle]

Detours stuff is usually OVERbuilt. I'd feel comfortable towing with a bumper he made. Usually if a bumper will stand up to a snatch using a 20-foot strap with the vehicle stuck in deep mud, it'll tow a Greyhound bus. Dynamic loads are typically 10x static loads.

[CWLONGSHOT]

I made mine. I cut and wended in a piece of extention tube into my bumper. then added some triangulated pieces that attach to the frame in two places each.

I built it more for a extraction point than for actual towing, but I would not hesitate to tow a med trailer with it.

 

 

CW

[hemi_comanche]

Here is what I did for a hitch. I wanted it to be hidden when I was not using it, and of course that required I make my own. I bought a step bumper 5000lb rated 2 inch hitch and a 4 foot wide piece of 2 inch 1/4 inch wall square tube and pieces of 3/8 plate for the mounts and here are the pics Everything is welded and Bolted with Grade 8 hardware( It has no trouble pulling my car trailer and my 18ft Mastercraft boat)

 

 

 

Then I made a Sheet Metal Roll Pan and a flip up plate mount to hide it all. The roll pan is far from finished, and the plate area still needs to be boxed in

 

 

 

and here is just a random pic of a cargo tie down I made and welded in the front of the bed right before I herculined the whole bed

[CWLONGSHOT]

Looks good!!

My bumper attached simular to yours, but I was worried as the bolts where so close together, thats why I added the angled bars to mine. You say your works fine for your CAR TRAILER!! WOW, GOOD JOB!!!

 

CW

[rejeep]

Does anybody make a good hitch for a MJ?

[hemi_comanche]

Looks good!!

My bumper attached simular to yours, but I was worried as the bolts where so close together, thats why I added the angled bars to mine. You say your works fine for your CAR TRAILER!! WOW, GOOD JOB!!!

 

CW

 

what you don't see is that on the inside of the frame rail I backed the bolts with a piece of 1/4 inch plate just to reinforce it and make me feel secure about towing stuff.