Towing

[McClare]

I'm curious how much I can tow with my bumper and how much could I do before I'd have to get a hitch? Could it do a 4' enclosed trailer ok?

 

And if I got a hitch that'd be a good spot for the rear to get towed out of a mudhole wouldn't it? (new to offroad)

 

For the front I was looking at these

http://motionoffroad.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=10_47&products_id=90

[maddzz1]

The rear bumper on my 89 says 2000lb trailer load max

 

400 posts :banana:

[mvusse]

I just installed those same hooks on the front of mine. The brackets are pretty beefy, and the hooks themselves are rated at 10,000 pounds. Installation uses stock holes, so there's no drilling required.As for the rear, my bumper also says 2,000 pound max trailer weight, but if the bumper has been rusted out inside, I would halve that. A good class III receiver would be much better, and could also be used as a rear recovery point with a D-shackle insert. Again, I installed one myself for that purpose, as well as to be able to use my bicycle rack on the truck, and to tow my trailer. The only bad thing is that it lowers your rear ground clearance about 3", affecting the departure angle off road.

[HOrnbrod]

I would not tow anything larger than than an empty 3' little red wagon kids toy with the factory bumper. Here's a good quality hitch on Ebay, rated at 5000 lbs max., $129 shipped. It has to used with the factory bumper to mount correctly.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/U-Haul-NIB-Trailer-Hitch-Jeep-Comanche-75021_W0QQitemZ150149765834QQihZ005QQcategoryZ33653QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247

[McClare]

so I just take off the bolts for the bumper and the bolts that hold the bumper on will also hold the hitch on?

[HOrnbrod]

so I just take off the bolts for the bumper and the bolts that hold the bumper on will also hold the hitch on?

 

Correct. This is actually a Draw-Tite hitch. New grade 8 longer bolts come with the hitch, plus spacer shims that are needed for some years. It also bolts to the step bumper in the middle. Here's a link for the instruction sheet:

 

http://www.etrailer.com/instructions.aspx?pn=75021

[Wildman]

I would not tow anything larger than than an empty 3' little red wagon kids toy with the factory bumper. Here's a good quality hitch on Ebay, rated at 5000 lbs max., $129 shipped. It has to used with the factory bumper to mount correctly.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/U-Haul-NIB-Trailer-Hitch-Jeep-Comanche-75021_W0QQitemZ150149765834QQihZ005QQcategoryZ33653QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247

 

:agree:

 

I wouldn't tow anything bigger that a wheelbarrow.......empty, with a 20 year old stock bumper.

 

I just repaired a stock bumper for another member, took the "twist" out of it, and a few dings.

 

This is what the 'inside' of the bumper looks like, upside down, and view from the back side-

 

And this is the bumper support removed from the bumper itself, that in the section that is bolted to the frame brackets, and the support you have for towing, holding the bumper on-

 

The end results were, that I add a 1/8" x 3" steel plate to the support from bracket to bracket, to help stiffen up the factory support, and forgot to take a picture of it, and then welded the bumper back on the support.

 

Go with the trailer hitch that hornbrod linked to, you'll have something that will be able to tow a small trailer, and give you a recovery point at the rear, and not pull you stock bumper off the truck.