Custom hitch/bumper/cross member

[Flyingcatfive]

I'm just looking for any cost effective suggestions here for a class 3 hitch for the 110. Ive got to cut out some rust and build a hitch / bumper combo. I thought of picking up a princess auto hitch and modifying it as the steel in their products is usually cheaper than raw materials. (must be cheap mix of fillers?)

Anyone do this already and have a photo of what they've done that works or other ideas?

Thanks!

[red90]

You get the 2" receiver tube at Princess auto and weld it to a plate that bolts under the rear cross member and that plate is welded to another that bolts through the pintle hitch mounts. If you need a picture, I can snap one off of my truck.

[Flyingcatfive]

That's kind of what I figured but I have no cross member! If you don't mind snapping a photo of that, it would be helpful ! Thank you

[seapotato]

I did it like this...

I think it was 2" x 5" rect tubing. I notched in a piece of receiver tube for tow hitch, so it didn't hang down to far, and sleeved some holes for a pintle hitch above it.

you could cut the angles and such to make it more closely resemble the factory crossmember, and recess it under the body for a more stock look as well
it was pretty easy to make this way.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j171/ ... 009010.jpg

[Flyingcatfive]

Nice. That's very much what I had in mind. I have to do much reinforcement at the frame connection too.

Do you happen to have a shot of the underside from your bumper to halfway down the fuel tank? It looks like I'm missing something there

thanks for the photo!

[seapotato]

Thanks,

I don't have an underside pic, but it wouldn't do you much good, the chassis that came with my truck was toast, so I'm using a different frame altogether.
there's some more pics of the bumper tho on my photobucket dealio. the link below should work.

cheers,
r

[red90]

I'll try and remember to take a picture tonight. You can get replacement cross members cheap in the UK. if you can figure out how to ship cheap, it would be simple. if not, and you can build stuff do what seapotato did.

http://www.lrseries.com/shop/product/li ... ber&page=1

http://www.lrseries.com/shop/product/li ... sis&page=1

[red90]

Here is my hitch. Obviously if you are making a crossmember you have a lot of latitude.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y45/Re ... /hitch.jpg

[rezdiver]

just another idea, you could get one of these combination pintle and 2 inch ball hitches to make it simple. i got one from princess auto for 125 dollars to replace my existing pintle only hitch, made in the USA 5ton rating.

http://www.etrailerparts.com.au/2450.html

[red90]

Those are OK, if you are towing a ball trailer, but you wouldn't want to tow a ringed trailer much as the pintle would be loose. Also many trailers (like the widetrack Sankey) require a swiveling pintle. With the Nato pintle and Sankey, the hitch is very snug on the ring (and it is a weird size).

[seapotato]

also, there was a series crossmember listed on the rockisland rovers site for 125 a while back.

I considered grabbing it instead of building a bumper. It may still be there. Little closer than England...

[Flyingcatfive]

Great info and thanks for the photos/links - I'll get a pic up of what I'm dealing with just for sake of it. I'm pretty sure I know the route I'll take. Thanks again !