ChryslerCruiser
Well-Known Member
I am wondering where one might be found, or is this a case of fabricating my own solution?
Anyone running a trailer hitch?
- Thread starter ChryslerCruiser
- Start date
Aspen500
Well-Known Member
I recall someone asking that a couple years ago and it came down to fabricating one or getting lucky and finding a used one somewhere.
volare 1977
Well-Known Member
What are you going to use it for?
ChryslerCruiser
Well-Known Member
I have a boat trailer I use to haul a ladder, and occasionally a lawn mower... or P/u plywood, and or lumber from the lumbar yard.... Nothing too rigorous.
Mikes5thAve
Well-Known Member
Are you talking big boat or small? If it's nothing heavy throw a bumper hitch on it. Bolt on kind. They're still easy to get and the bumpers on these were still made well enough to handle them.
Last edited:
ChryslerCruiser
Well-Known Member
No boats in my life.. just the trailer!! Great idea about the bumper hitch. I will start looking in that direction. Thanks!
AJ/FormS
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2016
- Messages
- 1,292
- Reaction score
- 306
I have a 68 Barracuda, and as you probably know, it has a real flimsy bumper. And it has factory bumperettes. And they are positioned right where the rear sub-frames end, lucky me.
So what I did was weld a couple of vertical stubs onto the ends of the frame, pointing down. You can't see them unless you bend over and look for them. After that I just took a length of sq tubing to span those two and welded a stub-receiver at each end, to slip over the frame stubs. Then, after slipping my crossbar onto the stubs,I drilled a cross hole in each stub and inserted some hitch-pins . Finally I welded on a hitch bar with a 1.875 ball, and called it done.
Now, when I'm done towing, I pull the hitch-pins, and the cross-bar falls onto the grass, and I drive away.
It ain't much of a hitch, but it tows everything I need to tow, and it's been doing it since the very early 2000s.
I had a Dart once or twice, mid 70s cars. I had a hitch on one of them that consisted of three pieces. Two of them spanned from one frame-rail to the other with a drop-down center section, all nicely bent. One was as far back as possible and the other was further forward maybe 15 to 20 inches.
The third piece was the drawbar, that was welded to the drop-bars, and had an appropriate bend in it, so it snuck under the dart bumper and then raised the ball to an appropriate height.
Both of those Darts had the same type of affair, but one was bolted on and the other was welded on.
___________________
The one that was welded on towed all my worldly goods from my home in the city to my new shack in the country; about 20 loads or more, one of which loads was engine blocks, heads and such; that was a flippin' heavy load. On one of the trips my 27 year old ready-to-pop pregnant wife and two toddlers came along. About a month later, my third bambino arrived, this time brandishing a weapon; it's a Boy!, that was 1984.
But I digress,lol.
So what I did was weld a couple of vertical stubs onto the ends of the frame, pointing down. You can't see them unless you bend over and look for them. After that I just took a length of sq tubing to span those two and welded a stub-receiver at each end, to slip over the frame stubs. Then, after slipping my crossbar onto the stubs,I drilled a cross hole in each stub and inserted some hitch-pins . Finally I welded on a hitch bar with a 1.875 ball, and called it done.
Now, when I'm done towing, I pull the hitch-pins, and the cross-bar falls onto the grass, and I drive away.
It ain't much of a hitch, but it tows everything I need to tow, and it's been doing it since the very early 2000s.
I had a Dart once or twice, mid 70s cars. I had a hitch on one of them that consisted of three pieces. Two of them spanned from one frame-rail to the other with a drop-down center section, all nicely bent. One was as far back as possible and the other was further forward maybe 15 to 20 inches.
The third piece was the drawbar, that was welded to the drop-bars, and had an appropriate bend in it, so it snuck under the dart bumper and then raised the ball to an appropriate height.
Both of those Darts had the same type of affair, but one was bolted on and the other was welded on.
___________________
The one that was welded on towed all my worldly goods from my home in the city to my new shack in the country; about 20 loads or more, one of which loads was engine blocks, heads and such; that was a flippin' heavy load. On one of the trips my 27 year old ready-to-pop pregnant wife and two toddlers came along. About a month later, my third bambino arrived, this time brandishing a weapon; it's a Boy!, that was 1984.
But I digress,lol.
Mikes5thAve
Well-Known Member
I take it back. The kind I'm thinking of used to be easy to find but I guess when they haven't made cars with proper chrome bumpers to bolt them on in about 30 years they don't make the hitches any more either
volare 1977
Well-Known Member
maybe this will work
Vintage NOS Custom Trailer Hitch 68's-70's CHEVY, DODGE, PONTIAC TEMPEST USA | eBay
Vintage NOS Custom Trailer Hitch 68's-70's CHEVY, DODGE, PONTIAC TEMPEST USA | eBay
ChryslerCruiser
Well-Known Member
Thanks for that. I am thinking I will fabricate something similar, and tie it into bumper mounts as well.
Rattle Trap
Well-Known Member
I've got a few homemade bumper hitch contraptions around here. They all have some form of tube or pipe running to the two inside bumper shock to rail end bolts, then the hitch or receiver has a strap of steel across it's top that's bolted to the bottom of the bumper as well on each side. I used to have a factory accessory hitch around here somewhere that was nothing but a light duty hitch that bolted to the bottom of the bumper and rear of 76 bumper frame. Not sure how anybody thought that was a great idea...
MiradaMegacab
Well-Known Member
I had one on a Mirada.
ChryslerCruiser
Well-Known Member
a picture is worth 10.000 words in this case. I can build something like that!
Here is the one I removed from my Aspen. Not the best pictures, but it will give you an idea where the mounting points was located.
Two bumper bolts on each side, two bolts through the trunk floor at the back and two bolts through the trunk floor in front of the fuel tank.
Two bumper bolts on each side, two bolts through the trunk floor at the back and two bolts through the trunk floor in front of the fuel tank.
ChryslerCruiser
Well-Known Member
Nice looking set up someone created. I like the round tube used in it's construction.
charlesvolare
Well-Known Member
I'm working on one right now, seems like they're all similar ideas. I used a hitch I pulled off a Yukon at the junkyard, made brackets to adapt it to the bumper mounts. Tomorrow I'm adding bracing toward the front of the car, either the trunk pan or frame rails. Still going to be light duty only, but hopefully I'll be solid for whatever I throw at it.
