[wolfen]

I'm building my own trailer hitch, its gonna haul a class 1 trailer with a 2k limit, I already have all the parts I need just have to cut and weld, I'll post pics when its done before it goes in, but I need to know since I see holes in the frame under there, do they go all the way through to the other side, or will I need to drill them out?

[Unlimited04]

only drill through one side. do not put an attachment bolt all the way through, you'll crush the frame rail.

you may have to get creative when holding the nuts inside the frame. you can even make your own nut tab if you have to, like the factory front track bar or rear tow hooks.

[05JeepTJ]

they do not but you can get a bolt in there and get a lock washer and nut in there. it is very tricky but it can be done i did the same thing on my jeep. it is a lot stronger than if the holes are just taped.

[wolfen]

Originally Posted by Unlimited04

only drill through one side. do not put an attachment bolt all the way through, you'll crush the frame rail.

you may have to get creative when holding the nuts inside the frame. you can even make your own nut tab if you have to, like the factory front track bar or rear tow hooks.

thanks, if I go all teh way through now I know to make some through tubes first

Originally Posted by 05JeepTJ

they do not but you can get a bolt in there and get a lock washer and nut in there. it is very tricky but it can be done i did the same thing on my jeep. it is a lot stronger than if the holes are just taped.

If I can get a wrench in there thats the way I'll go, the hitch is the size of a class3 so I can use the 2" ball thats currently on the hitch hooked up to the Blazer, I'd like to have one thats interchangeable with my blazer

[timatoe]

Why not just get some frame tie in from BERSK, he's right by you??

[wolfen]

Cause I didn't know he had any and I don;t know where he is.

[timatoe]

Guess that's what I get for assuming stuff.

Jeep Space - BESRK

And I had the letters out of order anyhow.

[rivalarrival]

Every hitch mounting kit I've used has had a large, rectangular plate with a square hole in it. They come with a puller wire that threads on to a carriage bolt. You stick the carriage bolt completely inside the frame, through a 1" hole in the bottom of the rail. Then you thread the rectangular plate onto the puller wire, and stick it in the frame too. A tug on the wire pops the carriage bolt into the plate, and gives you a good stud to mount the receiver.

I'll see if I can find some pics...

Found this:
http://www.hitchsource.com/jeep-wrangler-trailer-hitch-9706-class-iii-p-25946.html

The installation instructions show it real well:
https://www.hitchsource.com/docs/cu/13408.pdf

(Mine description differs from the instructions slightly, but the concept is the same)

[wolfen]

Originally Posted by timatoe

Guess that's what I get for assuming stuff.

Jeep Space - BESRK

And I had the letters out of order anyhow.

That explains a lot to me too, I haven't been on that side of the HRBT since 1988, except for a Reba concert and one trip to the Monster Jam in the Coliseum

Originally Posted by rivalarrival

Every hitch mounting kit I've used has had a large, rectangular plate with a square hole in it. They come with a puller wire that threads on to a carriage bolt. You stick the carriage bolt completely inside the frame, through a 1" hole in the bottom of the rail. Then you thread the rectangular plate onto the puller wire, and stick it in the frame too. A tug on the wire pops the carriage bolt into the plate, and gives you a good stud to mount the receiver.

I'll see if I can find some pics...

Found this:
Jeep Wrangler Trailer Hitch, 97-06 - Class III - By Curt Mfg

The installation instructions show it real well:
https://www.hitchsource.com/docs/cu/13408.pdf

(Mine description differs from the instructions slightly, but the concept is the same)

Thank you VERY much, you just answered the question I was going to ask next I saved the pic on my computer and teh instructions, My frame mounting is different, but that gives me a general idea of how I need to do it and what tools I need to fabricate to do it.

[rivalarrival]

Originally Posted by wolfen

Thank you VERY much, you just answered the question I was going to ask next I saved the pic on my computer and teh instructions, My frame mounting is different, but that gives me a general idea of how I need to do it and what tools I need to fabricate to do it.

Glad to help! Like I said, all of them I've used (Various Reese and Curt hitches for a bunch of vehicles) have had similar/identical arrangements, but my TJ was the first fully boxed frame I've had to deal with. On mine, the snake hole IS the mounting hole; the plate acts like a fender washer inside the frame to bridge the large hole. I've pulled some pretty heavy trailers, definitely overloaded the Jeep, and there's no sign of flexing, warping, etc.

[wolfen]

I kinda wish I'd waited till Monday to cut the main long piece now, after reading the instructions I'd have cut the piece as long as the bumper and replaced the entire bumper with a hitch LOL. The piece I'm making this thing out of is 60 year old 2" schedule 60 square Galvanized Fence post I yanked out a school that was being torn down, and the piece I cut today at 42 inches long weighs as much as my entire bumper LOL

Come to think of it I might go out there tomorrow and see if theres any more and just do it

[rivalarrival]

Heh, But if you mount it *under* the bumper, you can call it gas tank armor.

[wolfen]

Where do you think its going I have a really nice skid plate on my gas tank now, the tank bolts to the skid plate and the skid plate bolts to the Jeep, found that out he hard way when my fuel pump went kaput, I drained the tank dropped it and it still weighed 60 lbs, but its a flat piece, anybody with a beemer texting can crush it, the steel tube is so old it was mad back when a man wasn't afraid to put his name on his work, this stuff is so tough I had to cut it with a plasma cutter at work cause it brokeal my sawzall blades. I'll take pictures of it later this morning after I eat breakfast and I might tack it together and see whats what under there, I still have some pieces I need to make, but I have until I get the money for a new dishwasher to finish it LOL.

Oh I lie the pic in your sig about removing the hub assy
I use a one inch barrel nut and a bolt threaded all the way myself, presses em right out.

[wolfen]

Ok heres some pictures unfinished of course since I got a get some more 1/8th 6013 rods to finish it

(1) the long piece with et bottom plate welded in place



the Actual receiver piece, with a 5/8's bolt cut fown to size and a snap pin to hold it in place


Actual receiver will be welded on like this

I still need to grind down the back lower edge of the short piece so it will pass over the existing bottom plate weld

And this will be what it looks like with the gussets welded in, after I get this done I'll make the ends to bolt to the frame


I looked under there this morning, I will only need one square lock plate for the 1/2" bolts cause theres a pulling hook back there on the Left side ( yea thats going away) Anyway after this is in I'd hate to be the next sob that thinks I'm going to run the red light just so he won't have to wait