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  #1  
Old 02-08-2010, 07:01 PM
tcmills3 tcmills3 is offline
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Default Front Hitch

Wanting front hitch. Need help with tips and how to
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1999 4x4 xlt
4.0 v6
3inch PA body lift
2 inch torsion bar crank
1.5 inch rear shackles
32x11.50 BF Goodrich KM2 mud terrians
15x8 Cragar v5s
Dee Zee brush guard and taillight guards
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Old 02-08-2010, 07:34 PM
surfer03133 surfer03133 is offline
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what do you need help with? you can make your own if you can weld. just a piece of 2" square tube cut to fit between the frame rails, then weld 3/8 plate onto the ends of the tube, on top and on bottom of the frame rails so you can bolt it through the frame rails. then add a piece of 2" tube perpendicular and thats where the hitch goes. you should probably gusset that with 3/8 plate also so it has strength. shouldn't cost more than $30 in material.
if you want to buy one, jc whitney has some made by curtis hitch i believe. not sure what is needed though, sometimes you need to trim valence
oo i see you have body lift. i think you can just get the curtis hitch and bolt it where it is supposed to go and you'll be fine since your bumper is lifted. not 100% sure though. more opinions the better
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Old 02-08-2010, 07:38 PM
tcmills3 tcmills3 is offline
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Yeah i want as many opionions before i do this
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1999 4x4 xlt
4.0 v6
3inch PA body lift
2 inch torsion bar crank
1.5 inch rear shackles
32x11.50 BF Goodrich KM2 mud terrians
15x8 Cragar v5s
Dee Zee brush guard and taillight guards
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  #4  
Old 02-08-2010, 08:20 PM
Fx4wannabe01 Fx4wannabe01 is offline
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Get yourself a cheap used rear hitch of any kind of junk. Can be off anything pretty much, what it came off of is no concern, just make sure it's bigger than 30" wide and the main tube is straight, not bent like alot of stock rear ranger hitches are.

If not bodylifted: I prefer one with the insert hole in-line with the rest of the hitch. If bodylifted: I prefer one with the insert offset(lowered) from the rest of the hitch.....that is, if it's not offset more than 3". Those offset ones are a little iffy on front hitch applications.


Get some 3/16-3/8 pieces of angle iron cut to about 6" lengths or so. Clamp those to the frame. Then cut your hitch to fill the gap between the angle irons. Tack into place or clamp into place then install bumper to verify hole clearences. Get it right, final tack it, test fit again, then fully weld it. Either weld to frame or have fun using bolts.

Bodylifted is a little iffy on what needs to be done. It depends on what hitch you're starting out with. Either way, for a bodylift on a torsion bar truck, that front crossmember needs to be cut a little more than half way up it. You can weld it to the hitch if you're good with a cut off wheel too....would strengthen up that dinky crossmember. My front hitch is just too high(my own fault) and had to trim the valence to make it usable and keep a good grille/bumper gap.

Or install as below for a non-BL truck, then cut your valence.








On my BL'd truck. Used a now out of production Hidden front hitch for 98+ Rangers...but mounted ONTOP of the frame to compensate for the BL. If I could do it all over again, I would using a junkyard hitch and making it perfect before I fully welded the thing on. Like I noted above, I had to trim my valence to actually use the hitch. The hitch reciever sits about 3/4" to 1" too high.







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Last edited by Fx4wannabe01; 02-08-2010 at 08:28 PM.
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  #5  
Old 02-09-2010, 12:28 PM
tcmills3 tcmills3 is offline
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Dang that looks good. Ill have to head to the junkyard when spring rolls around. (theres about 3 feet of snow on the ground here
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1999 4x4 xlt
4.0 v6
3inch PA body lift
2 inch torsion bar crank
1.5 inch rear shackles
32x11.50 BF Goodrich KM2 mud terrians
15x8 Cragar v5s
Dee Zee brush guard and taillight guards
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  #6  
Old 02-09-2010, 01:19 PM
TrePaul86 TrePaul86 is offline
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I also have a front hitch. Here's my pics.



Now for this next pic, I would cut all the way through the cross member I stopped at. Then set the hitch receiver part flush with the top of the cross member. That would greatly decrease the bumper gap and make it just about perfect.













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  #7  
Old 02-09-2010, 03:16 PM
Fx4wannabe01 Fx4wannabe01 is offline
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^^Mine is too high, while his is too low. LOL! Right in between is PERFECT! lol.
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  #8  
Old 02-09-2010, 03:55 PM
RangerLuc RangerLuc is offline
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sorry for posting in your thread but shane did you repaint all your components on your under body? ex. control arms etc...
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  #9  
Old 02-09-2010, 07:47 PM
DangerRanger01 DangerRanger01 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RangerLuc View Post
sorry for posting in your thread but shane did you repaint all your components on your under body? ex. control arms etc...
He did. He hit it with John Deere Blitz Black. That stuff is the shit. Spray bomb your stuff after cleaning it of course.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Fx4wannabe01 View Post
Magic Bumper!!!!!
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  #10  
Old 02-09-2010, 09:29 PM
Ranger01 Ranger01 is offline
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i want a front hitch now! but don't know how to do any of that
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  #11  
Old 02-10-2010, 05:38 AM
RangerLuc RangerLuc is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DangerRanger01 View Post
He did. He hit it with John Deere Blitz Black. That stuff is the shit. Spray bomb your stuff after cleaning it of course.




Magic Bumper!!!!!
did he take everything off the turck? or leave it on and just tape everything off.
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SAS'd D44 and 8.8. dual lockers, 38s, 12 bolt h1's, some other odds and ends
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  #12  
Old 02-10-2010, 09:40 PM
Slobra232 Slobra232 is offline
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im kinda lost. Why would you need/want a front hitch??
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  #13  
Old 02-10-2010, 09:41 PM
Ranger01 Ranger01 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Slobra232 View Post
im kinda lost. Why would you need/want a front hitch??
In case you get stuck and rear hitch isn't available
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2001 3.0 V6 Automatic "Police Interceptor"
4x4 Off-Road
3" Body Lift
Belltech 6400 Shackles
JBA Headers
LOKRITE Locker
COBRA disc conversion
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  #14  
Old 02-10-2010, 09:45 PM
DangerRanger01 DangerRanger01 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RangerLuc View Post
did he take everything off the turck? or leave it on and just tape everything off.
I think he did the old, "Hold a piece of cardboard while spraying with the rattle can to avoid over-spray" trick.

I know he definitely didn't take apart anything apart. It looks good has has held up, as evident by the pictures as they are placed in continuous time order.
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  #15  
Old 02-11-2010, 07:04 AM
RangerLuc RangerLuc is offline
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alright cool thanks man. oh and you mentioned spray bomb??
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SAS'd D44 and 8.8. dual lockers, 38s, 12 bolt h1's, some other odds and ends

Last edited by RangerLuc; 02-11-2010 at 07:08 AM.
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