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Deuce Receiver Hitch - Demand??

el_magico

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Location
Thornton, CO
So I have been searching for a receiver platform for the deuce that was to my liking and still affordable. Couldn't really find one that I liked so I designed one so I could make it happen. Some of the things I wanted were to have it tucked just under the pintle, high enough to maintain the clearance but not too high that I would need a 20" drop receiver. So, I split the difference. The hitch drops down 9.5" from the bottom of the frame, leaving need for a 10-12" drop receiver. This is what I came up with.


I ran an analysis in SW also and these are the numbers I came up with (this is including a 12" SOLID drop receiver)
Tongue Weight: 4000lbs
Towing: 30,000lbs
Safety Factor: 6

My question to everyone here is: Would any of you be interested in a platform like this?

Additional info: The platform is designed to be mounted to the frame using 6 3/4" grade 8 bolts. To me this is the only real con about it, having to drill 6 3/4" holes through the deuce's 5/16" thick frame!
 

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airmech3839

Member
842
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Location
Augusta, GA
price is key... I have seen several designs and like several but money is tight and I don't have a strong demand for towing as of yet!! Nice work though!! It will be a stout set up!
 

el_magico

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Location
Thornton, CO
price is key... I have seen several designs and like several but money is tight and I don't have a strong demand for towing as of yet!! Nice work though!! It will be a stout set up!
I am definitely not trying to become a millionaire off this. It would just make it easier for me to nest a full sheet of parts for the laser rather than just one or two. I figured around 200 to 250 plus shipping.
 

Josh

Active member
1,678
12
38
Location
Portland, Oregon
A Curt 14082 hitch will bolt right on. I have one on my truck, and 8in drop hitch makes most of my trailers sit level. Its a class 4 hitch and has worked great for me so far. Infact I used it to tow a 14,000lb forklift and had no issues.
 

CGarbee

Well-known member
2,448
511
113
Location
Raleigh, NC
A Curt 14082 hitch will bolt right on. I have one on my truck, and 8in drop hitch makes most of my trailers sit level. Its a class 4 hitch and has worked great for me so far. Infact I used it to tow a 14,000lb forklift and had no issues.
What is the distance from the frame to the top of the reciever tube on this hitch? Curt no longer puts the dimensions on thier website or in the printed catalog. :(
Thanks.
 

lakeviewgang

New member
9
3
3
Location
ford city, pa
I used a reciever from a chevy truck (i think its a reese). the frame width is the same. i welded it and bolted it to the bottom of the deuce frame and use a 6" drop. i pull my 22' boat with it and have no problems.
 

CGarbee

Well-known member
2,448
511
113
Location
Raleigh, NC
Thanks for the link, but no-one in that thread mentioned the dimension that I am looking for... I'm wanting to put a hitch on a truck that has a pintle hitch that is sitting lower than one on a M35, so I need to make sure that the distance from the bottom of the frame to the top of the reciever tube is about eight inches in order for everything to clear.

Since the gentleman in this thread mentioned that he had used a specific Curt hitch, I was hoping that he could take a measurement.

I had a really nice custom hitch on my M35A2C (installed by the Air Force before it was surplused), but I sold it with the the truck....
 

wehring

Active member
1,375
25
38
Location
Angleton, TX
Done this....

I worked with Torklift Hitch to produce a bolt on Class V hitch that uses FACTORY HOLES. No drilling. I went out of pocket to send them a frame section to use as a design jig. Made in the USA.

It mounts to the side of the frame and not on the bottom flange. Destructive testing tore these up at 80,000# so they are rated for 20K.

They are a double receiver design. 2.5" over a 2".

I have yet to sell one but my trucks love them. I am converting a 5 ton to a bobber and I will convert the rear pintle to an in-frame design (instead of underframe) like the deuce and put one of these on it too.

I have plenty if there is an interest.
$650 ea

Justin Wehring
979 997 3112
 

rlwm211

Active member
1,648
18
38
Location
Guilford, NY
I mounted a receiver on my frame. I drilled it and had no concerns. Torching a frame is bad. They get drilled all the time. The metal is actually not as hard as the new frame material is these days.

I used grade 8 bolts. I had to adapt the receiver with 3" .25 web angle. I have used it for a year and it is solid, and has not loosened or changed a bit. I did use a class 4 receiver.

RL
 

bottleworks

New member
920
2
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Location
Central NC
The curt hitch works great. The closer up the the frame, the better. A 14K drop bar brings it back down for towing. And the Curt hitch is a low cost solution. :deadhorse:
 

el_magico

New member
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Location
Thornton, CO
Well what I was trying to get away from is having to have a big drop receiver. These hitch platforms were designed and rated for zero to 2" drop receivers. Over that and their tow rating drops with every inch the receiver does. A big drop receiver will only act as a lever to start to twist that center cross tube, it may not be much, but over time the stresses will take their toll.

This is why I designed this platform. The way the deuce sits with 900-20 tires the bottom of the frame is about 33" from the ground. This platform drops 9.75" from the bottom of the frame to the center of the hitch pin, leaving 23.25" to the ground. With the various trailer tongue heights that I checked, I would only need a maximum of a 6" drop receiver to tow level.

Now, thinking ahead, I plan on eventually putting 395's on the deuce which should bring the distance between the ground and bottom of the frame to around 37-38". I now know that I can safely put a 10" drop receiver and still be higher than a class V rating, with the testing I did of this platform.

I cannot foresee towing anything heavier than 20k, bit if I do I know it will handle it. As for wehring's design of the "over/ under" style is very nice, It looks to me that that setup could probably handle 50k or more on a regular basis. I just could not justify to myself spending that much cash on something that I would not be using to its full potential. Therefor this less expensive alternative.

It is not a big deal for me to cut, bend, and assemble the platform in my shop, even running the numbers as if it were for a client, the cost would stay around 225.
 

mikew

Member
454
8
18
Location
edmond, ok
7"...

Attached is the one I use.

I'm putting this hitch on Bobbed trucks and on these trucks I've shortened the frame and relocated the rear crossmember (the one with the pintle hook). I drill four mounting holes in the receiver hitch that match up with the four holes in the rear crossmember (was originally riveted, I bolt in back in when I bob a truck). I also drill two holes in the frame that align with the hitches forward-most mounting holes.

On a stock truck you can slide the hitch forward (to clear the rear crossmembers rivets) and attach with six bolts.
 

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bottleworks

New member
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Location
Central NC
I cannot foresee towing anything heavier than 20k, bit if I do I know it will handle it.
If your towing 20K, or anywhere close to 20K, you need to stop what your doing and use the stock pentle hitch and have air brakes on your trailer.

Also, I do not believe the m35A2 is rated for 20K pulling.
 
429
1
18
Location
Berkeley Springs, WV
After seeing the thread on the removable 2" square receiver hitch mount that rests on the frame and attaches to the pentle hitch, that is what I'm going to attempt to make. I think making and selling those would be more popular if you're looking to sell a hitch you designed. That should be pretty easy to draw up and analyze in Solid Works as well.
 

scopionf89

New member
80
1
0
Location
Lacey WA
drill and bolt on

This is a link to whear I got the hich that I had installed on My m35a2. it has like a 7 1/2 in drope mesured on it and with a 8 inch drop ball caryer it should put the ball about 18inches off the ground which is ideal for most trailers. I did not put it on my self the guys at russels military vehicals did it. just type in russels military vehicals in your web brouser and it should bring you to their page they are also a good soures for parts for your truck should it brake down.

Hitches, Receiver Hitches; Hitches Online
 
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