Receiver hitch for a deuce

[randyscycle]

At some point I will be installing a receiver hitch on my Deuce so that I can pull a regular flatbed trailer. Does anyone have any pics of their setup?

Just looking for a few ideas before I begin fabbing and welding. Looks like it will need to be a considerable drop from the frame rails to a standard trailer height, and I don't want anything too low hanging either.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Offroadfabworks]

heck with fabbing. just buy a standard one for the frame width, and get a drop hitch and it will work great. We put 2 trucks that way and works great. ill take and see if i can find the part #. It fit the frame perfect.

 

[dm22630]

Here are some pics of the hitch on a deuce owned by SS member "rsites".

Looks like a really heavy duty one.

 

[randyscycle]

That's the idea.....I thought about the universal type of Reese hitch, but I really haven't took the tape measure out yet to check the height of it vs the height of the trailer.

 

[FrankUSMC]

offroadfabworks
sent you a PM also for the part number.
One of the few, Frank USMC RET

 

[dm22630]

I do think that if you install a hitch, and go offroading.....you WILL end up bending it up or ripping it off.

I go through some steep stuff....and a hitch like that would definitely get damaged in the process....

 

[tiger422]

If you do much off roading that fabed hitch would be a problem

 

[bottleworks]

See:
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-...ing/21123-class-iv-hitch-done.html#post217295

 

[Capt.Marion]

Aye, just put it up as high as it will go, and just use drop hitches to get down to the height you need. Save you some trouble off road...

 

[Offroadfabworks]

Thanks bottleworks. I was just searching for the thread

 

[randyscycle]

That last pic is the idea I was looking at. As close to the frame as possible.

 

[Flea]

http://www.etrailer.com/pc-weld-on-hitch~41990-07.htm

I was looking at this for a while... if you're up for welding, might be worthwhile?

 

[Deuce_Biganslow]

I just installed a hitch on Friday so I could pull my boat to Kentucky Lake to go camping with my two pint-sized body guards.

While I had originally planned to keep the hitch up close to the frame, I decided to go this route instead since the cost goes up as drop-hitch drops go down and the weight capacity decreases as drop-hitch drops go down...unless you're willing to pay to maintain a certain weight capacity. This setup allowed me to use the drop-hitch I use with our Navigator.

With a free used receiver hitch from the local hitch shop (the owner said if I didn't go ahead and take it, it would be stolen that night anyway and refused to accept any $ from me for it), some formed scrap plates from the shop where I work, the hitch I already own, and a few bucks for fasteners...well, I only have a few bucks invested so far. I'll paint it this week and go with some grade-8 bolts for long-term use.

I wanted to go with a bolted installation so I could remove the hitch if I ever do any aggressive wheeling or want to get it back to the authentic look. I'll probably also end up welding some angles on the plates to give some side-to-side stiffness.

It's definitely low-hanging; while the departure angle isn't horribly compromised, I definitely would want to 'wheel with it.

I like it so far. The camping trip went well. Longest trip I've made in the Deuce at about 250 miles roundtrip. It was definitely a sight to see, and I figured you might enjoy some pix. The park rangers at the campground were pretty amused when we pulled up, and we had to pose for some pix at the boat ramp - I'm not sure if it was because of my stunning good looks...or maybe my boys...or perhaps it may have been because I was pulling a speed boat with a Deuce, even.

 

[bottleworks]

While I had originally planned to keep the hitch up close to the frame, I decided to go this route instead since the cost goes up as drop-hitch drops go down and the weight capacity decreases as drop-hitch drops go down...unless you're willing to pay to maintain a certain weight capacity.

P/N: 21332
http://www.etrailer.com/p-40332.htm

12,000 Lbs with a 6" drop for only $45. They don't cost as much as you may think... If you buy from amazon.com, there is sometimes free shipping.

 

[russ81]

Hey guys, I think we should do a little research into using the proper hardware for bolting up these hitches.

Grade "8" bolt is actualy TOO HARD, for this application. These bolts are good for an installation under constant stress load, but not for something that takes a "shock" load. Grade 8's are prone to cracking when this happens. What we should be using is an "A-325" bolt, which is a structural steel bolt. When properly torqued it is designed for applications that take both stress loads, and shock loads. That is why it is a Federal requirement for all steel structures to be built using this grade of fastener. These fasteners can be found at a company called Fastenal. If you get one of their catalogs they have a really great section that gives all the engineering data needed to find the correct fastener for what ever application you are using.

Just my . I deal with this stuff every day, and see what the effects are from using the improper hardware, and I don't want to see any one loosing a trailer because they used the wrong bolt.

 

[otisroy]

Thanks for the good advice Russ! I went the same way as bottleworks and bolted a couple class IV Curt 14082s up, one on the rear and one on the front to launch a jet ski or boat. They're good up to 10K w/o weight distro. Backing the 109 with a jet ski trailer on the rear didn't sound inviting. I did lose some front clearance and I noticed it this weekend when I came back from tooling around in an arroyo. I had a front receiver packed with sand I got a 10" adjustable drop hitch rated for 10K too, but I don't anticipate pulling more than 7K with it but went for over-engineering to account for the leverage forces.

 

[russ81]

I just installed a Curt on the back of my bobbed deuce. I have a "Ranch Hand" front bumper on my Ford Super Duty that has the receiver. I haven't used it yet, but I really like having it there. I'm gathering up material right now to start fabricating my bumpers for the deuce, and I really think I'm going to weld in a receiver on the front.

 

[randyscycle]

Thanks for all the great info....I think I do want to keep the hitch as high as possible and the biggest thing I plan to tow at this point anyway would be a full size pickup or maybe my M715. This truck sees about a 50/50 split of road and off-road. I don't want anything else to have to dig around to get out of a stuck!

I most likely will weld the hitch on, so hardware won't be an issue, although that is an important consideration and one I hadn't given thought to. I knew about not using stainless hardware because its soft, but didn't think about Grade 8 stuff shattering or cracking.

 

[russ81]

Glad to be of help.

With stainless steel you still have to be careful of grade. Most hardware stores only carry a 304 grade bolt, which would be the equivalent of a grade 5. The next most common grade up would be a 316 which is almost a grade 8.

Another good thing to remember is that most "Socket Head Cap Screws", commonly called "allen head" bolts, are a grade 7. These bolts are oil quenched, and have rolled threads, which are far superior to cut threads. This bolt is a very high quality bolt that almost duplicates a grade A-325, but with slightly less ablity to take shock loads, but can take a higher stress load.

A good rule of thumb would be:

Engine bolts Grade 8 or 316 s.s.
Suspension/Frame A-325 or Allen Head
Aux. equipment Grade 5 or 304 s.s.

One last thing, lubrication makes a WORLD of difference in torque values. Any coating on a bolt acts as a lubricate. A good rule of thumb is subtract 10% for a coated bolt, and 25% for a lubricated bolt.

 

[randyscycle]

One last thing, lubrication makes a WORLD of difference in torque values. Any coating on a bolt acts as a lubricate. A good rule of thumb is subtract 10% for a coated bolt, and 25% for a lubricated bolt.

Kinda off-topic, but I know that cadmium plating and the such is done for rust preventative, but does it also provide a lubricating property to some degree?

I almost always use a very light oil on the thread of anything I torque, particularly head bolts, and engine components.