JIPJOBXX Posted January 1, 2014 Report Posted January 1, 2014 Can anyone tell me if it is possible to bolt up a towing bar hitch to my frount end of my truck? I would just like to mount it to the bumper with fastners but I'm not sure if the bumper and bumper brackets can take the pressure of what my hitch would put on it. Its a 1988 Ford four wheel drive Ranger. Thanks Jon I can mount brackets on the frame but the cost is sort of prohibitive as the brakets cost over 400 dollars. Thanks again. Quote
Dave72dt Posted January 1, 2014 Report Posted January 1, 2014 It has about the same dimensions and thickness as the rear bumper so it would carry the same weight as the stock rear would. suppose it might be possible to mount a rear step bumper on the front but why would anyone need a tow hitch on the front Quote
JIPJOBXX Posted January 1, 2014 Author Report Posted January 1, 2014 No I want to have a towing bar that attatches to the frount end and was wonder if the bumper might support that unit in a tow operation. You know like using my truck as a toad as they call in the RV world. Just looked up what it called and it called the base plate for the tow bar. Quote
Niel Hoback Posted January 1, 2014 Report Posted January 1, 2014 I used an angled plate mounted thru the license plate holes on the front bumper of a 69 Chevy 1/2 ton. The plate was just a 90 degree bend with a ball mounted thru it. Anyone that parks trailers knows how handy it can be. Quote
Dave72dt Posted January 1, 2014 Report Posted January 1, 2014 Steel bumper. If that's what tow bars are attached to, should work. Quote
Dave72dt Posted January 1, 2014 Report Posted January 1, 2014 I used an angled plate mounted thru the license plate holes on the front bumper of a 69 Chevy 1/2 ton. The plate was just a 90 degree bend with a ball mounted thru it. Anyone that parks trailers knows how handy it can be.If I had to do a lot of parking, would seriously consider one. Most people don't. Used to have skid loader with a pin mounted on the end of a pallet fork. Other fork had a hole I could drop a pin through. Very handy for moving farm equipment around the lot when mowing or into the shop for repairs. Quote
Frank Elder Posted January 1, 2014 Report Posted January 1, 2014 It has about the same dimensions and thickness as the rear bumper so it would carry the same weight as the stock rear would. suppose it might be possible to mount a rear step bumper on the front but why would anyone need a tow hitch on the front My dad had one on every car/truck he owned.....for putting our boats in the water, that way he never had to worry about water up the exhaust or rear tires slipping....just switch when you got to the ramp and presto! Quote
_shel_ny Posted January 1, 2014 Report Posted January 1, 2014 I had a plate (and tow bar) custom made to attach to the frame of my 1970 Nova so that it could be flat towed. Removed bumper and mounted the plate. A bumper mounted tow set up would probably have worked as it was a solid metal bumper on that vehicle, but the thought of a car heading off somewhere on its lonesome (or attempting to) while being towed was way too scary of a thought to chance it. I had a 1985 Suzuki SA310GL (chevy sprint in USA) for which I purchased a commercially available tow bar and frame mount plate. Plastic 5 mph bumper, so no bumper mount attachment was going to work. Unless just towing it to the junkyard, I would do it so I knew it would follow as it should.(probably even then) Quote
Old Ray Posted January 1, 2014 Report Posted January 1, 2014 Just my useless ramblings. Quite amazing how many didn’t know what you were asking ……..even after a clarification! So if you are asking us, if it’s OK for you to cheap out and cootie-bob up a tow bar so that your towed truck could possibly pass you someday on the interstate? It is not our truck, or insurance, that has to pay for the possible accident so why would we care or why would you trust our opinion? (Absolution) If it could come off because of negligence on your part are you not opening yourself up for tremendous liability, especially in the land of Lawyers? I would think that very heavy 90 degree reinforcing plates bolted to the frame and the bumper from behind would reduce the liability. 1 Quote
William Davey Posted January 1, 2014 Report Posted January 1, 2014 How often will you use this tow bar arrangement? It it's a one time thing, why not rent a tow dolly from U-Haul. You don't have to cobble up your front bumper and it's much safer. BTW, your Ranger probably is not the ideal tow vehicle for this trip. Most of the RV's you see flat towing a car/truck are much larger,heavier and more powerful than the vehicle being towed. I would think this one over a little more. Quote
BigDaddyO Posted January 1, 2014 Report Posted January 1, 2014 http://rv-roadtrips.thefuntimesguide.com/2008/05/rv_towing_vehicle_tips.php Quote
JIPJOBXX Posted January 1, 2014 Author Report Posted January 1, 2014 Well this is just a project on the back burner and thanks for the ideas! I plan on today to bring my truck into my garage and take some photo's of the attachment points of the base plate. i'm sure the frame is strong enough but just wanted some thoughts. Thanks Jon Quote
Don Coatney Posted January 1, 2014 Report Posted January 1, 2014 Best answer could be found at the ford ranger forum. Did you look and ask there first? Quote
Scruffy49 Posted January 3, 2014 Report Posted January 3, 2014 You want to drag it behind an RV (easy) or use it as a yard donkey? Yard donkey use is also easy, $115 for a receiver hitch kit at Walmart, mount it to the front of the frame instead of the rear. I have 2 Rangers, the front bumpers are junk. Just decoration. If you plan to move a bunch of stuff around, pull the factory bumper off and use one made from structural C channel with a hitch plate welded on.Any decent welding shop can put one together in less than an hour. Run down to the boat dealership in Stielacoom and look at their launch truck, any of the marinas around Everett, etc. Piece of cake. Quote
DCurrent Posted January 4, 2014 Report Posted January 4, 2014 I wouldn't mount any kind of a tow bar to a front bumper. Bumpers are very flimsy for pulling anything. If you are serious about a mount for pulling buy a mount that attaches to the frame. You could fab one up, but the cost of one already to go isn't bad compared to the time it would take to fab one up. Just my thought. Quote
JIPJOBXX Posted January 4, 2014 Author Report Posted January 4, 2014 Hay guys got a the right plates to attach my tow bar to the frame with and for fourty dollars!!!!!!!!!! Life is good!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I kind of knew that attaching a tow bar to the bumper was not a good way of doing business. In the old days the bumpers were really made to bump but now adays they are made to just look pretty and really do nothing. Thanks Quote
_shel_ny Posted January 4, 2014 Report Posted January 4, 2014 Hay guys got a the right plates to attach my tow bar to the frame with and for fourty dollars!!!!!!!!!! Life is good!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I kind of knew that attaching a tow bar to the bumper was not a good way of doing business. In the old days the bumpers were really made to bump but now adays they are made to just look pretty and really do nothing. Thanks You should flag this as "best answer" Quote
Don Coatney Posted January 4, 2014 Report Posted January 4, 2014 You should flag this as "best answer" Geez Shel not again. I see this way to often with a few folks who post on this forum. I often wonder (when I see guys flag there own answer to a question they asked as being the best answer) why they even bother to ask the question. Perhaps if they should first post the best answer and then let us guess the question. Jeopardy Quote
Plymouthy Adams Posted January 4, 2014 Report Posted January 4, 2014 your honor, I object, ask and answer...!! Quote
Frank Elder Posted January 4, 2014 Report Posted January 4, 2014 In the old days the bumpers were really made to bump but nowadays they are made to just look pretty and really do nothing. Thanks So now they crumple and save your life.........instead of impaling you on the steering column......1942, minor damage, major injury....2014 major damage, minor injury Quote
Plymouthy Adams Posted January 4, 2014 Report Posted January 4, 2014 (edited) again Frank, one of my finer points on a modern subframe verse stiff straight welded rails..you getting the advantage of crash engineering that has led to the very crumple zones of the modern front chassis..I also like the benefit of later column and the internal sliding shaft..majority of the movement is taken up long before the engine hits the firewall..and of course making the air bag active on retrofit is a plus also...along with the 3 point lap/shoulder belt set up Edited January 4, 2014 by Plymouthy Adams Quote
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