I was wondering if I installed a front 2 inch reciver hitch on my Broco and got the kit from Warn for using the reciver hitch are they really strong enough or do they flex too much I feel like if you tried to pull to much from the side the thing would just snap. I live up here in Alaska and my previous Bronco had a steel mounting bracket welded tot he fram and I am think about going that way again but thought it would be useful to be able to put the winch on the front or back and I would save my suspension some by being able to take it off and leave it behind when in twn or throw itin the back of the truck. I used my old warn 12000 a coupel times a week for everything from building projects, gettin gup my drive way (dont ask) and pulling other people out it paid for itself over and over at $100 a job

So hitch reciver Warn brand junk or OK for light stuff just don't puchit too far?

 

Also after you spend $1500 one time to rent a dozwer and have it delivered to get you out a winch is a must have even if you only ever use it one time it is paid for

 

its fine for most things, but like you said....trailer hitches do not like hard pulls from the sides, up up and down for that matter....i prefer an actual winch mount myself

 

i think it woul dbe strong enough but some extra supports you weld/bolt in couldn't hurt! might think about building your own receiver mount as well!

 

> are they really strong enough or do they flex too much

The problem is how they are constructed. It is basically a tube mounted below a plate with a fillet weld. Usually not welded at the front or back of the tube. Enough side pull and you can wreck the mount.

I favor a bumper made of one piece of tubing that goes over the frame and is attached at the front, top, and bottom of the frame using at least (8) 1/2" grade 8 bolts. Made properly you can easily bust 5/16 Sch70 chain with nothing more then scratches on the bumper paint.

Then putting a plate over that on the top, that attaches to the bumper and frame rails for a winch platform. I know some people put the plate on the inside of the frame rails (bottom) and cut a hole for the roller fairlane to go inside the tube bumper.

If you want to go cheap and 5k rating, then get a bolt on receiver tube, and run a plate backed by C channel from the right to left on the bottom frame flange and bolt the receiver tube to that. I back up the frame flange on the inside with another long piece of angle. My bolt on receiver tube came with mounting holes for using (2) 5/8 or (2) 9/16 bolts, I decided to use both. The bolt ons are pretty well built and welded on all sides.

 

To weld or bolt so what do you think would I be better off welding it all directly to the fram or bolting it one. My last truck I bolted it all on with 8 grade then had it welded I SO believe in over kill

 

I do not think it is a good idea to go off of one frame rail. You want to get it in the center of the truck so you pull on both frame rails. If you do this it will be easy to add extra braces to hold up to a side pull and it will not twist your truck. Makes pushing trailers around alot easyer too. Erv

 

like said, you wanna pull off booth framerails, less chance of bending one.

 

A class 4 reciever hitch will get the job done if you add in some supports to add the support that side pulls create, or you can do what i did and just get a 2" reciver tube (its just .25" 2.5 square seamless tubing) and make your own mount (weld to frame), you'd be good to go.