Rather than hi-jack I'll start this post.............................................. ..........



What reciever (make/model) hitch did you use to do this?????? or did you just cut down whatever was handy and weld mounting plates on the end?


I've really been contemplating doing something like this instead of relying on my cheesy $20 chrome tow hooks .

Also, IIRC your lic plate covers it when not in use, right??? I know that I'd have to cut a hole behind the plate.

Thanks man ,

unrulee

 

Ahhhh, the secret is out. You really searched around to find this one huh? This pic was in a thread that discussed the installation of grilles and headlight buckets.

Anyway, it is no secret, this reciever is a factory reciever from a 97 F-150. This rear reciever had to be cut down to fit inside of my frame, and it has just enough of a bend (notice that the square tubing is not straight. I think it is designed to fit around the original spare tire) to expose just the front of the reciever right where the license plate normally goes.
You will have access to the pin from behind the bumper, and it is easy to access. This keeps everything clean, and recessed. This hidden style reciever took me a while to find, and it works very well for me. Just like I had imagined it to look. I did not want anything that would stick out too far.
I then took a flat piece of sheetmetal and cut it out in the exact dimension of the license plate. Then I welded the plate to a chunk of tube that fit inside of the reciever, and bolted the license plate to that. I located the plate where I wanted it and made a hole for the pin. The front license plate is removable with the same pin that holds the shackle mount or pintle hook.
You can see the shackle mount and how it is tucked away here:

 

Complete with a pic . That's awsome man, thanks!!!

I had most of it figured out, but thought that I'd ask you since you've already done it.

I did notice the bend, I assume that it's not necessary to clear anything, just to get end of the square tubing close enough to the bumper?

Thanks for explaining the lic plate mounting, that had me a little stumped. I had visions of hinges, but what you did is perfect and simple.

I'll have to attempt this in the not to distant future. I weld and fab for a living, should be something fairly straightforward to accomplish.

Thanks again for the awsome tech!

I'd rep ya but the FTE Gods won't let me !

 

No worries man. You have a good eye, and an awesome truck. This little upgrade should make it that much nicer, and will still be as clean as it can be.
It has worked well for me, and I think it looks nice. Concealed is the way to go.
Thanks for noticing, and thanks for the rep. Errrrr thanks for trying to rep.


75.

 

somethin don't look right in that pic. You break a body mount or something? Maybe just how its sitting.

 

Nah man. If you notice, I have a bumper bolt missing, and the front end is all bent up. Not too long before this, I was called out to rescue some jeep fellas that wandered into no mans land. Well one busted real bad, and the little jeeps could not completely recover this broken vehicle. It was a rather heavy FJ-40 (yeah, I know not a jeep, its a yota, but.....) and the jeeps did not have the beans to extract this FJ, nor could they pull it "dead stick" back down the trail.
They called a couple of us, and once we arrived with our full size rides, we sonn realized that the openings in the trails (rocks) were a few inches narrower than our entire rigs. Climbing rocks is nothing new to the old red truck, but they took their toll on the sheetmetal. One rock pushed everything back enough to damage the door. Believe me, the red truck looks sort of nice in pics, but she has plenty of battle scars. each with its own individual stories.
You are not looking at a low side, you are noticing that the other side was bent up. I tried and tried to yank on a large pole to straighten everythingout, and it actually looks better, but it has to come apart and the front clip has to be replaced. In the meantime, I just smash into rocks and stuff, and it only adds character. Eventually I will fix it, but I use the truck every weekend, and the trails makes some mean road wounds.
She even squeels and rattles a bit. I have several fenders, and even several great grille sheels, so when I decide to take it easy on her, I will make it nice again, but in the meantime, you will find my fullsize in places that make others think twice.

 

Nice. I got no good stories. All my wheeling is out of necessity. Cutting wood, hunting, not much for fun.

 

I need to get my 79 out more before I get the body redone .


It looks great in pics but it's no car show queen (I guess that's part of what makes it cool in its own way).





I need to go tear it up and get some dents and scratches now !!!



It still counts as character after the aftermath is fixed.........right ?


I'm sure that it's way easier to find nice rust free parts in Cali rather than here in the rust belt...........must be nice.

 

A good buddy of mine (ChaseTruck754) and I share parts (that dont sound right) we swap,,,,,no, thats not right either.
Anyway, he tears a few trucks down, and I tear through a few. Together we have enough spare parts to keep us in good clean sheetmetal.
Heak, we communicate at least once a week about parts that one might need.
Yeah, we have plenty of clean rust free parts around here.
Almost ashame when I bend up some steel, and it does not have any rust.

 

Yeah, that is a shame.

 

I could use some rust free parts on mine, All of them.lol Someday I'll make atrip somewhere in search of a good body.(for my truck that is)

 

you cali guys dont know how good you have it. how bout this, ill send you out some rusted up steel to beat the wee out of, and you send me the rust free stuff to use here. sounds like a good deal to me.