Na thanks did enough of that today. What i need to know now is in a different thread about heim joints. Ill rep for this one.

 

it is screwed up Paul.
some late production 97 F350's had the 8X170MM bolt pattern, and there are some 98 F350's out there too. basically late production 97's re-tagged as 98's
i have also seen late production 97 F250's re-tagged as 98's with 7 lug axles.
all of those trucks that i saw were built in Canada.

 

That explains it. Damn canuckistans. They cant even do bacon right so how are we to count on them to build trucks right?

 

Not to be a ***** or anything Scatgo, but please tell me you didn't install that tow hitch on your truck! I skimmed through all the replies and what not and noticed that nobody mentioned anything about it. I had to do a double take on how it's mounted to the frame... scary! How well do you think that square tube is going to hold up if you have to get pulled out of a mud pit? Like I said I'm not trying to be a *****, but I see that as a safety hazard... people get killed over stupid stuff like that. Nice rig anyway, keep it up!
John

 

***** away. I am always open to constructive criticism. Whats wrong with my hitch? It was on the truck when I got it and I never gave it much thought untill now. The truck also had a gooseneck in it when I got it.

 

I noticed whoever installed that hitch has pieces of square tube bolted between the hitch and the frame, for whatever reason. Anyway most of us use use our hitches as a tow point to pull or be pulled from being stuck. I could see that hitch being ripped off the frame if you had to yank on it at all. It should be bolted directly to the frame rails with a minimum of a grade 5 bolt, I prefer grade 8s myself. Some guys like to weld them to the frame, I would rather bolt mine. I would strongly recommend you remove the hitch and reinstall it correctly. A hitch mounted like that goes right along with homemade 6" bodylifts, stacked lift blocks, and lift blocks in the front. Like I said I am not trying to be an ***, but stuff like that gives us big truck guys a bad name. I hate to hear about people getting hurt or killed over something that could have been easily corrected.
John

 

Yea I have seen them blocks before and have wondered WTF. It would not surprise me if that is the manufactures way of making there hitch fit that truck. It looks like its there so the hitch clears the bumper. Thanks for the heads up.

 

I would hope a manufacturer would have enough brains to not mount a hitch like that. I would guess that some hickerbilly did it, they were too lazy to adjust the bumper for the proper clearance. Anyhoo... nice rig.