Anybody have a front end hitch ?

Does anyone have a front end hitch? I am wanting to fabricate a trailer hitch reciver for my front end on the f-350. I dont have a problem fabricating the hitch, I just am not sure of how much weight can the front end handle ? I am wanting to fab a front end hitch for the convience of snaking our boat trailers into our backyard. But the main reason is I want to create a good point on the front end of the truck to winch the truck up onto a trailer or a good point to drag stuff with the front end. The last time I was towed the wrecker operator hooked the chains to the front sway bar and ended up breaking one of the sway bars brackets. There isnt really a good place to hook chains or a strap to on the front end, idk why ford did not put hooks on the trucks. So my question is how much weight can the front end handle and if you have a front hitch how do youh have it mounted

Maybe someone that has pictures of my truck's front bumper will be kind enough to show them; I haven't yet got pictures figured out.

That being said, I have a really cool really stout home-made front bumper that has many times been used to drag my truck, huge goose-neck trailer, and full load of cattle in and out of slippery or muddy places I may have reason to find myself in.

The bumper has brackets that lay alongside the frame as far back as possible with three 3/4" bolts per side through the frame.

So, yes, the front-end is plenty stout enough for the purposes you described; however, the factory bumper shown in your picture is not.

I built a front hitch for my 89 f150 years ago for the same type of duty, plus I made a push pad for push starting my sprint car. My buddy made one for his truck and built a winch that would fit front or rear on his truck.

MIDNIGHT RIDER said:

So, yes, the front-end is plenty stout enough for the purposes you described; however, the factory bumper shown in your picture is not.

Click to expand...

+1 on the frame being really strong, but the bumper being pretty weak.

I built a front receiver for my truck, and if you aren't worried about ground clearance, just go look at the models available out there and start your design from there.

For instance:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Curt-Front-...Parts_Accessories&hash=item43b3553971&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Curt-Front-...Parts_Accessories&hash=item5d4399142e&vxp=mtr

Good luck, front hitches are one of the coolest/most useful things ever, I am always shocked that they aren't offered as a factory option.

Thx, you guys answerd all of my questions !
I think I am going to eventualy build a custom front bumper with a winch mount for it and I will
do the hitch at the same time... a little self insurance since I only have liability lol.
The duallys absubloutly SUCK offroad, got my truck stuck in the backyard on a little spot of wet grass.
I about pissed my pants because there was no way I could pull it out with the van lol, I then decided a winch
for that truck is a nescessity.
I will take pics and measurment of the build when I eventually get around to it.

I have a receiver on the front of mine and I would never be without one. I just ran out in the rain and took a pic for you but I don't have a USB cable for my stinking phone at home.

I picked up and F350 for scrape this summer; it only had the front axle and no wheels. The guy asked me "how in the hell are you going to load it?" No problem. Put the float on the front receiver (pintle hitch which ups the cool factor), stretched the winch cable out, put my truck in neutral and pulled the float under the 350.

I also have a slide in camper; when we go on our spring fishing trip and have to manouver around all the other crap parked at the camp ground I just put the boat on the front, everyone is standing around holding a beer saying ***? Boat is in and a piece of **** to handle that way.

I'm with Lotza, a front hitch is like a pocket knife. Should be standard issue for any boyscout or a guy with a truck.

Someone built a front hitch from scratch a couple years ago and posted the fabrication on OB. He used the stock bumper, cut a couple of notches to clear the receiver and put a swing-down (-up?) license plate frame over it to keep the stock look when not in use. Very nice job. That is what I want to do.

Pictures Please!

Maybe look at some of these threads here, there is a good search function here...

I chose front hitch receiver as key words. There are a few threads there that could be of use to you.

http://www.oilburners.net/forums/search.php?searchid=160481

PackRat239 said:

Pictures Please!

Click to expand...

Here's a link of my old hidden front hitch.

Enjoy

http://www.oilburners.net/forums/showthread.php?40426-Stealth-front-receiver-installed

best shot i can find of mine

its semi truck frame rail coming off the frame with a piece of 1/4 wall 3 inch diameter tube going across and 2x3 box tube to support the hitch.

its held up well including being used as a winch point, battering ram, pulling 5k of truck with 3 locked up wheels around and more i can get more pics if you want to see more detail

Awsome Thanks!
I like the custom bumper and the hidden one.
The custom bumper is interesting I never though of a piece of frame .....

Here is my custom bumper. The bumper itself is 'stair stringer' - lighter weight and the corners will collapse (intentional) it they are hit. Stronger than the original bumper (corner hit) but not enough to torque the truck frame. For the winch mount i have heavy square tube across the front and heavy angle between the OEM brackets... makes a very strong box for both the winch and hitch.









I have used the front hitch for a bike carrier. Three bikes on the front, camper on the truck and 19' boat on the rear hitch

Something to keep in mind with homemade bumpers... if you have to pass safety inspection, in some states they won't pass without being DOT approved.

No inspections in Fl.!
Thanks for the extra pics I can see how it mounts, I also did not think about making the bumper "too" strong
where it would screw up the frame... definetly something to think about.