gneck hitch

[idi traveler]

While I have my truck down and I'm completely broke. I'm thinking of putting a gooseneck hitch on and I want some thought from everybody with something to contribute. I can get a 1/2 inch plate with ball for $75 or I can get a piece of channel iron to bolt to the frame with a 1/2 plate welded on top of it to stick through the bed for ball and chains. Any thoughts or ideas'

 

[Diesel_brad]

Do you ALWAYS want the ball sticking up in the bed?

 

[saltbranch]

The ones I used to have put in trucks were what looked like 8-10" channel, had probably 1/2 thick plate welded inside the channel where the ball mount was. Flat part of channel facing up to bottoom of truck bed. Channel was welded to frame and fish plated/braced and welded to frame. I recently saw one done basically the same way, but was bolted in, he also fabbed up brackets as part of the asssembly to mount air bags to also. These were all using bolted in balls. Talked to another welding shop and he fabs the mount and uses a ball with shank that is pinned in, not bolted.

 

[idi traveler]

Do you ALWAYS want the ball sticking up in the bed?

It doesn't matter to me, a little framing and a sheet of plywood and I can carry anything I want. If I had the money I could buy a fold away ball and the steel to mount it, but the mount doesn't look like much.

The truck will be used for farm work mostly. A 35 ft gooseneck flat bed and a goose neck cattle trailer. Cattle trailer will be all local hauling but the 35 ftr will be for bringing hay out of Oklahoma and Arkansas into NE Texas. 100 to 125 mile pulls.

 

[idi traveler]

The ones I used to have put in trucks were what looked like 8-10" channel, had probably 1/2 thick plate welded inside the channel where the ball mount was. Flat part of channel facing up to bottoom of truck bed. Channel was welded to frame and fish plated/braced and welded to frame. I recently saw one done basically the same way, but was bolted in, he also fabbed up brackets as part of the asssembly to mount air bags to also. These were all using bolted in balls. Talked to another welding shop and he fabs the mount and uses a ball with shank that is pinned in, not bolted.

Was just the ball sticking through the bed and how were the chains handled? A pinned ball would be nice but I don't see that in the cards for me.

Anybody have any pictures of different installation?

 

[saltbranch]

we used both, but Liked the weld on pad eye, no noise on rough roads just ball and anchor points sticking through bed

 

[idi traveler]

we used both, but Liked the weld on pad eye, no noise on rough roads just ball and anchor points sticking through bed

I like the weld on eyes but haven't seen any before. I had planed on the weld on "D" rings. I think it is time to do some searching.

 

[saltbranch]

couple off the net i could find, not very good

 

[saltbranch]

I like the weld on eyes but haven't seen any before. I had planed on the weld on "D" rings. I think it is time to do some searching.

I sell the weld on eye's, they are not that expensive. I can get you info on them prolly Friday or Saturday. Going out of town early AM, If you want PM me and email and I will get them quoted to you

Search the net for "weld on pad eye", we sell the Crosby brand

 

[idi traveler]

I'm definitely going to have to look around, I could live with that pinned receiver for the ball. I guess if I had to could make one from a piece of schedule 80 pipe.

 

[idi traveler]

Thanks, I'm still in the planning and if I go with the fixed ball and can't find anything local I'll contact you.

 

[OLDBULL8]

I've got a 3/8" plate bolted to the frame with a 22,000 lb. GN ball, also bolted on rails for a 5th wheel hitch, for the GN chains I use the 5er rail pins thru the chain link end. I've pulled 23,000 with the GN ball.

 

[Simp5782]

Ive got a 40k plate with heat treated ball. Bolts under the bed flush with the frame top and the sides. L shape curves to the side of the frame for side bolts. It looks similar to this just with the curls. The ball just slides down and in the hole cut in the bed. and has a slide thru pin in the ball shank.

 

[idi traveler]

Thank you to everybody, you have helped me decide on what I'm going to do. I'll start a new thread when I build it. Thank you again.

 

[Hoss6.9]

I have B&W's on all of my trucks but the '86 and we built it like a reese style. I like both designs....