Trailer hitch

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n3w6uy

n3w6uy

The Valley Ant
Joined
Dec 19, 2008
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Location
Paducah, KY
I am wondering if anyone on here has attached a trailer hitch to their Abody? I've got a 73 Valiant and wouldn't be hauling anything bigger than a Dixon ZTR mower. Pics or technical advise would be great!
 
My parts car had a hitch on it, or did at one time. If I still have the parts you can have 'em. I don't remember how it attached to the rear bumper, but I remember there were two holes in the trunk pan and a bracket that was laying in there. I don't know what the rating of it was, but it sure looked pretty flimsy.
I am thinking of fabricating one for my Duster. Two flat plates bolted to the frame rails with two connecting tubes welded between them with a class 2 receiver hitch welded to the two connecting tubes. Mine would probably only be used to carry bicycles...
Let me know if you have any interest in any parts I might locate from the parts car.
C
 
The dealer-installed Mopar hitch attached to the trunk pan and the rear bumper. It was a light duty hitch so don't try to pull a 40 ft. Airstream.
 
yellowdartdave said:
The dealer-installed Mopar hitch attached to the trunk pan and the rear bumper. It was a light duty hitch so don't try to pull a 40 ft. Airstream.
Click to expand...
I put a trailer hitch on the wife's 67 Dart. Love it! It came off of a Jeep Cherokee in a junk yard. $40.00. Good Luck!

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'64, that's good info. How about a pic up underneath? Did you have to modify anything to make it fit? What does it attach to? What year Jeep was it? That sounds better than reinventing the wheel!
Thanks,
C
 
clhyer said:
'64, that's good info. How about a pic up underneath? Did you have to modify anything to make it fit? What does it attach to? What year Jeep was it? That sounds better than reinventing the wheel!
Thanks,
C
Click to expand...
It's raining outside riight now so I will get pics tomarrow. I did not weld. If you measure your rear "frame" rails (Across where your gas tank is) it should equal approx. 36". I just took a walk in the junk yard (with a tape measure) and a little idea of what I was looking for, and found a class III hitch that had a 36" width, approx 2" drop. The only things I found with that general hitch size was the Jeep Cheokee. Class III too heavy, class II better but I am sure not to overload. I took a pipe for a breaker bar, a can of Krol (or wd40/liquid wrench & ATF mix) and wrenches/sockets, tape measure to the junk yard, found & removed. Took about 2 hours including fishing out MOST of the old hardware from mouting on the Jeep. To install, I knew it would only be hauling a bike rack or utility trailer, so I had to move out further on frame rails, did not use the last mount hole. 4 total on each side about 2" apart on mounting plate, I used the back 3 on each side. The hardest part of instalation was fishing the hardware out of the old and into the new. This was without drilling except 1 hole on each side.(I'm lazy!)
Make sure you have a plan, I have a tendancy to design on the fly in my head, not a good system, always leeds to extra work. Don't be afraid to drill, just do a small pilot hole first. You can buy new hardware at lowes if you want. You could make a cardboard jig of mounting area to take to junk yard, but I just wrote some general measurements on my hand + or - .5". (The guys at the yard would call me names with the cardboard!LOL) Works Great!
Pics soon to follow.................
 
Ok here goes, remember guys, I'm unemployed, on the cheap, bank took my truck so I had to do to haul some drywall for the house. I'm just a cheap country boy so be kind with all the dumb hillbilly coments, OK?
Also had to reroute exhaust tips to bend out. Could not run straight out back like before. It looks cooler now anyway! Tapped into tail light wire with 3m scotch locks that came in trailer wire kit from walmart. I keep the wire inside the trunk and just run it outside when needed. Good Luck!:hello1:

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64dart,
Super info, I will be looking at the rear frame rails to scope it out. I will also be looking at Jeeps in the junk yard too...
Thanks again,
C
 
I like my work the way I like my women and cars, cheap and easy!
Just don't overload!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
I had to have a hitch also,what good is a "waggin" that won't haul anything?the slanty will haul anything but........(you know) LoL

newhitchiethingie.JPG
 
I have a 76 duster that I think has a factory hitch. Did you need some pictures? Tom
 
This one is on my 67 Cuda.........Look over to the left, and you can barely see there's a steel bracket that I bolted to the structure........I welded up the brackets in 2 pieces to bolt to the frame of the car at an existing frame hole.....dang, I thought I had another pic...........Best I can do for now..........works GREAT, and is almost completely hidden with no ball in there.

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Scatpack, that's good info - thanks for the post! Was there any other info with it? Towing capacity or tongue weight?
C
 
I put one on my 70 Duster and towed a 19' deck boat (boy was I stupid) 9" drum brakes

My Dart had a hitch on it when I bought it

and a guy I know that has a 71 Grand Spaulding Dodge Demon that he towed to the dragstrip with his 72 Duster 340, he would break the demon, unhook the trailer then race the Duster...............LOL

For anyone that needs it I have a class 1 hitch for a E Body Barracuda, was on my 70 Grand Coupe when I bought it and still have it 34 years later

Back when these cars were new people needed to haul stuff. Noe everyone had trucks like they do now. Cars were multi purpose vehicles. My buddy and I were talking about this just a few weeks ago. His 68 Mustang had a trailer hitch. Some guy use to pull his carlton Jet boat behind his Corvette, Gold Vette, white and gold Jet boat (looked cool)
 
The trailer towing section indicates "loaded trailer weight must not exceed 2000 pounds".

On tongue weight: " if the tongue weight exceeds 150 lbs, equip the vehicle with a properly installed frame-type equalizing hitch (see illustration)" .

(as per illustration above)

I personally wouldn't go above 200 lbs tongue weight.
 
Pulled the valance and welded in 1/2" plate, plus cross bolted it through the trunk pan horizontally. Fabbed a class 3 receiver. Hinged the license plate.

It works great, and you can't see it when not in use.

hitch 001 (Small).jpg


hitch 002 (Small).jpg
 
This is a factory hitch I got with a 73 Duster bumper I bought. It bolts to 2 holes in the bumper and through the spare tire well. If I ever get around to installing it, I will do something to span from framerail to framerail so it doesn't rely on the spare tire well for support.

Cley
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