Duster Hitch

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zfriedbauer

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I noticed some plans for a duster hitch on this site, I was curious if this hitch would fit on my 74. If not is there another plan out there? Or is there a hitch I can just pull off of another rig at the pick and pull? Any guidance appreciated. Thanks!
 
Measure your frame rails and any potential mounting points.
Don't forget the exhaust clearance.
Make a diagram.
Go root around in a U pull with a tape measure.

To my surprise, I found a Dakota hitch will work with very slight mods on a B body!
 
I'm going to say that the plans seen on this site would not fit the '74 without some modification to the rear hangers. I made one for my '72 Duster from the plans. Mounting at the front was done by drilling new holes in the frame rails. The rear mounting was done by attaching at the rear bumper brackets at the body.
C
 
My grandpa put a trailer hitch on my Dart way back when so he could tow his boat. I took it off when I painted the car because I didn't like the look of it. It was just bolted to the trunk pan. Probably not the best way to go about it but it worked.
 
Hey not sure what your gonna tow but there is one mounted up on my 74 Duster. It is a bumper mounted one so can't be rated to high. I'll give it to you for "FREE" if it will work just pay the shipping costs. If it will work for you. Not sure on the specifics but I can look tomorrow and see if it has any type of brand name or part #
Just let me know
 
Damn people towing with their mopar cars..never my car is wayyyyyyyyyyyyy too nice to ever subject it to that punishment.thats what trucks are for..
 
Damn people towing with their mopar cars..never my car is wayyyyyyyyyyyyy too nice to ever subject it to that punishment.thats what trucks are for..

would look cool pulling an old teardrop trailer. MT:burnout:
 
sometimes you need a trailer
hot-rod-drag-week-highway.jpg


just sayin
 
I actually want to know about this too, I was considering getting a little single person travel trailer for camping and hiking, to tow behind my '74 swinger.
 
Mounting pics. Z All that stuff is attached to the inner bumper on the 74 bumper.
 

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Last one. If you need more let me know. Will stick it in the mail to you tomorrow!
 

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Ya I think that hitch could handle my little trailer easy
 

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Sweet dude! And for anyone else interested I guess Uhaul sells generic ones that bolt through? I gotta friend with a Dart and apparently they mounted one for him in Idaho somewhere, thanks CudaDust!
 
Damn people towing with their mopar cars..never my car is wayyyyyyyyyyyyy too nice to ever subject it to that punishment.thats what trucks are for..

Damn people with their garage queens posting useless comments on threads about people actually using their cars instead of just letting them collect dust. My cars are too much FUN not to drive all the time, even if it means a little wear and tear. Build, enjoy, rebuild, enjoy, repeat.

Plenty of trucks from the same era use the exact same drivetrain as A-body's, even the /6. Considering the unibody construction of the cars I don't think I'd want to tow as much as the trucks were rated for, but that doesn't mean you can't tow at all.

From the 1971 Dart/Demon operator's manual-

"The Manufacturer's Customer Care Warranty will apply to cars used to tow trailers for non-commercial use providing the loaded trailer weight does not exceed 1,500 lbs"
So, Ma Mopar wouldn't even void your factory warranty for towing up to 1,500 lbs. Sounds like a ringing endorsement to me. :thumbup:

I don't think I'd want to tow much more than that anyway, especially with some of those bumper mounted hitches. But it would be pretty straightforward to make a hitch the spanned the rear frame rails behind the bumper/rear crossmember. I'll probably make one up for my Duster, it'd be nice to be able to tow a single rail motorcycle trailer with my Triumph 1050 Speed Triple on it. Probably still get better mileage than our truck. ;)

This one was on eBay a few years back, for a Dart. Looks like it bolted to the bottom of the rear rails, with the bolts running vertically through the rails with the reinforcing plate in the trunk completing the "box" a little better than the floor pan did.

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And then there's the factory diagram from the '69 manual. Hey, wait a minute, a factory diagram of how to build a trailer hitch for a mopar car? It's almost like they expected them to be used for towing! Gosh, you don't think they actually designed these cars to be able to tow? You know, with the hitch they provided the diagram for? :evil3:

DartTrailerHitch.jpg

(note: this hitch won't work for '74 or '74+ without modification to the plates that go to the bumper bracket mounting holes, because of the shock mounted bumper)
 
I tow with mine!:cheers:
 

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I towed a car trailer with a bug on it from Lansing MI to Cheboygan which is 4 hours and got 16mpg with the / in it. Got 18 with just trailer on way back. Back then speed limit was 55 and car did fine.
 
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