Trailer Hitches . . . Got Pics?

Been thinking of building a trailer hitch for my 31 on 32 rails roadster.

Any trailers used would be small, but the hitch would mainly be used for a tow bar.

I've got some ideas, but would like to see what others have done.

Bolt on to the 32 frame preferred, but welding wouldn't be a problem.

 

I made a spreader bar out of heavy gauge tubing with 1/4" mounting plates on the ends. Then I cut apart a honda trailer hitch for the reciever part and welded that to a piece of angle iron, then to the spreader bar. Lastly, I hid it all behind a flip down (in my case flip up) license plate holder from a 80's GM.
It bolts in just like any spreader bar.

 

I am very interested in this topic as well. I purchased a small trailer to haul my go-cart around and would like to put a hitch on Big Olds.

 

I don't know how your non-automotive swap meets go, but there's usually quite a selection of USA made hitches at ours.

Strikes me that simply narrowing one and bolting it to Big Olds' frame ought to do it.

If the receiver was set far enough forward - a touch forward of the rear lip of the body - you could still find a slip-in hitch that would go in when needed.

The one on my Ranger 4x4 would perhaps be a good candidate.
I can post some pics this afternoon if it would help.

If you really wanted to hide the hitch when it's not in use, set it up higher towards the trunk floor and orient the receiver 30*-45* down.
The slip-in hitch would have a matching angle on it.
A bit more trouble to install, but it may be what you want.

Reason I want some pics of hitches for the thin fendered cars is, it looks to me like a couple of reinforcement bars need to go forward.

 

your car should be a breeze to put on a reese type hitch..full frame cars are simple, just have to conciter whats in the area and how to deal with getting it mounted well to the frame.

If you would ever stop by, i could take a look at it for you. I have mounted and made so many trailer hitches in my days that, if i couldnt figure out how to get it done on B.O. i guess i would have to buy you drinks all night.

 

As soon as the cruzn season calms down abit I'll be by to visit with your little princess and you can take a look underneath Big Olds. Thanks

 

Denise, if you're talking to me, Gail's nickname is Queenie.

And a very beneficient Queen she is....

 

Replacing the rearmost crossmember is a great idea, I think I will steal it...

I switched mine over to parallel leafs so the rearmost part of the side rails was never meant to hold the weight of the car, and then hanging the weight and thrust of a moving trailer to the mix couldn't make it better.

The stock crossmember on a 41-48 Ford is pretty thin, and it has to hold up the back of the gas tank, so replacing it with a hunk of 2"x2"x.125" is probably a good idea anyway.

 

My roadster has a trailer hitch that bolts to the crossmember aft of the rear end. There is a plate welded to the crossmember where the transverse spring would attach (no spring; coilovers). The hitch bolts on. It has a substantial rectangular tube that comes straight down, then another (not as large) that goes aft to right behind the body, under the roll pan. The hitch is not removeable, but if you wanted to attach a reciever in the vertical at the same location, you could have it so it could come out without too much h***le.

I have a Hercules luggage trailer that I pulled behind my roadster for several years. The setup always worked very well. If I can trick my daughter into taking some snaps, I'll post them later.

 

not so!

oldsmobiles of this vintage are KNOWN to have frame issues.. essentially everything aft of the centerline of the rear axle is LIGHTWEIGHT in comparison to other gm cars of the same vintage

I boxed the rear of my frame when I built the hitch for the woodie.

jeff

 

I just put one on my 53 for pulling the grill down to the drags ...AND what I mean by "I" is I mean Cowboy bob welded it on my car . LOL I don't trust my welding for pulling something that far ..and it has to put up with the extra wight from all the parts I I have to bring back .
So Denise you can check it out first hand at the drags !

 

sawzall..thanks for the information..that may have to be something we would have to deal with..
may have to make the bat wings come further forward as an anchoring point.
great heads up on that, something new to look at.

 

I built a cl*** 1 type receiver hitch for my 38 chevy coupe. I bought a cl*** 1 hitch at a swap meet and cut the receiver part off. I then cut a piece of heavy wall 2" square tubing and welded plates onto the ends of it that bolt on to the bumper mount holes on the frame of the coupe. Then I welded the reciever part onto the center of the 2" square tubing. I'll try to get a pic or two tomorrow.

 

You want a picture of a Trailer hitch. A friend sent this picture to me. Take a look at the radius rod. Now that is scarry........

 

Here's one for ya!

 

Promised some pics in a day or two, will its been a couple of weeks but here they are.
I cut the receiver part off of a hitch for some other application that I picked up a swap meet for $10 or so and slid it into a piece of 1/4' wall 2" aquare tubing and welded it.


Then welded that part it to a piece of 1/4" wall 2" square tubing that stretches from frame rail to frame rail.


The tubing tucks up behind the roll pan and attaches on each end to the factory bumper mount holes on the frame.


As you can see everything is hidden except for the receiver that also doubles for a license plate mount. Please dont hate me for my billet license plate holder. Im searching the swaps for a suitable replacement with a built in light.


All I pull with it is a fibergl*** mullins replica and its plenty stout for that.

 

you have 2 be ****ing kidding, are people really that daft.

 

great thread! imma so the same with my 53 and dolly my coupe to shows...so the wife and youngins can have a car to drive too! i just dont want it stickin out, after i pull the reece off......

 

I found this thread in a search and was wondering if anyone has them on their customs or cars that are lowered? I have a OT truck that can haul stuff around but since I’m driving the 51 more I was wanting to put a receiver type of hitch on it so I can put a bike rack on so my granddaughter and I could haul our mountain bikes to the trails or Greenline.
Anyone have any pictures or ideas on how to work around the fact that it’s lowered and if possible a way to hide it?

 

Depends on how low I expect, ie if a 2" receiver will have enough ground clearance the 'plug in' part can be any shape / height to suit. If not enough clearance a receiver could be installed higher with hole through bodywork, hidden by a flip up / down licence plate when not in use. Some European style hitches ( dunno about US ones) are plug in with a vertical socket and a substantial U shaped forged steel hitch.

I'll try and sort some pics of some pieces I have.

Chris

 

Well, considering how I drag my tailpipe on the ground regularly, not sure how well a hitch would work on one of these. Maybe if it was one of those ones smaller than a normal 2" receiver, you could get away with something? And, then you would likely need to built the bike rack to head up almost immediately to not stick it out even further...

 

Yeah I left an accessory tail pipe extension on the road last year going to Hollywood Feed to get the bulldog her vittles so I’m considering different options for one. My OT truck is way lower than my Ford and I can’t even get it into the parking lot to buy her vittles either. So I usually have to drive my wife’s GMC because it’s the only one I haven’t ruined yet because it’s still under warranty