Trailer hitches for older vehicals

Does anyone know off a source for reciever hitches to fit older vehicals? I'd like to put one on the back of my 59 f100. I guess that one for a modern car could be modified to fit, but I would sure like to save the time for something else.

 

most are fitted by two determining factors, width in between frame rails, and amount of drop from bottom of chassis, to receiver. Get these measurements, and go to your local u-haul or hitch retailer, and convince them to walk in the back with you and spend a little tape measure time. With little to no fabrication, you should have one installed in a few hours!

 

how about this :

 

One for a Chevy truck up to 87 will bolt on.

 

I just went to the swap meet and bought one wider than I needed for 20 bucks. It was easy enough to narrow it for the chassis and I drilled it to fit the existing holes perfectly. I highly dougbt I could have found a ready made one that would have fit exactly how I wanted it to. YMMV

 

N.A.P.A. carries a universal weld-up hitch.
Most older vehicles had a one-off custom built hitch if they needed one back before hitches were mass-produced.

 

I gotta see more of this.

 

I've got a 78 pickup with one on it. I'll check it out in the morning.

Thanks

 

I though about doing that, but if I can find one that fits, all the better.

 

hit the local pull-a -part around here their less than $20 bucks or spend big bucks on a custom made one. nothing off the shelf will fit without mods to it. good luck.

 

Here's some pics of my adapted hitch. The side plates are admittedly overkill, but thta's what I had laying around so I used it. BTW I cut those sideplates so the tubing goes through them. Welded on both sides of the plates. High strength bolts. I had to lift the bed to slide it in, and I sorta doubt "store bought" would be the same way, but I wanted it to be "tucked in" as much as possible. I guess I should take that crummy looking sticker off - kinda clashes with my "new" coupler!! Ha ha ha. I think it's pretty cool, but I'm afraid to use it - the coupler - that is.

 

Most "good" hitch shops can make you one..its all about money..was quoted 300 for one for my 53 sedan..so im making my own..they really are not that hard to make..if i included my labor and the materials i can make one for about 100 to 150 dollars and it is a rease type.. with the change able draw bars..currently working on gettin it done.

 

Might want to check your state laws starting last year all hitches have to have a DOT rating and sticker on them. Appartently two many Chineese hitches were falling apart killing people

 

I'm not really suggesting this. I saw one listed recently (maybe that auction site) that clamped onto the bumper. Hey, it was old and traditional.

 

My buddy basically "inseted" some heavy gauge steel INSIDE my bumper on my 51 F-1 which was strenghtened and then uses the stock bumper attachments to the frame. I am pulling a light trailer so we are pretty sure we are good to go. We also used the smaller square make/female members to minimize the look.

 

I looked at a couple of them today and, it looks like one for an Econoline van will be easy to make fit. Just cut it shorter width wise, and it should fit right under the truck.

 

If I build a hitch trust me it will pass DOT..Ive seen how there made..Mine will be above a class 5 or i will not put it on my car..

 

I've built a few, and can tell you that there is no kill like overkill when building a hitch.
All the old clichés apply, esp. "Build it stout, out of things you know about".
The day WILL come when you will want to haul something heavier than anticipated right now, so anticipate it!!
Lastly, I always test my hitches by lifting the entire end of the vehicle with just the hitch. Put a high-lift floor jack under the centre of the hitch, and lift the rear tyres off the pavement. If anything bends, you will know about it before it kills someone.

Cosmo

 

Im bringing back this old thread because I want to see if anyone might have anymore ideas, Ive got a 57 F100, same frame as a the 59 mentioned earlier. I went to U-haul today and the closest I could find to fit was class lll hitch for a Tacoma..

 

^^^^ don't go to u-haul. Go to your local junkyard or craigslist and try to find a van hitch or other wide hitch that's in reasonably good shape and wider than your framerails. Any more than $50 is a ripoff.

Cut the ends off and either have them welded direct to your frame, or have the weld shop torch some 3/16 or 1/4" brackets and weld them onto the ends. Or do this yourself if you've got welding experience. You can either weld those brackets to the frame or bolt them with 3 or 4 humongous bolts per side.

Old, beat, high mile hitches can get loose and clunky. Try to start with a decent one since you'll end up with new-hitch money after paying the weld shop.

Also open your phone book. There's probably an old school custom hitch shop in there, your truck would be a toy compared to their normal work. You may be suprised at the price. Up or down.

good luck working the ole girl

 

Ya I know U-haul is expensive, but thats the only place i know near me that has a bunch of hitches laying out that I can go up to each one and measure just to get an idea. I'll try the bone yard, and there is a custom hitch place up the street from me, im just scared theyre going to quote me high, but then again it shouldnt cost much more than getting my exhaust done im assuming, and my welding sux so I wouldnt even dare try to weld something like a tow hitch. Thanks

 

Quotes are free, and if you end up building you may learn something from talking to the man. Or he may just win your business.

If you know your framerail dimension, search the local craigslist auto parts for hitch and start emailing asking how wide between the brackets. Most people own a tape measure and can be trusted to be within 2 inches.

Try to find a local all-purpose non-automotive weld shop. This kind of thing is right up their alley and probably isn't more than an hour or two of shop time if you supply the receiver tube. Most of those guys will shock you with the brutally strong nature of their work.

 

I tell you a huge source of receiver hitches in this area...truck outfitters. The cowboys and ranchers all take their trucks down to have flat beds put on and the bed guys have piles of factory receiver hitches as tall as your head laying around their shops. They charged me 5 dollars each last time I bought a couple to modify.

They also keep a few hundred new truck pull of beds around too, if you ever need a bed for an O/T later model truck.

 

Try these people www.bahitch.com

 

why do most guys try to do it the hard way? I called www.curtmfg.com and got a nice lady on the phone. said I had an old truck, gave her dimensions, she looked some stuff up for me and found me a hitch. few days later UPS dropped it off. 1 hour later I had a hitch, only drilled 4 holes and that was all the fabbing. and this was for a 59 LWB panel truck, not your standard application. cost: $140 incl shipping.

 

I agree with the guy above.

Look at your local "farm" store, call one of several hitch manufacturers, or search online. I have a 2009 version of the reese/drawtite listings and they list a universal class 4 hitch for a Motorhome. I run a welding shop and have not welded a hitch up or welded a hitch on anything for many years, the liability is out of site. Everything is bolted on with grade 8 bolts. Gene

 

When I had my Old Roadster down preparing for a 3000+ mile trip in 1990, I made up a fixed hitch using some 3/8" plate and 3/8"X1" flat bar which worked out really well.
On the Track Car my friend welded the receiver tube into a piece of heavy wall 2"X4" tubing welded to the rear crossmember aligned with an access hole in the lower pan of the turtle deck for the insert. No problems towing Mullins trailers or a nice motorcycle carrier trailer.

 

I found a guy who's going to custom make me one for a decent price, now my question is, would it benefit me to have it permanently welded to the frame vs. making the hitch and just bolting it to the frame instead? I prefer to bolt it....

 

I own and operate my hitch shop and have been doing it for about 15 years. Most hitches for a newer truck that are standard class three rating of 5 to 6 thousand pounds are around 240 dollars installed. These are specefic to vehicle and have a nice powder coat finish, bolted on with grade five bolts. When we fab one for a custom application the cost is usually around three to three fifty installed. A regular hitch on a newer truck takes about 30 mins give or take to install. If you take a new hitch and modify it you will spend another hour or two to make it work which is where the additional cost is. If you make it from scratch than the cost is about the same because what you save in the cost the hitch is taken up by the addl time to make a complete hitch. As mentioned earlier the easiest way is to measure the width of your frame and compare it to what is already made. I ordered a draw tite for my 66 ford f100 and bolted it on just like it was an 08 super duty f 250. Your truck is not an odd size. I would bet it is a 34 inch frame, maybe a 32 inch. You probably can by one off the shelf and it will fit like a champ. Now making the hitch for my sedan that is completely hidden and has to receiver tubes on each side rather than the standard center tube took a lot of time.
As far as welding versus bolting. If it is possible bolting is better. Most hitches will go up the bottom of the frame rail 12 to 18 inches to disperse the load better. But keep in mind even the little dinky hitches for a toyota camry bolts with four bolts total and they are the metric equivelent of 3/8 bolts and are 3500# rated with 300# tongue load.
Hope this helps, Joe

 

Hey Joe,
Thanks for the info, yes my frame is 34 inches, can you tell me what's out there that might work? Becasue like I said before the closest I can find is for a Tacoma. I want to do all of it my self besides the welding if possible The other issues are I have is that I need one to clear my license plate, and there is no where else I could mount it so thats not an option and also I have big fuel cell in the back with the brackets for the straps welded to the frame, so that causes some fitment issues with a pre-fabbed one. Is the width of my frame the same as your 66??