Ever wanted to just throw your dirt bikes, mini chopper, or favorite weekend toy in the bed of your mini-truck and take off for some fun? We know; either your toy is too big for the bed, or like most of us, you have cut a big hole in your bed floor so that your neighbors won't ask for your help moving their junk. Hopefully, you cut the hole out for clearance and the neighbor thing is a side benefit. With this fat hole in your bed, you have no room to carry any of your fun stuff. So what now?
We, too, were faced with this dilemma, so we put together a little solution with the help of Mac's Springs and Suspension Dimension. We decided to build a hidden hitch that would fit perfectly behind our license plate location in the roll pan. Using Mac's Spring's hitch draw bar, the crew at Suspension Dimension grabbed a piece of 2x3-inch box tubing and went to work. After a bunch of measuring and double-checking, some cutting, and, of course, some welding, we were well on our way to towing like a champ - maybe not a champ, but our mini would now be able to haul more than before. Follow along as we give our mini a custom hidden hitch that will enable us to finally take some toys along for the ride. For more information, contact the companies listed in the source box.
1.Suspension Dimension started...
1.Suspension Dimension started with the draw bar from Mac's Springs and a piece of 2x3-inch box tubing.
2.First, the crew measured...
2.First, the crew measured and drew the cutout for the license plate box in order to clear the draw bar.
3.The hole was then cut from...
3.The hole was then cut from the front using a cutoff wheel.
4.The rear was also cut a...
4.The rear was also cut away.
5.Now there's plenty of room...
5.Now there's plenty of room to get on with the task at hand.
6.The tubing was cut in half...
6.The tubing was cut in half so that one piece could be welded to each side of the draw bar.
7.The crew then bare-metaled...
7.The crew then bare-metaled all the spots where the pieces would be welded together to ensure a cleaner welding surface.
8.Here is a look at the three...
8.Here is a look at the three pieces so far. Now we are ready to set up and start the welding-time fun.
9.The crew set up the bars...
9.The crew set up the bars and checked that they were level before tack-welding them into place.
10.The hitch assembly was...
10.The hitch assembly was tacked together and test-fit once more.
11.The crew drew a plate,...
11.The crew drew a plate, which will be welded to the bottom of the draw bar to hook the safety chains to.
12.Here, the plate is positioned...
12.Here, the plate is positioned to be welded.
13.The plate was measured...
13.The plate was measured at the center and the holes marked on each side.
14.A drill press was used...
14.A drill press was used to drill the holes out of the plate.
15.Once the plate was finished,...
15.Once the plate was finished, Sean welded the sidebars completely up.
16.Here's a good look at some...
16.Here's a good look at some solid welds. This is what a weld should look like; good penetration and very clean, just like little stacked dimes.
17.The plate was measured...
17.The plate was measured for center again, and then tack-welded into place.
18.The plate was then fully...
18.The plate was then fully welded into place.
19.Next, the hitch was positioned...
19.Next, the hitch was positioned and tack-welded into place.
20.The crew then drew up a...
20.The crew then drew up a set of corner gussets to strengthen our hitch bar and give it the dependability needed to tow a trailer.
21.These are the cut out and...
21.These are the cut out and cleaned up gussets. Not bad, huh?
22.The hitch was double-checked...
22.The hitch was double-checked one final time to ensure that it was level and straight. Then it was completely welded to the frame on both ends.
23.The gussets were welded...
23.The gussets were welded into place on both sides.
24.That's it. Here is a look...
24.That's it. Here is a look at our custom trailer hitch, which took no time at all. We can tow our mini choppers, and now all we need is a trailer to attach to the hitch. That might help, right?