I couldn't find an off the shelf front receiver hitch for my (new to me) 2022 Bighorn that I liked, so I fabbed one up myself.
My use cases are using a "bed extender" out front that goes higher than the cab to carry 24 foot sticks of material (I have another rack in the back), and hooking up to my hydraulic wood splitter to put it exactly where I want it when cutting firewood.
Not a fan of the ones that come out below the bumper. I need my ground clearance, and I don't want to put a hitch in down in the weeds.
I basically replaced the stock bumper "reinforcement" with my upgraded parts. (laying on ground in picture)
All the other factory brackets for the bumper bolt back to/through the new channel.
16 holes in the plate were needed, with 6 of them being filed square for the bumper carriage bolts.
U channel plate is 8" outside with 2.5" legs, and from 3/16 steel.
Reinforcements are 1.5'x.5" steel that I had left over.
Hitch tube is cut through the plate to weld front and back, and leave it open to not trap debris.
I trimmed out the bumper "grille" with an oscillating saw.
The hole for the hitch pin is recessed about 3" behind the face of the bumper, so the cutout is big enough to reach in and get a pin and clip back there.
(I had just a little bit of black paint left, but a whole lot of brown. No other reason for the two-tone.)
It bolts into the bumper, and then the bumper is installed normally.
Still trying to find a home for the one I built for my recently totaled 2021 Classic Warlock.
When I totaled that truck the bumper was destroyed right up the edge of the plate, but the plate and the framerails took no damage...
My use cases are using a "bed extender" out front that goes higher than the cab to carry 24 foot sticks of material (I have another rack in the back), and hooking up to my hydraulic wood splitter to put it exactly where I want it when cutting firewood.
Not a fan of the ones that come out below the bumper. I need my ground clearance, and I don't want to put a hitch in down in the weeds.
I basically replaced the stock bumper "reinforcement" with my upgraded parts. (laying on ground in picture)
All the other factory brackets for the bumper bolt back to/through the new channel.
16 holes in the plate were needed, with 6 of them being filed square for the bumper carriage bolts.
U channel plate is 8" outside with 2.5" legs, and from 3/16 steel.
Reinforcements are 1.5'x.5" steel that I had left over.
Hitch tube is cut through the plate to weld front and back, and leave it open to not trap debris.
I trimmed out the bumper "grille" with an oscillating saw.
The hole for the hitch pin is recessed about 3" behind the face of the bumper, so the cutout is big enough to reach in and get a pin and clip back there.
(I had just a little bit of black paint left, but a whole lot of brown. No other reason for the two-tone.)
It bolts into the bumper, and then the bumper is installed normally.
Still trying to find a home for the one I built for my recently totaled 2021 Classic Warlock.
When I totaled that truck the bumper was destroyed right up the edge of the plate, but the plate and the framerails took no damage...
