Impressively sketchy home made trailer hitch.

We brought home my 15 year olds first truck today. A 1982 F100 shortbed. And got to check out this amazing bit of welding magic. Going to need some new cutoff wheels.

Go look back a few pages in the hot link thread. There’s a Lexus with a sketchy hitch that makes that thing look like a bank vault. 

In reply to Duke :

Scary!

That's nothing. When I bought my old Subaru, it had a trailer hitch. Attached to the plastic bumper. With two lag screws.

Although given the power level of that vehicle, it was probably appropriate.

I gotta be honest, I think I’d trust the one in the picture above for light towing. I’m also three beers in ans looking at this on an iPhone.  

In reply to mtn :

If the bumper was in better condition I’d agree. Old steel bumpers were damn near C-channel bolted to the frame ends. 

It’s through bolted AND welded. No way it can fail. 

That looks like it has connections for a weight distributing set-up. While sketchy looking, it has likely had some serious weight put on it during its service.

Nothing beats the rigjob a guy in the PNW made for towing an RX-7 behind another RX-7.  He cut up an old bike and made some morphodition with the head tube and bottom bracket.

Granted, it WORKED to get both of his cars over the mountains to the other side of the state, but YEESH.

HAHAHA!  I found it!

https://www.rx7club.com/naturally-aspirated-performance-forum-220/12a-tow-truck-927931/

There are many pics there but here's a teaser.

Yes, it appears that he ran out of tube so he extended it along with a couple smoothcase transmission bolts...

When I was much younger and only had a stick welder, I laid down a lot of welds that looked that bad. Including the ones that are still holding the crane on my utility trailer. They are embarrassingly ugly, but still holding 30 years later. That crane has picked up a lot of stuff it shouldn't have without failure. 

Pretty it isn't, but I bet it's a lot stronger than you think. Not to mention a lot of those old bumpers were rated to 10K pounds. 

In reply to Knurled. :

Eep!

Pretty sure some folks' thought process is basically "I made it out of steel, which is very strong, therefore strength isn't an issue."

In reply to Ransom :

Sometimes "good enough" really is good enough.

When I got the GTI home after flat-towing it with a 2.5RS and a Harbor Freight towbar that I installed in the PO's driveway, I discovered that the left side bumper bolts were loose so I had been towing it by the right side of the car only.   Well, hell, I'd got it home, I guess.

Knurled. said:

HAHAHA!  I found it!

 

https://www.rx7club.com/naturally-aspirated-performance-forum-220/12a-tow-truck-927931/

 

There are many pics there but here's a teaser.

 

 

Yes, it appears that he ran out of tube so he extended it along with a couple smoothcase transmission bolts...

 

By all accounts he should be dead

Is that only mounted to the bumper? It looks lije it is a modded frane mount set up. If it is, it'll handle some decent loads. 

markwemple said:

Is that only mounted to the bumper? It looks lije it is a modded frane mount set up. If it is, it'll handle some decent loads. 

Yeah, it looks like there is some additional attachment point under the bumper.  The biggest problem is the lack of height adjustment, I think. 

I like how the diamond plate just bowed open from the bumper face. If those were welded from the inside that things seen some E36 M3

Knurled. said:

HAHAHA!  I found it!

 

https://www.rx7club.com/naturally-aspirated-performance-forum-220/12a-tow-truck-927931/

 

There are many pics there but here's a teaser.

 

 

 

I love the fact that the crankarm is still attached.

I think that bar is using the crank for up and down movement. 

In reply to Knurled. :

WOW!

In reply to SPG123 :

I never disappoint.

dculberson said:

It’s through bolted AND welded. No way it can fail. 

Damn straight!

I'm I the only person here who spends any time with farmers? 

Looks legit compared to this.

Patrick said:

Knurled. said:

HAHAHA!  I found it!

 

https://www.rx7club.com/naturally-aspirated-performance-forum-220/12a-tow-truck-927931/

 

There are many pics there but here's a teaser.

 

 

Yes, it appears that he ran out of tube so he extended it along with a couple smoothcase transmission bolts...

 

By all accounts he should be dead

or less 1 rx7

JBasham said:

dculberson said:

It’s through bolted AND welded. No way it can fail. 

Damn straight!

I'm I the only person here who spends any time with farmers? 

I grew up on a farm, and am both insulted and completely agree with you.