iniviate builds a gooseneck hitch

[iniviate]

i bought a new tow rig and it doesn't have a ball in the bed. i priced a couple of htiches, but i think i can make one for cheaper.

my dodge just has a piece of 3/4" x 6" flat bar across the frame rails and it seems to do just fine, so i ordered up a piece 41" long.

and a 40k ball...

hole drilled...

i wanted the ball to sit a little higher, so i found this piece of scrap laying around the garage...

and did this with it...

nut on the underside...

a couple of harbor freight d-rings

i decided that the 3/4" didn't seem beefy enough, so i added a piece of angle on the bottom

and this part is done.... i'll take the bed off and get it on the truck tomorrow.

 

[iniviate]

finished.... i goofed up with the d-rings and had to clearance out the bed more than i wanted.

 

[D9H 90V]

Welcome, I see we have the real builder of the hitch here now

 

[iniviate]

and here's the hitch in use...

 

[A_Pmech]

A little bit more than a Fab Tech lift kit under that Chev...

Tell us more!

 

[iniviate]

A little bit more than a Fab Tech lift kit under that Chev...

Tell us more!

here's a build thread on the mud truck.... probably a little much to copy all of it over here.

http://chuckstrucks.iforumer.com/vi...s=0&postorder=asc&start=0&mforum=chuckstrucks

 

[A_Pmech]

Thanks for the link!

 

[Rockford514]

Nice hitch

 

[Dmaxman]

These pics were posted up by someone else before....now i can't find that user name...hmmm

 

[Bjkearns]

you've either just crawled out from your cave or continuing to go after the kid

 

[Dmaxman]

I guess i missed something. Sorry

 

[Bjkearns]

the first
I will send you a pm

 

[tonydanzah]

that looks awesome, are those welds tigged?

 

[iniviate]

no..... mig.

 

[Major Ramifications]

I don't know, it doesn't look strong enough to me. Could you make it a little beefier next time?

Seriously, very nice job and nice welds.

 

[southernfriedcj]

If that hitch can standup while pulling that Big Gay Truck, those welds will hold. :flipoff2:

 

[tonydanzah]

your emocon didn't work

 

[southernfriedcj]

your emocon didn't work

I usually attach it as a picture but it wasn't in my pics & I was too lazy to go get it from the PBB.

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

Wait a minute...that ball is rated for 10k? How much do you think the mud bogger truck alone weighs????
The workmanship looks great...it's just done in a way that goes against everything I've been taught about hitches / trucks / trailers, but hey, it's a free country and not my wallet......I just hope nobody gets hurt.....

 

[bluebolt]

Wait a minute...that ball is rated for 10k? How much do you think the mud bogger truck alone weighs????
The workmanship looks great...it's just done in a way that goes against everything I've been taught about hitches / trucks / trailers, but hey, it's a free country and not my wallet......I just hope nobody gets hurt.....

Look closer it's a 40K ball, not 10K.

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

Look closer it's a 40K ball, not 10K.

Oh, I stand corrected on that part.....

 

[Moose-LandTran]

How did you make the MIG welds look like TIG?

Also, are those Rockwell Top Loaders?

 

[tonydanzah]

How did you make the MIG welds look like TIG?

Also, are those Rockwell Top Loaders?

yeah i was wondering that, reason why i asked if it was tig

 

[Doug19]

I though it looked more like arc welding than tig.

 

[Stick]

How did you make the MIG welds look like TIG?

It's just the style of weave he's doing. Different processes don't have a specific look, it's just the style of the person welding. It is pretty clearly mig though, it's not clean or tight enough to be tig.

 

[iniviate]

The workmanship looks great...it's just done in a way that goes against everything I've been taught about hitches / trucks / trailers.

well, throw out your opinions on how i should have built it. all the "homemade" hitches i found on the internet were similar to this. perhaps if someone in the future finds this, they will see your advice and take note of it.

 

[iniviate]

How did you make the MIG welds look like TIG?

Also, are those Rockwell Top Loaders?

I dunno, they look like MIG to me.



the mud truck in the pictures is on 5 ton rockwells.

 

[arkangel06]

Hey are you posting this from your tractor?

 

[southernfriedcj]

Hey are you posting this from your tractor?

 

[tatra]

dunno if anyone has said it yet as i didn't read the whole thread, so wtf, ausome...........

 

[Nuts]

Normally hitch plates of this type are bolted to the trucks frame.
Plates at 90 degree on each end and bolting thru the side of the frame.
Welding on newer truck frames voids warranties.

Next time, weld the round plate to the ball only, like a big washer,
and then weld the nut under the cross plate for threads.
This lets you remove the ball and have a slick floor in the bed.

I also weld a lug on the round plate/washer to facilitate the balls
removal with a hammer from the topside.

No wrenches, just give the sucker a smack to get it loose.

Nuts

 

[i4ni]

If that hitch fails I'll eat it! ...............I'll need some salt and pepper of course.

 

[iniviate]

Normally hitch plates of this type are bolted to the trucks frame.
Plates at 90 degree on each end and bolting thru the side of the frame.
Welding on newer truck frames voids warranties.

why does it need to be bolted instead of welded? the factory welded lots of things to the frame.

my truck is 10 years old. warranty is long gone.

Next time, weld the round plate to the ball only, like a big washer,
and then weld the nut under the cross plate for threads.
This lets you remove the ball and have a slick floor in the bed.

I also weld a lug on the round plate/washer to facilitate the balls
removal with a hammer from the topside.

No wrenches, just give the sucker a smack to get it loose.

Nuts

yeah, if i were to build it again, i would do something like this. although, i have yet to need to remove the ball. i doubt i ever will.

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

well, throw out your opinions on how i should have built it. all the "homemade" hitches i found on the internet were similar to this. perhaps if someone in the future finds this, they will see your advice and take note of it.

Yeah, that's the problem with the internet, you don't allways know whats correct versus what you find in a Google search....and for the record, I don't claim to be the expert either....Ive just been taught you NEVER do anything to the flanges of a truck frame...big trucks have labels to that effect all over them....maybe it's okay for light duty trucks...

 

[Nuts]

As Heavy Metal said, its welding the top flange that is the big no no.
Has to do with the metallurgy and tensile strength of the frame material.

It's very doubtful that your hitch is going to fail, its just that there
are better ways to do the job.

Like how the little truck fits under the big truck in the pics.

Nuts

 

[Abbott]

I have been welding on truck frames for years without any negative results. It's like OSHA...no need to take most of their bullsh*t seriously.

If a guy is worried about it he can always torch a few bolt holes into it and put in some hefty bolts. But for a privately owned truck I think your work looks great.

 

[NUTTSGT]

How long did it take to drill that hole and what kind of hole saw is that?

 

[caper]

I have been welding on truck frames for years without any negative results. It's like OSHA...no need to take most of their bullsh*t seriously.

I don't know about OSHA but I have to take the provincial dept of transport seriously here and they say if a truck comes in my shop with a hitch like that it doesn't pass motor vehicle inspection and is out of service.Not my rules,just the ones I have to follow to keep my inspection license.

 

[Abbott]

Yeah I know Caper it's by the book but it doesn't mean that other applications are unusable. It's just the rules.

 

[iniviate]

How long did it take to drill that hole and what kind of hole saw is that?

i dunno, a couple minutes... 10 minutes tops.

it's just a standard bi-metal hole saw from home depot.