Receiver Hitch Flip

[benedict1337]

The other weekend I went a hike with some friends and met a guy with a lifted 3rd gen. At first glance I thought he had an aftermarket steel bumper but after talking to him he said he flipped the brackets on his stock receiver hitch. I thought that was quite an ingenious solution for a more "off roady" bumper without actually buying one. So I went home and preceded to rip my rear bumper off and trailer hitch (3 broken socket wrenches and a bunch of broken sockets later) I had it all off. I ran into a problem however... The brackets don't just flip the other way and mount in place. The "lip" gets in the way of the cross member and doesn't allow the holes to match up. I was just wondering if anyone has successfully accomplished this?

 

[tbst]

Arent there a couple different setups for the rear hitch? One has the bolts that hold the actual receiver piece. I believe that is the one people flip.

I know BigFishAllDay did it on his 97.

 

[cj80cruiser]

Yeah, it's been done by a few people including myself. I think most any supplied reciever will work, however I had to cut part of mine to clear the body mount.

 

[benedict1337]

I started to cut my mounts but I didn't want to make it completely useless so I stopped to make sure I wasn't doing something wrong. And bigfishallday only fliped the receiver itself, the one I saw the brackets were flipped to make the whole thing sit where the stock bumper would be

 

[t4r4life]

yep in the process of doing mine and cutting is required.

 

[martin770]

For reference pics, here's the hitch off my 2000 SR5. I removed it to put on a CBI bumper.

Right Side Up:

Upside Down:

Mounting Points:

Aftermarket CBI bumper crossmember lines up just behind the body mounts (the white 1" hockey puck). I remember the stock crossmember was more toward the rear of the car, so that the spare tire had room to fit.

It seems like you'd have to trim the lip of the stock hitch a bit to make it fit. Or maybe drill new mounting holes in the hitch where you want it to line up.

 

[benedict1337]

I cut illustrated by the crude lines, and left a little bit of the lip left I didn't want to mess up the structure of it completely, but this creates a problem it makes the holes not match up.... as I tried to draw with the circles.

 

[98OzarksRunner]

I used the trailer hitch as the basis for a bumper. I've since made a swing-out tire and gas can carrier, but need to take some pictures.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/98315-budget-rear-bumper-build.html

 

[benedict1337]

that's not bad but I don't have a welder... and its a little bulky for my liking. I may just end up buying a savage bumper, lol but until I have the money I'd like to try and get this receiver to work. I'll have to mess around with it some more. Does anyone have pictures of it mounted? I'm more of a visual learner.

 

[cj80cruiser]

I cut illustrated by the crude lines, and left a little bit of the lip left I didn't want to mess up the structure of it completely, but this creates a problem it makes the holes not match up.... as I tried to draw with the circles.

If you already cut that much off then I would say you definitely compromised the integrity of the reciever.

 

[cj80cruiser]

You should be able to just cut at the 3rd hole and leave the rest, similiar to what is cut in this LINK. I have since added the factory bolts and added 2 additional bolts that aren't pictured.

 

[Benski]

I consider my factory hitch my rear skid plate! lol It's always full of sand, dirt, mud, sticks or grass and getting scratched up. I don't mind. :driving:

 

[3rd gen king]

I consider my factory hitch my rear skid plate! lol It's always full of sand, dirt, mud, sticks or grass and getting scratched up. I don't mind. :driving:

I do too and my hitch has saved me from replacing my rear hatch when some chick hit my butt.

 

[benedict1337]

ok I see what you did I'll have to mess around with mine, I'll post some pics if I get it up

 

[reelamin]

This is an old thread, but I flipped mine the last few days. Yes, I had the multi bolt hitch and it was easy with a little leverage.

As she sat and what I could gain for dragging "Kelly Humps" and spur road drops. Easy 2.5" gain!
<a href="http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/reelamin/media/IMG_3790_zpsprz5gwtz.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u494/reelamin/IMG_3790_zpsprz5gwtz.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_3790_zpsprz5gwtz.jpg"/></a>

Took it apart and it was full of rust. That is a 1.5lb not a standard peen!
<a href="http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/reelamin/media/IMG_3795_zpsgab4khty.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u494/reelamin/IMG_3795_zpsgab4khty.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_3795_zpsgab4khty.jpg"/></a>

Snapped the first bolt taking it apart. No idea they were that corroded.
<a href="http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/reelamin/media/IMG_3791_zpsr18k5cr6.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u494/reelamin/IMG_3791_zpsr18k5cr6.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_3791_zpsr18k5cr6.jpg"/></a>

Lubed with some marine/waterproof grease (yes there is a huge difference) and ready to go back together. I dumped two quarts of old tranny fluid into the middle of the hitch to slow the rust down.
<a href="http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/reelamin/media/IMG_3792_zpsv0wimjj1.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u494/reelamin/IMG_3792_zpsv0wimjj1.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_3792_zpsv0wimjj1.jpg"/></a>

It was a tight fit with the bumper/safety chain loops contacting.
<a href="http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/reelamin/media/IMG_3801_zpswu2m9jel.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u494/reelamin/IMG_3801_zpswu2m9jel.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_3801_zpswu2m9jel.jpg"/></a>

No worry just force it when needed!
<a href="http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/reelamin/media/IMG_3806_zpsbpftwkmo.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u494/reelamin/IMG_3806_zpsbpftwkmo.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_3806_zpsbpftwkmo.jpg"/></a>

Bent the safety chain loops down with a large hammer so I could use them and it's done. I just gained a full 2.5" easily.
<a href="http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/reelamin/media/IMG_3807_zpsjwjvdomd.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u494/reelamin/IMG_3807_zpsjwjvdomd.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_3807_zpsjwjvdomd.jpg"/></a>