factory rear bumper mods

[lockie]

I added some reverse lights to my factory bumper on the weekend (picture below).
wasn't too much of a job, apart from I had to take the tow pack off to access the bolt holes for the lights., and upon doing this i thought to myself, I wonder if anyone has ever incorporated the tow hitch into the factory rear bumper.
I'm no engineer but it looks as if it would be possible to add some extra support... so my question is, has anyone done this or seen it done??

 

[Derek]

Yeah Ive tried that on my last 80, you will find the holes are slightly wider than the holes on your tow ball.

AND

The cross member is only 3mm thick. Once I did elongate the holes to fit the ball, the first recovery saw the bolts get pulled through and bend the metal. Only way round this would be making up a reinforcement plate and welding it in but then the rest of the section is thin.

The holes are there for fitting the top of a drop plate to I guess.

 

[lockie]

I figured that may have been the case.
I'm not that handy with a welder so I don't see myself re-inforcing
Ahh well, at least for now I can see when I'm reversing!

 

[stumog]

You can fit a mod type tow hitch on the rear cross member.

Fine for towing.

 

[StarCruiser]

I've seen a Cruiser that has some serious cracks from the holes in the rear cross member. I think it was @Bakkies truck which I'm guessing had a hitch mounted to it. I remember thinking when I saw it that it must have been used for towing without a proper tow bar. I would say it needs serious reinforcement behind right back to the chassis in the same angled off way that the cross member does. Then you've got issues with heights of trailer hitches to get the trailer level. Any sort of dropped hitch then puts a twisting strain back and forth on the cross member which can end up cracking it unless the reinforcement is so designed to cope with this. A receiver type hitch could be welded in with support front and back but would need to be done well to avoid it breaking out.

Careful thought and design needed I would say but doable though may impinge on the spare wheel space.

 

[lockie]

I'd like to get rid of the spare wheel from where it is any way.. and I rarely tow things, it's more for a recovery point then any thing else...
I think I'll be saving my pennies and buying a rear bar with all these things included in it... all in good time

 

[StarCruiser]

I think that's the best plan TBH Lockie. You really don't want anything heavy detaching and flying through the air during a recovery.