John Lee's Tow Hitch Install Keeping the Under Bed Spare Tire In Place

[Sharps40]

Good news...Deer hauler (Tow Hitch) is installed in time for the first trip to the Low Country. Keeps the ice and weight down low where me and Dad don't have to lift it up and in or out.

The hitch is Reese, multifit, 6000 lb rated and for Jeeps Cherokees, Astro Vans, Dodge Rams and some Chevy Trucks....it fits a 1965 perfectly and retains the Factory spare tire mount in the factory bolt holes (assuming yer runnin a 225/70R15 like John Lee) and its tucked in and under and not visible when the draw bar is not installed. Nice....like it was made for it.

Now, got this one at Wall Mart but if ya order it from Advance Auto, online with code P20 ya get 20% off and free shipping bringing the delivered price for this good hitch to $104...good price by any measure.

Heres the part number and specs....



Tucks in there pretty nicely and not too many holes to drill, 5 total, 4 in the frame, one in the PS side attachment plate and details below.



Here on the driver side frame horn, three of the four factory holes in the attachment plate can be used....I lined up hole two (carriage bolt head) with the rearmost hole in the frame, drilled holes three and four in the frame and bolted it up...



Here on the passenger side I used the same alignment...but modified attachment plate hole two to allow pass over on the tire carrier bolt.....drilled a new hole two in the attachment plate (right of the tire carrier bolt). This new hole lined up with a rivet in a crossbar....blew out the rivet and replaced it with new bolt in new hole number 2. Drilled the frame for holes three and four and snugged this attachment plate up tight.



Some heads up, some heads down, depends on the amount of clearance from the inside rear bumper brackets.....close up of the PS attachment...

Note with these brackets I kicked hole number one just off the frame, gave me another inch to install the tire in its original mounting holes and still clear the PanHard Bar on the axle...neat...



Its all in there, tire looks tight but plenty of wiggle room and I just remembered, gotta go back down and snug it up after typing this!!! The ball sits out just far enough from the bumper to drop on the small trailers I plan to be pulling...I think a big hitch from a uhaul will fit fine too.



Big Sexy has his Draw Bar on....



Big Sexy chillin with his Draw Bar tucked away behind the seat...