The Lime - Front Hitch

Here's another creation I plan on marketing. As soon as we planned to get the van Vanessa and I planned on utilizing a front-mounted bike rack to carry our bikes camping. Some people with front mounted spare tires have spare tire mounted bike racks more commonly seen on SUV's. I would have considered this kind of setup, but since the spare mounts only to the sheet metal of the nose I thought it best not to hang 100+ pounds of bikes on such a contraption. Most bike racks now conveniently connect to trailer hitch receivers, so it made sense to me to fabricate a front-mounted hitch. Naturally I am not the first to do this, but possibly the first to do it this way.

After agonizing over how big the assembly was going to be, and trying to find a suitable mounting surface, it became apparent to me that the front impact beam beneath the bumper is a very solid unit. I decided if I could mount a plate between it and the bumper it would have enough strength to handle the hitch.

As with any project I plan to make more than once, I laid it out in AutoCad before I started - hence the image above. Production went according to plan with the exception of relieving the angle iron with a 1" chamfer where the receiver tube protrudes, in order to provide clearance for the pin or bolt that would hold the rack in place.

The plate is held to the vehicle with eight grade 8.8 8mm x 1.25 bolts and 16 washers. The bolt and washer is "fished" through the access openings on the back of the impact beam with leftover welding wire and electrical tape. The other washer and nut are gingerly threaded and tightened. The holes in the hitch are 3/8 and the hitch is clamped in place to act as a template for drilling the impact beam, also 3/8. The holes are oversized to allow for the bolts and the welding wire, as well as any misalignment in drilling.

The hitch went together easily and with a small modification to the licence plate location and the bottom of the bumper, the receiver now exits about 1/4" below the bumper in a very subtle way. I am quite happy with the look.

I will post some pictures of the finished product soon, once I can put the bikes on and test it out.

Once fully tested I will sell these hitches complete with installation instructions. The price will be $75 US plus shipping. Email me if you are interested.