The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk 1951 trailer hitch confusion?

Original, aftremarket or shadetree?

My '51 came with a hitch that looks pretty sturdy (mounts to the frame and bumper), not sure if its safe to use tho.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5187/5548009017_d7f7515fce_b.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5179/5548010395_1563c22597_b.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5095/5548593984_cfd39f0ac4_b.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5179/5548587334_31bdb39fa5_b.jpg

Anyone know if there were manufacturer or dealer available hitches for the '51 3100?

Initially I wanted to move the current rear mounted front bumper to the front since the chrome is better and get an actual rear bumper for the back but I'm not sure that the flatter rear bumper will fit with the hitch. Which leads me to believe the hitch is homemade.
The tail lamp brackets look all wrong too, as the lamps sit way too low for a 51 and right angle on the bracket sits between the plate bracket and lamp mount instead of below.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5139/5548001609_4c8760f68b_b.jpg

If its a DIY from a farmer decades ago, its nice, as there's a plate lamp socket on the hitch where it mounts to the bumper to go with the plate mounting holes below the gate.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5066/5548000405_a363cd2bf9_b.jpg

...kinda leads me to think it might be original or old aftermarket. ...but then why the front bumper on the rear???

Can't speak for the hitch, but the taillight bracket looks to me like a shadetree repair of an original bracket. The original looks like this:

http://s1135.photobucket.com/albums/m626/FCutten/?action=view&current=taillight.jpg


Cheers,
Fraser

I have never seen mention of a dealer installed hitch for AD trucks. I think that was more of a 1960's thing they are almost always homemade or shop made in my experience.

That one looks home made.

Cosmo had one that best I can tell was profesionally/comercial made, or if it was a one off it was a superb job. Probably aftermarket and not GM, but looked factory made in every detail.
Perhaps he has pictures of it?

Grigg

Bark, I cleaned up your link so it will open.

http://s1135.photobucket.com/albums/m626/FCutten/?action=view&current=taillight.jpg

Those type of trailer hitches were common 60 years ago. I don't know if the type pictured was commercially built or not. Most of them were home made or a welding shop custom built them. This one looks like it was designed by someone who made good measurements, but the weld doesn't look like it was done by someone who welded the same thing all day long. The hitches weren't very strong, and the pickups weren't stable enough to pull a very heavy trailer. Most trailers were single axle. Tandems really didn't gain popularity until the 60's when the pickups had more power and more stable suspensions. The rear bumper is different than the front. It is shorter and has less curvature to it.

hmm... I think I'm probably best off not to use it then. I kind of wanted to go bumperless in the rear anyway. It'd be nice to use it to haul a load of mulch or two or an old aluminum u-haul trailer turned mini camper every now and then tho.

crenwelge - I'm almost positive my rear bumper is a front. It curves way to far in for a plate to have ever hung form the bracket under the drive side tail lamp.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5185/5548586142_d7545e12d3_b.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5187/5548009017_d7f7515fce_b.jpg

After closer examination, I think it is a front bumper. It was common 50 years ago to remove the rear bumper so the tail gate could be dropped all the way down.

As far as the hitch and whether it's safe, I guess it depends on what you plan to use it for. For an occasional load of mulch or a small fishing boat, I'm sure you wouldn't have any problems. Many of those homemade hitches were used for years with no problems.
For heavier hauling, that's another story.

I'd have to agree with Rich, I doubt you would ever put any sort of load on that hitch that would stress it. And you could and probably would anyhow take it off, clean it up and reweld the welds so you know that they are up to snuff.

That hitch does look to be the work of a welding/blacksmith shop that probably did a bit of everything back then just like a couple of those shops still do around here. Weld up a plow, repair a combine and then build a trailer hitch on someone's truck after that, all in a days work.

A better idea though might be to have or build a receiver style hitch after you have the bumper you want on the truck.

I am gong to do that on my 48 which I will probably run a 54 rear bumper on so that I can tow the teardrop if I ever get that done.
54 bumper because I want to put the rear plate in the middle rather than under the tail light.

From seeing the license plate light on the hitch I'd say that the same person who built the hitch modified the tail light brackets. Personally I like the tail slights down lower like that but I am not a restorer either.

I had heard the rear bumper was an add on option at purchase in the 50's because most farmers/workmen wanted the gate to drop flat for pulling up to a dock and the front bumper on the rear didn't come into play til some years later when people began fixing them up and actual rear bumpers were hard to find.

These little details and homemade bits make this one of the most interesting vehicles I've ever owned.

lol. I'm quickly learning that I might end up owning three of these in the future. One to restore, one to rat, rod and slam and one to leave as a clean survivor farm truck complete with all the homemade parts

Already looking into it. Being a city dweller, I'd hate to drop a home depot load in traffic because my hitch failed.

Here's the passenger side tail lamp bracket...
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5097/5548006335_d148c8483f_b.jpg

I wonder what the reasoning behind lowering them was??
The current upper turn signal lamps were added by the last owner within the past couple years but the brackets they're mounted to appear to be the same vintage as the tail lamp brackets.

The only thing i can see wrong with the hitch is it does not have much bending strength. no support for the weight baring down on it. you can get adjustable width hitches at your local flaps for around $120.00.

If you want a serious rear bumper and hitch, I made mine out of 4 inch channel iron and used a universal step tailgate hitch with receive. Total cost about $100. If you want original, they are not very strong.

Thanks for all the input guys!

I think I'll probably clean it up along with the truck and just leave it off. Consider it a cool piece of Americana ... folk art for the garage.

If I decide I want to pull a teardrop or small open trailer I'll just mount a modern hitch and hide it a bit.

I had something similar to that on my Dodge van. It bolted right to the rear bumper. My dad did take some angle and reinforced it. It did tow a 17 foot boat for about 20 years. On the other hand, the stovebolt bumpers are a different animal, not really made for a vertical load. I would use at your own discretion.