1979 Ford F150 Front Hitch

[ATC King]

When you've got a 40 year old truck, there aren't a whole lot of 'modern' accessories listed as bolt on. I scoured the interweb and didn't find diddly-squat for a bolt on front hitch for my truck.


A front hitch is so useful and versatile, I don't ever want to be without one again. Even if just for one of those front steps to use while working under the hood, it's worth it. I've about pulled my chin off a couple of times from slipping off the front bumper while doing engine work.



I took a gamble and bought the Reese Multi-Fit hitch, part #37042. I installed it 1,200 miles from home, at a campsite, in the dirt, with minimal tools. It's definitely quick and easy to do at home, with beer in the fridge.
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The box even doubles as a nice, earth friendly, recyclable, work mat. I burned it after use.
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Being a multi-fit accessory, it comes with bonus spare parts, but it also comes with these super nifty things.
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The hitch comes with multiple, predrilled plates, that can be positioned in several ways. The center has three pieces and is adjustable for frame width.
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For the 1979 F150, the narrowest adjustment is needed. This is as far in as it goes, with a little wiggle room either way because the end pieces have elongated holes. Everything is left loose until it's installed.
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Getting the bolts and backing plates into the hitch is where those wire pieces come in. They're also bonus tools, usable after this installation.
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These are carriage head bolts, and the nuts are locking. It helps to put a pry bar in the hitch to back the bolts when installing the nuts. Remember to leave them just loose enough that the pieces will slide during installation.



Now the part that took a few me a few minutes to figure out, the side plate orientation. These are supposed to be hanging down, and facing the other direction. Not on this installation! This hitch is meant for the rear, and to hang a little lower, but on the front, you'll probably want it as high as it'll go. Luckily, with this orientation and spacers, I was able to get it to just under the bumper. The hitch itself doesn't even hang below the frame, just the receiver box does.
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This isn't the only position it can go in. It's just where I put it. Install it as far forward or rearward as you like. Two things to remember on my installation. The truck is a 2x4 and doesn't have a anti sway bar. A sway bar will possibly still fit, but I have no idea about this installation on a 4x4.


This is a original hole I used for the front bolts. I drilled a second for the rear. They are 1/2" bolts. I didn't measure the distance, just used the hitch side bracket holes as a reference.
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The cordless drill I keep in my truck while on the road. A Wally World special that's definitely worth the price. Inexpensive, lightweight and packs well. It comes with a sensibly sized charger that just slips onto the batteries instead of some hulking monstrosity to take up space.
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The hitch installed. All bolts are left loose until everything is in. The ONLY interference is at the top, back. It barely touches the frame, but I still needed to coerce them in. A lick with an angle grinder would take care of it. I didn't have an angle grinder with me.
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Bonus hardware.
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I think the way this hitch is intended to be installed, there's some more bolts in the side plates. For no more weight than this if going to see on the front, The four 1/2" bolts holding it to the frame, and four holding the hitch to the side plates should be fine. That's anyone's own call though.


It's as high as possible and back pretty far, out of the way when not in use. Barley even visible. It sits directly under the radiator and doesn't protrude into my under-hood standing space. You won't have that with a V8 though, it's a I6 benefit only. I show it with my motorcycle rack in, to see if it'd fit, which I only use on the rear. My truck, with the camper shell and motorcycle on the rear carrier was too light on the front, so adding this hitch also gives me a place to add some weight to the font so it doesn't drive like a shopping cart. With front and rear hitches now, a hitch mounted winch would be great.

Final pics of how it fits.
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It done fine on the way home. I stopped by Appomattox and a couple distilleries.
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[ironchop]

Great to see you and that orange Dentside are still truckin. Nice work on the campground install.

I'm glad you did this because I want to do the same for my 79. It would be nice to build a winch platform that fits a Reese-style tow hitch. It's also nice to move trailers around by the front of the vehicle if needed plus all the other accessories (like that step you mentioned). I'm 6'6" with 80" wingspan. My 79 has a 6" Skyjacker suspension lift on IROK 38.5's and I have to stand on a bucket to work on it so it's annoying. I could reach anywhere on Tristan's old 78, no lift, on 32" 15s....I need a step on this one. Usually I make a 'bucket bench' out of a 2x6 and buckets on both ends so I can move around more freely, but that's not easily packed around while traveling and it's unstable if you aren't careful.

Thanks for the review. I've got the whole doghouse off mine so I can pull the 460 this month. I'm going to rebuild it and the T18.... Not sure if I'll crack the transfer case or not, but I digress. It would be a good time to install it after I paint the frame and before I put the body parts back on



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[ATC King]

If I live another 40 years, it'll probably still be going. I've actually been living out of it for the last half year. I bought a portable AC unit, which made it comfortable through the summer. Truck doesn't have AC, but the camper shell does!


The stock front bumpers on these are dangerous to stand on, at the very least. Not much there. I'll be ordering or building a step pretty soon. Actually excited about that. The small things in life.

If I was to add a winch, I'd use some of these connectors, front and rear.
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https://www.batterymart.com/p-6331g1-sb-50-red-industrial-plug.html?msclkid=a52706b6761814301c365b293078a648&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=CPCS%20-%20Shopping%20-%20PLA%20-%20Catch%20All&utm_term=4577198189204676&utm_content=All%20Products

What the work trucks I've been driving have, front and rear. Mount them where easy to get to without raising the hood. Great for jumper cables, quick and easy. We had them on the rear for things like sand/salt spreader motors. Enough 6 gauge wire to do that front and rear is the most expensive part. Need a good battery wire crimper for the lugs too.


Mine has a T18. I rebuilt it, but if doing it again, I would probably source on already rebuilt. I spent ~$800 on mine, including a new clutch kit. It was a mess. Obviously, previous owners didn't understand what a non-synchronized first gear is, and somehow didn't realize there needs to be a stop before shifting into reverse either. The cluster gear, along with some first and reverse gears had to be replaced. The standard rebuild kit isn't expensive though, just if it needs some gears replaced. I didn't replace the plastic speedo drive when I had it apart, and it had some wear. It went out later, and I drove it for a couple years with no speedometer. I did fix it, which is pretty simple, just pull the tail housing off (was low on my list), but on a 4x4, it's not so easy unless it has a divorced transfer case. Heads up.

I use first gear more than people would think on the highway. It's great in traffic jams. Instead of stop-go-stop-go, just let it idle. It annoys the heck out of those impatient people who don't understand the concept that even moving 1mph is better than 0mph. 0mph and still wearing the crap out of the clutch and brakes isn't a scientific impossibility, it's reality in traffic jams. Truck drivers understand it. The good ones anyway.



I'm glad you can use this. I didn't find squat online about a definitive, bolt on front hitch for these trucks, and I looked on the Ford truck forums. I know there are a lot still on the road. That's exactly the reason I posted my install. Already a successful post :beer

[plastikosmd]

Love the truck
Living out of it? Wow!
I’m to old to be that adventurous I guess!

[ATC King]

I've done a good bit of traveling in this old truck. I'm a Wal-Mart customer when I travel, thanks to their parking policy and 24 hour stores. That saves me a lot of dinero. I've stayed at one KOA in this truck. They're too dang expensive. National Forest and BLM land are free and awesome. Private and state run RV camps are typically affordable. The last private park I was at only cost me $77 for a week, with water and electric.

I carry a motorcycle with me, so when I stay somewhere for a bit, I can use it to get around. Easier to ride in congested, urban areas, and much better on fuel than my truck. Plus, if my truck breaks down, I have something to make a parts run with. I haven't needed to do that though.

Stop for gas every 500-600 miles, and to empty the Gatorade bottles. Think, a specific Dumb & Dumber scene. I'm not an astronaut though, so no diaper.

I'm loading up the Big Red and heading to some National Forest this weekend.

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[plastikosmd]

Just u or is there a ms. Atc king?
I admire your adventurous spirit. My wife is not into camping. Thankfully she does love to fish.
At 47, I am well entrenched in the rat race. Thankfully no children or I would have 0 or even negative time.
Keep the thread going so we can live vicariously though u!

[ATC King]

Thanks for your encouragement.

It's just me. I used to go camping with girlfriends. That's a minimum requirement if they're going to tolerate me.

Last year, I was a trip leader on a cross country bicycle trip. I got to ride every fourth day, because I was driving a van the others. I drove that van coast to coast, twice last year. We slept in many churches and city parks. Also got to ride my bike through many states and some incredible scenery, including US-50 in Nevada, 'America’s Loneliest Road.' It was a 80+ mile, incredible ride that day. I won't forget it.

We had a great group of riders with us, one of which was 70yo, riding with his daughter. I got to meet this years group on the east coast, and ride their first few miles with them. I'm thinking of being a rider next year.

Traveling and working away from home, as in my childhood home, has it's issues. There are things like a parent's health to consider, and there's the inevitable.

My dad passed away last month. He was fighting a loosing battle, and mom was taking care of him at home. Anyone who's been in that situation, as a primary care giver, knows that it's a 24/7 job. There were simply things she had to put off, to focus on dad. It was and still is tough on her. There's still paperwork being taken care of, and he was a veteran, so things to work with the VA on, which can be frustratingly slow. He did get military funeral honors, and mom received the flag. That was a very solemn moment.

I'm home for the rest of the year, helping around the place, mostly doing outside work so mom can rest and focus on the last of the paperwork. She also has an elderly mother, in a nursing facility, that she has to manage affairs for.

Traveling is a mixed bag. There's no something for nothing. Choices are made and have to be lived with, just like with anything in life, staying put or moving about.





As for the truck, I could start a separate thread on maintenance and modifications. It's a driving restoration, and I've put more $$ into it than the purchase price. If you look at just some of the pictures in this thread, you'll notice things like the camper shell change, to an actual Ford shell, which took a while to find in decent condition. You'll notice that the shell got fresh paint. The wheels finally got center caps. The grill insert was replaced with a new one. Those are just the visible things.

I put a new Edelbrock AVS 2 carb on this year, a rear hitch, a oversized rear fuel tank in (55 gallon total capacity between the two now), a new window regulator, and a more, like new hood hinges and LED lighting throughout. Well, and even more.

This truck gets drove, so anything that goes onto it, will get tested in real world conditions.

[ironchop]

Sorry to hear about your Dad, Clint.

I wish I had the courage to downsize dramatically and drop out for a bit in exchange for adventure. It would definitely help this old soul of mine. I'm tired of this 'race toward nothing' life

I hope to hang/ride with you again at a future TF. I'm working on my own 200ES and we can bomb the woods all day



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