Front Reciever

kheiney · November 13, 2006

I'm looking into putting a front reciever on my 2000 suburban. But I can't find any pictures of what it would look like on a newer chevy. Has anyone done this or have a picture of what the install is like??

Burbman · November 13, 2006

Here

s a couple pics of my '01 2500 with the front hitch and custome fog light installation. Hitch was easy to install, 3 bols that hold each front tow hook to the frame.

kheiney · November 13, 2006

Was that I Reese Hitch that you used?

larry arizona · November 14, 2006

Sorry no pictures but my front hitch is made by Curt Manufacturing and was easy to install. Like stated above it uses two of the tow hook bolts and you need to fish two bolts through the frame slots.

kdm101 · November 15, 2006

I've been looking at adding a front hitch as well. Backing a trailer up a 180' driveway sucks.

Here's where I was going to order from:

http://www.hitchesonline.com/chevy_front_end.htm

sactoGMC · June 19, 2007

Here
s a couple pics of my '01 2500 with the front hitch and custome fog light installation. Hitch was easy to install, 3 bols that hold each front tow hook to the frame.

Burbman--

I was checking out this thread for the front mount hitch receiver and noticed your PIAAs. Which model are those? That is a very clean installation and I'm thinking of doing something similar, especially since my dirtbike that will be on the front will likely obscure my headlights some amount.

Thanks!

DJinCO · June 19, 2007

Nick,

I have the Ranch Hand Bull Nose bumper. I put Lightforce lights on it. 350,000 candlepower each on 100W bulbs. Hard core bullet resistant lenses. Ajustable from spot to wide.

I don't use the stock fog light switch - way under powered plus the wires are very thin. I have a 30a switch and a 30a relay.

I really am impressed with lightforce - I have the 170 Strikers - and have a set of amber lenses in addition to the stock clear lenses. You can see infor at www.lightforce.com

This was the response to a thread about off-road lights. I use my front hitch on a regular basis when putting a 2 wheel trailer into a parking spot. As gentle as a dead pig!

I know that your orginal request was to keep the stock bumper; as weak as it is - but here's some photos of the receiver hitch built into the front bumper. Solid steel. The same type of bumber on the back is actually rated as a class V.

Bill55AZ · June 20, 2007

I have the same problem with backing, I suck at it. Gonna have to do the front hitch thing soon....

Burbman · June 21, 2007

The lights are PIAA 520 Ionic Crystal Fog. They also make the same light in a driving lens. The receiver is a Draw-Tite (same company as Reese). It fastens directly to the frame, not the bumper, so it's plenty strong. Even still, it has a 500-lb tongue weight limit due primarily to the front torsion bar suspension. Pull rating if using a winch is 8000 lbs.

I actually installed the 520's at the mounting points for the factory fogs, and trimmed the air dam to accomodate them. Trims easily with a utility knife. Took a little pencil work, but came out pretty good. I didn't want to go with a bull bar for the lights because I put a surf rod holder in my front receiver, and didn't want anything to block light output. Plug, fog lights work better down lower.

DJinCO · June 21, 2007

Concur Burbman.

Mine are not fog lights. 350,000 candle power each they are for seeing a loooong way down the road. The bumpers are for deer and antelope. Where I travel it is good to illuminate the night.

Burbman · June 21, 2007

Agree, those are some serious lights!! I like the fogs mainly to light up the roadway and shoulders on rural interstates when towing the 9K RV. They are really helpful in the rain! Only place I offroad is in the sand at the beach, and no need for big lights with a 10 mph speed limit and noth1ng but seashells!

You must do some serious offroad driving with that setup.

sactoGMC · June 21, 2007

Agree, those are some serious lights!! I like the fogs mainly to light up the roadway and shoulders on rural interstates when towing the 9K RV. They are really helpful in the rain! Only place I offroad is in the sand at the beach, and no need for big lights with a 10 mph speed limit and noth1ng but seashells!

You must do some serious offroad driving with that setup.

Burbman,

How far ahead do the fog lights illuminate the road?

DJinCO,

If you don't mind me asking, what did the Lightforce lights set you back?

Burbman · June 22, 2007

The PIAA 520's I have throw about as far as the low beam headlights do, maybe a bit further. These lights are 85W each as opposed to the stock 55W. What they do is throw a broader beam, so you're getting more light on the ground directly in front of the truck, and also a lot more light on the peripherals, so the shoulders of the road are fully illuminated also.

If you're looking for long-throw light, then clear-lens driving lights are the way to go. PIAA makes the same 520's with driving lenses instead of fog lenses. Or, you could go the route DJ did, and light up everything between here and three towns over......

I'm considering mounting a set of driving lights that come on automatically with the high beam headlights. I'll install a separate relay and feed the relay power directly from the hi-beam headlight instead of a separate switch, with lamp power coming right from the battery. Using the headlight dimmer to go from lo-beam to hi-beam will cause the fogs to shut off and the driving lights to come on automatically.