I am looking at putting a replacement bumper "ranchhand style" on the rear of my truck. It will come equipped with a reciver tube built on it and chain hooks. I currently have the factory reciever hitch on my truck. My concern is that I will lose a lot of my towing capability with the replacement bumper as compared to the factory hitch. The bumper is rated for 10,000 lbs, but the guy says he has know guys to tow more then that on there. I was wondering how many of you tow with a replacement bumper and if there is a great lose of towing capability with it. Suggestions or comments are appreciated on this before I make a decision as to get the replacement or hold on to the factory set up.
P.S. currently I dont tow anything that heavy but I dont know what the future brings we are looking into a camp trailer and a horse trailer.
Thank you very much,
Will [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
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2004 F-350, 6.0L PSD, Crew Cab, Lariat, 4x4, 3.73LS, automatic, long bed, dark grey, 42,000 miles, Fumuto valve, T3 Truck Equipment front and rear replacement bumpers, Marinco block heater plug. Man I Love This Truck!!!!!!
I had a 2000 with a ranchhand rear bumper. With a heavy load it would put too much leverage on the bumper and mine kept tilting backwards to the point of almost contacting the bed metal. This was towing 5-10k, and my ranchhand even had special lips to prevent that. If I ever get another replacement rear, I will never tow with it. I ended up having to have the ranchhand welded to the frame to keep it from twisting. I kept the front replacement and put it on my 03' but the rear bumper is still welded to that 00'. I would get the lesser drop replacement and keep the reciever hitch.
Justin
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Current 2002 F-250 Crew Cab SB 7.3 Auto 4x4 White FX4 131k
2000 F-250 7.3 Auto Shorty Extended Cab 4x4. Bought brand Spankin new. Zoodad, Hypertech tuner, straightpipe. Sold @ 69k miles. Bought New in 2000 sold 07/03 to get a 2003 Crew Cab. Needed room for the baby.
03 F-250 Crew Shorty Torqueshift 4x4. Bought 05/03 brand spankin new, Traded in 10/06 As of 10/06 111k Tuned by Innovative, Mbrb Turbo back with extra whistle, Airraid intake, Guages. **Update** 10/06 Oil cooler sprung a leak and caused the entire cooling system to fill with oily water. Dealer quote -- 4900.00. Injectors were missing on cold start sometimes took as long as 5-10mins. for them all to start firing. Come on ford! Traded truck in one week later for 2007 Dmax/Allison LBZ
2007 Silverado Classic Duramax LBZ. Bought brand spankin new. 6 speed ally, crew, Longbed, 4x4 charcoal grey. Stock for reliablity. Sold (Crew Cab Long Bed is impossible to drive in town, and missed the fords. 7.3 here i come)
The 10,000 pound rated Ranch Hand should pull just as much as the 10,000 pound rated factory reciever.
It was designed to replace the factory reciever and be just as strong.
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97 F250 SC LB 4X4 PSD TDE0, E4OD,3.55's, 285/70/16"s ,Modified fuel tank vents, 375+k headed for 500k
If Ranch Hand sells you a bumper that includes a receiver rated at 10,000 pounds, then you can tow up to 10,000 pounds with no problem - provided you have the correct hitch required by the receiver to tow that much weight.
However, you have to read the fine print. Your optional Ford receiver is probably rated to tow only 5,000 or 6,000 pounds weight carrying (WC), but 12,000 or 12,500 weight distributing (WD). The Ranch Hand is probably rated to tow 10,000 pounds WD, but only 5,000 pounds WC. The weight capacity should be stamped into the hitch somewhere - probably up under the truck. If the Ranch Hand is rated to tow 10,000 pounds WC, then that's a lot more hitch than the optional Ford receiver.
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My Sierra Blanca is a '99.5 PSD CrewCab hot-rod Towing Machine! BTS tranny; TurboRamAir intake and 4" stainless turbo-back exhaust; DP-Tuner tunes flashed into an Edge Evolution tuner; ISSPRO EV gauges and TTM; AIC; SP-Diesel exhaust brake and torque converter controller. I special-ordered it new and plan to drive it until it quits.
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2004 F-350, 6.0L PSD, Crew Cab, Lariat, 4x4, 3.73LS, automatic, long bed, dark grey, 42,000 miles, Fumuto valve, T3 Truck Equipment front and rear replacement bumpers, Marinco block heater plug. Man I Love This Truck!!!!!!
It doesnt matter what it is "rated" at because you don't know what criteria they used to come up with the rating. Was it billy bob the welder who said "yea, it'll tow 10k", or was it some engineer who actually tested it to make shure what it will tow safely the weight they gave. Don't get me wrong, I think replacement bumpers are great, and plan on getting another one, but trust me if you plan on towing heavy, or with more tongue weight the replacement bumpers will drop down, and not pull as well as a reciever hitch, Trust me, I pull a trailer every day. If you don't want to believe me, then just take a look at some trucks that tow heavy with replacements, you will see what I am talking about the bumper getting too much leverage put on it causing it to twist downward. Get the replacement bumper, just get the shorter drop so that you can keep the reciver hitch which tows much much better.
Justin
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Current 2002 F-250 Crew Cab SB 7.3 Auto 4x4 White FX4 131k
2000 F-250 7.3 Auto Shorty Extended Cab 4x4. Bought brand Spankin new. Zoodad, Hypertech tuner, straightpipe. Sold @ 69k miles. Bought New in 2000 sold 07/03 to get a 2003 Crew Cab. Needed room for the baby.
03 F-250 Crew Shorty Torqueshift 4x4. Bought 05/03 brand spankin new, Traded in 10/06 As of 10/06 111k Tuned by Innovative, Mbrb Turbo back with extra whistle, Airraid intake, Guages. **Update** 10/06 Oil cooler sprung a leak and caused the entire cooling system to fill with oily water. Dealer quote -- 4900.00. Injectors were missing on cold start sometimes took as long as 5-10mins. for them all to start firing. Come on ford! Traded truck in one week later for 2007 Dmax/Allison LBZ
2007 Silverado Classic Duramax LBZ. Bought brand spankin new. 6 speed ally, crew, Longbed, 4x4 charcoal grey. Stock for reliablity. Sold (Crew Cab Long Bed is impossible to drive in town, and missed the fords. 7.3 here i come)
Those numbers were for the factory reciever hitch. I have a call into the T3 truck equipment today to see how much they are rated for again to be sure and if that is weight carrying or distributing. Thank you for the help. I edited the previous post with the numbers to say factory reciever sorry I forgot that the first time.
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2004 F-350, 6.0L PSD, Crew Cab, Lariat, 4x4, 3.73LS, automatic, long bed, dark grey, 42,000 miles, Fumuto valve, T3 Truck Equipment front and rear replacement bumpers, Marinco block heater plug. Man I Love This Truck!!!!!!
fishman.... let us know what the dealer said..... I have a ranchhand on my truck and have always been curious what the rating was for it.... the bumper is much heavier built than the factory reciever, they both bolt to the same place on the frame, I'm thinking that it should be rated the same as the factory unit, if not more....
I talked to a rep with ranchhand bumpers the other day. He told me it is rated for the 8" drop to carry a 10,000lb trailer and 1,000lb tounge weight. The 10" is to carry a 5,000lb trailer and 500lb tounge weight. But I was talking to him and he said that with my truck a 2004 I could get the 10" drop with the backup lights and still keep my factory reciever hitch. It would all hook up and I would still be able to use the factory hitch and it would be unaffected by mounting the bumper. He sent me the part number and a picture of the bumper mounted on a truck with the factory hitch still on it. Part Number BBF990BLL. I havent gotten the picture uploaded yet.
Will [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
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2004 F-350, 6.0L PSD, Crew Cab, Lariat, 4x4, 3.73LS, automatic, long bed, dark grey, 42,000 miles, Fumuto valve, T3 Truck Equipment front and rear replacement bumpers, Marinco block heater plug. Man I Love This Truck!!!!!!
I had a ranch hand style bumper that was rated for 10,000 on my last truck and hook on to a heavy trailer and went to back it up a hill and it push the bumper in and under the truck. After that I made my own brackets and some additional brackets that went from the bottom of the bumper up to the frame and I never had a problem after that.
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Early 99 Ford F-350 4X4 Extended Cab Dually, 4 in lift, 6spd, dual 5in stacks,ts 6 stage, zoodad, ccv, tymar,
240,000 miles and counting
1993 Ford F-350, 4X4, Fuel Injected 460, MUD TRUCK, 40in super swampers, Dana 60 Front, Dana 70 Rear, 10in home made lift.
1982 Mustang 302 HO
Talked with the gentlemen at T3 truck equipment this morning. He told me that the bumpers that they make are rated to carry a 10,000lb trailer. That is the 10" drop bumper. He said that to sell them they have to get them tested every so often. He said I could backup to a trailer that weighted 10,000lb and hook on to it and pull it with no problem on the bumpers they make. He gave me a tour of thier shop and showed me how the bumpers are made and painted. I learned a lot. I think I might go with one of his bumpers.
Will [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
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2004 F-350, 6.0L PSD, Crew Cab, Lariat, 4x4, 3.73LS, automatic, long bed, dark grey, 42,000 miles, Fumuto valve, T3 Truck Equipment front and rear replacement bumpers, Marinco block heater plug. Man I Love This Truck!!!!!!
Fishman.... can you upload the pic of the ranchhand bumper with the factory hitch??? I'd like to see it if possible.... that would be the best of both worlds....a factory rated hitch and a good "honda killer"bumper as well.... [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
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2004 F-350, 6.0L PSD, Crew Cab, Lariat, 4x4, 3.73LS, automatic, long bed, dark grey, 42,000 miles, Fumuto valve, T3 Truck Equipment front and rear replacement bumpers, Marinco block heater plug. Man I Love This Truck!!!!!!
I shimmed my reciever hitch down with 4" square steel. Drilled them out to match the reciever holes and mounted it with longer grade 8 bolts to the factory holes in the frame.
My reciever hitch is just under the reciever on my ranch hand, and I can have a flatbed hooked up while winching a car up on it via the ranch hand receiver.
Been this way for 5 years with no problems. I just couldn't trust a bumper mounted hitch to some of my loads. Maybe y'all's bumpers mount differently than mine, mine is an older ranch hand that mounts like a regular bumper.
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'99 F250 PSD 4wd CC LWB, 262K Hard Miles!!!
Never been in the shop in it's life!!!
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