SoCal Offroad Trip

[smo0othride]

found this site hope it helps

http://www.woodfam.com/ryan/expedition/tow-hooks.html

Awesome find.. thanks. Thats a lot of work to install some tow hooks though. I found some toggle bolts that would fit and they are rated at 5,000lbs each so that'd be 10,000lbs holding strength for 2 bolts in the hook... I wonder how that would work? (saves me from taking apart the bumper)

Also, I got this hook for the back, do you think the strap could be attached to the shackle part and then ran under the truck to the front to be towed forward or would that bend the hitch?
Panda how much trouble was it to tie to the frame last time?

 

[panda24619]

ive seen those before and i dont think you would want to pull forward on that if its in the back. maybe that if its like hooked to my rear end i can yank you out. i want one of those. but pay check is all gone. and i didnt buy the coil spacers. ill get around to doing that one of these weeks. but it wasnt that much of a pain to do it. just needed a D ring shackle. i wouldnt yank on it like we had it to much cause if i remember right it was resting on the bumper a little bit. but it did fine.

 

[nvycrmn]

running a strap from the rear under the truck to the front to be towed is a horrible idea. if for any reason you pull too hard or something, you could whip the rear end right around...not a good idea. did you check to see if the backing plate is already in the frame rails? some of them are welded in place so they dont rattle around. if there is one in there, no bolts required. the backing plate has the threads in it....at least on 1st gen.

 

[tallsville]

you could put this up front if all you need is way to be pulled out

http://www.etrailer.com/Front-Hitch/Ford/F-150/2004/65043.html?vehicleid=2004633303

 

[panda24619]

that could work. but it still seems like you would need to take off the bumper to fit it. we could just make due like we did last time. wasnt that much of a pain.

 

[panda24619]

so heres some good news with the little bit of rain weve had. anderson will be a little muddy! sweet!!!! but that means more rutts. o well. and when we going? and talls you gonna try and make it down?

 

[nvycrmn]

its not the ruts that will be the problem for smoothe if it rains, it will be the mud slicks when he is trying to control his slide INTO the ruts! hahaha. if its wet, i definitely see you pulling him out a lot during that trip. some of those ruts he wont get out of by himself if its muddy.

 

[etrailer]

that could work. but it still seems like you would need to take off the bumper to fit it. we could just make due like we did last time. wasnt that much of a pain.

You actually do not need to remove the front bumper to fit a front mount hitch on a 1998 Expedition, you would need a different part than what was mentioned earlier to fit your vehicle. The hitch pretty much bolts to the holes that were used to mount the optional tow hooks. There is probably a piece of fascia or trim underneath the bumper that will need to be removed or at least trimmed.

I can post a link to the proper hitch and the instructions, but before I do I want to make sure the Administrators are OK with us being on the forum. Mods/Admins, I have sent a PM to JUST4FUN about etrailer being on the forum. If I need to send a message to someone else, please let me know.

 

[tallsville]

@etrailer panda has a 1st gen. smooths has a 2nd gen as do i. we were talking about smooths truck. but since you are here will the hitch for the 04 f150 work on a 03 expedition(2nd gen)

 

[etrailer]

As best I can tell, the Draw-Tite you had referenced will not fit the Expeditions. Draw-Tite only offers front mounts for the 1997-2002 First Gen Expeditions.

Though the F-150 and Expedition have a lot in common, there are enough differences that even frame-mounted accessories don't always cross over. We have run into a few instances where customers purchased parts for the Expedition that were only meant to go on the F-150 and they thought it would be OK since they share the same platform.

Now, it appears that Curt does offer a solution for the Second Gen guys, so long as it is a 4WD with factory tow hooks. If it didn't come from the factory with the tow hooks, there is not a place to attach the front mount. It also allows you to retain the factory tow hooks.

We have it on our site for the F-150 and Lincoln Mark LT, but we do not have it listed as a fit for the Expedition. However, Curt does have it listed as a fit for the Expedition on their site. I will email my Curt guy to verify the fit, we always double check when we find a discrepancy.

 

[etrailer]

I heard back from my Curt contact. They do indeed have a front mount hitch that will fit 2003-2006 Expeditions 4WD that came equipped with tow hooks from the factory. We have updated our fit guide on our site.

As long as the forum Admins/Mods are OK with it, I can compile a whole list of front mount hitches with links to their pages on our site and links to the instruction files so you guys can make sure you find the right hitch and get a closer look at how they would install.

Patrick

 

[panda24619]

its not the ruts that will be the problem for smoothe if it rains, it will be the mud slicks when he is trying to control his slide INTO the ruts! hahaha. if its wet, i definitely see you pulling him out a lot during that trip. some of those ruts he wont get out of by himself if its muddy.

yeah but that makes it much more funn! haha and if we wait a week itll dry up a lot out there and be like a sticky mudd. not to slick. hard to explain. but still would be funn. but i think we should postpone the trip till you get back nvy. but if smooth and talls still want to go on the 15th or when ever were going im fine with that.
o and even if there is mud. we all have all terrains not mud terrains. well... idk about talls. maybe him too. so mud is just going to collect in there instead of clean out.

 

[smo0othride]

Yeah I still want to go on the 15th... that's a good day for me and I won't be available often after that. I looked at the weather and it's supposed to be sunny all week before friday so I'm thinking it should be pretty dry. Also, aren't we going to be going mostly downhill since we're going all the way through this time?

 

[panda24619]

yeah thats true. but there are some times where it is up hill. like i know the end goes under the 8 and then up and around. but okay the 15th should work. ill talk to the girl and see if she wants to come. and no dog this time. haha

 

[panda24619]

so just an update. the 15th works perfect with me. still gotta tell the boss not to call me in that day. gf is coming. and we need more people. so talls you coming? and i pmed mikegigabite b/c he lives over by my friends house. 1 block away. no kiding. my friend was showing me this sick ass expo that he wanted and sure enough it was his. haha but still no responce. and smooth ur still coming right? and nvy hope all goes well with ur house hunting.

 

[nvycrmn]

hope you guys have fun. wish i was going. good news is i got approved for the loan i want and i look at the house i want next friday. hopefully they take my bid. its 5bed 1bath 2400 sq feet with 5.5 acres, surrounded by nothing but corn fields! perfect for hunting!

 

[panda24619]

holy crap! thats going to be one stinky bathroom. haha i wouldnt mind a nice piece of land like that! get some deer going on the property and bang! dinner. haha

 

[nvycrmn]

trust me, first order of business is hunting!....then a 2nd bathroom! hahahhahah. my father is a carpenter so between him and I, i think we can manage. plus his specialty is bathrooms and kitchens so i think im good!

 

[smo0othride]

nvy.. sounds like you found a nice place, someday I hope I can get a place with a big piece of ground.
Panda, I'm still good for the 15th, I'll probably have 1 or 2 people with me. What time should we meet? The recovery strap I ordered should be here monday, and I think I might have found a (safe) way to put on hooks on the front without removing the bumper.. will post results once I get the parts.

 

[panda24619]

o nice nvy. yeah i would say a new bathroom is in order. ive always wanted a big chunk of land and big garage. and a kind of big house. haha
smooth, okay hopefully it works. my gfs coming with me and ill see if my friend wants to come. but as it looks its only going to be our trucks. not that big of a deal. o crap! i dont have a hi lift! ill bring my floor jack. itll work. i should have bought the one i saw on craigslist for $30. stupid! o well. and the weathers going to be high 70s so cooler this time around. and ill say the morning. 8ish again at the frys? or where ever. o and you have a new tire pump right? cause mine is in the dump now. it got toasted.