BMac Attack
New member
+1 on the trailer wiring plug relocation.
I did this exact same mod, many thanks to rayra for posting how he did it.
I did this exact same mod, many thanks to rayra for posting how he did it.
A slightly silly exercise on a GMT800 Suburban, in the name of 'departure angle'
- Thread starter rayra
- Start date
PGW
Observer
I like your thinking.
If it was my 'Burb I'd consider...
* Suspension lift with 35's
* Mounting the trailer plug/connector elsewhere. On a custom steel bracket tucked up behind/alongside a frame member?
* Removing the spare tire and carrying it on a roof rack or on a swing-away arm on the back bumper (custom mount?)
* Putting a steel plate (a "ski") under the back cross member (might be as good as a roller?)
if you're feeling really aggressive you could always consider dovetailing the 'Burb
I'm planning to/have done just about all of those on my 2003 Yukon XL 2500. One thing I have been kicking around is having an exhaust shop cut off my tailpipe somewhere behind the rear axle and weld on a flange so it would be removable. Even if the back is well armored, the exhaust still hangs down. There may only be a handful of times I will ever have to drop down a ledge big enough to destroy my exhaust but it would be nice to be able to save my exhaust if needed.
tbisaacs
Adventurer
Reviving and Old thread. I plan on dropping hitch as well after bouncing off of it hard on the trail.
What you think about these bolted up like your hooks.
Just thinking that maybe these are less likely to get snagged by a ham fisted rookie like myself.
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What you think about these bolted up like your hooks.
Just thinking that maybe these are less likely to get snagged by a ham fisted rookie like myself.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
rayra
Expedition Leader
True, but the frame base isn't wide enough to bolt those plates on. You could however have something suitable welded on to the frame there (if you are deleting the hitch altogether) to mount a clevis eye to. You could even leave the eye / hook off until it's needed. Providing you aren't already bottomed out on it or buried in mud.
My theory on this is that you NEED to have something you can scrape on back there. The departure angle seems to be the limiting angle on these trucks (even on my truck with my huge winch overhang on the front). As such, it is better to scrape on a, thick, piece of metal rather than the weak bumpers these trucks have which will bend, and be a eyesore scraped up.
I know we all use these trucks differently off road, but IMO, on any forest road, eventually you will get in a situation where you will scrape (whether going over a fallen tree, or coming off a small step on trail because of a washout. Better to have something you can scrape or scoot off then bend your bumper, or worse leave your bumper behind in that one time you need it there. Because of the ability of having a piece of metal, your departure angle may even be "increased" because you won't have to worry about hitting because you can use it as a slide, which with just the bumper(even with the increase clearance) you wouldn't be able to.
While, these scrapes were from pretty extreme angles, you can see they became the point of impact. (and this is with the higher up Curt hitch, not the stock one)
I say leave the stock hitch on (good job on moving the trailer plug) or if upgrading go to the curt hitch because the curt sits an inch higher than the stock one and has some nice skid abilities.
JMHO
I know we all use these trucks differently off road, but IMO, on any forest road, eventually you will get in a situation where you will scrape (whether going over a fallen tree, or coming off a small step on trail because of a washout. Better to have something you can scrape or scoot off then bend your bumper, or worse leave your bumper behind in that one time you need it there. Because of the ability of having a piece of metal, your departure angle may even be "increased" because you won't have to worry about hitting because you can use it as a slide, which with just the bumper(even with the increase clearance) you wouldn't be able to.
While, these scrapes were from pretty extreme angles, you can see they became the point of impact. (and this is with the higher up Curt hitch, not the stock one)
I say leave the stock hitch on (good job on moving the trailer plug) or if upgrading go to the curt hitch because the curt sits an inch higher than the stock one and has some nice skid abilities.
JMHO
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rayra
Expedition Leader
I'm still doodling ideas for some kind of roller mod. Something that can take the weight of the vehicle and me position to make contact before the bottom of the bumper. But only just, to keep the weight on the drivetrain. A simple shackle braket sort of thing with a steel roller and sealed bearings. on somethnig like a steel rod or thick hardened bolt. Could be as simple as a piece of heavy wall tubing with some bearings sized to just fit the ID of the tubing.
Would be even better if the roller was free to swivel / rotate on a center bolt mount, as an aid to getting free of an obstacle. But that might be a bad idea if the rear of your vehicle shifts sideways when you are trying to stay off a wall. OR from going over a drop-off
Thinking about something similar on the leading edge of the rear axle mounting plates / shock mount
Just a bunch of ideas going in the 'when I get a wire-feed welder' pile.
Would be even better if the roller was free to swivel / rotate on a center bolt mount, as an aid to getting free of an obstacle. But that might be a bad idea if the rear of your vehicle shifts sideways when you are trying to stay off a wall. OR from going over a drop-off
Thinking about something similar on the leading edge of the rear axle mounting plates / shock mount
Just a bunch of ideas going in the 'when I get a wire-feed welder' pile.
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Bear in NM
Adventurer
Bit of an old school tag. I did the trailer plug mod on Avalanche last year, and did the replacement receiver at the same time. I went with a replacement plug, which has the 7 pin and 4 pin. Very happy with having things up a bit.
But, whether I am trailer or not, I run something in my rear (and front) hitch, as something better than dragging a bumper. My Avalanche is cladded, and getting replacement covers for an 02 bumper would be a dead end. It seems that dragging the rear bumper and tearing the cladding is somewhat common for folks who run their Av's hard.
Will be interested to see if you come up with something. One trick I saw in the trailer world is to use a felling wedge to create a contact surface that will slide. Those puppies are tough as nails. When I am doing my springs, I am gonna revisit trying to get something on the underside of bumper or near, to help.
Craig
But, whether I am trailer or not, I run something in my rear (and front) hitch, as something better than dragging a bumper. My Avalanche is cladded, and getting replacement covers for an 02 bumper would be a dead end. It seems that dragging the rear bumper and tearing the cladding is somewhat common for folks who run their Av's hard.
Will be interested to see if you come up with something. One trick I saw in the trailer world is to use a felling wedge to create a contact surface that will slide. Those puppies are tough as nails. When I am doing my springs, I am gonna revisit trying to get something on the underside of bumper or near, to help.
Craig
rayra
Expedition Leader
About the only thing I've managed so far is to take a grinder to the bottom sharp edges of my receiver, so it wouldn't dig in as hard. I'd like to add a thicker plate to its bottom with a sort of ski-tip upturn on it to help it ride over things better.
I'm also looking at the ends of the hitch tube as a potential mounting location for a roller mount. Or place to attach a steel wheel (on each end) that will hang below the plane of the rear departure angle, so they hopefully make ground contact before the rear bumper. But that might not work in stepped terrain. So it's probably better to have a skid or roller on the bumper brackets as close to the outer skin of the bumper as possible.
Maybe just something as simple as a bolt-on skid / slider that sandwiches between the hitch mount and frame rail, that extends out under the bumper, forming in essence a rear slider. A bumper for your bumper. A narrow margin between protecting your bumper and making your clearance problem worse. But if you are going ot fab that much might as well fab a new bumper that can take being dragged around.
Maybe something like roll cage tubing, dressed to fit just inside and just below the bottom edge of the bumper. Mounted to the existing bumper brackets and tied to the frame ends too. maybe I'll fiddle around with some 1-1/2" PVC / ABS scrap and take some pix this weekend. It would work kinda like a frame extension or a wheelie bar. So you'd bottom on the tubing, instead of your bumper. And being round tubing it would drag / grind better.
I'm also looking at the ends of the hitch tube as a potential mounting location for a roller mount. Or place to attach a steel wheel (on each end) that will hang below the plane of the rear departure angle, so they hopefully make ground contact before the rear bumper. But that might not work in stepped terrain. So it's probably better to have a skid or roller on the bumper brackets as close to the outer skin of the bumper as possible.
Maybe just something as simple as a bolt-on skid / slider that sandwiches between the hitch mount and frame rail, that extends out under the bumper, forming in essence a rear slider. A bumper for your bumper. A narrow margin between protecting your bumper and making your clearance problem worse. But if you are going ot fab that much might as well fab a new bumper that can take being dragged around.
Maybe something like roll cage tubing, dressed to fit just inside and just below the bottom edge of the bumper. Mounted to the existing bumper brackets and tied to the frame ends too. maybe I'll fiddle around with some 1-1/2" PVC / ABS scrap and take some pix this weekend. It would work kinda like a frame extension or a wheelie bar. So you'd bottom on the tubing, instead of your bumper. And being round tubing it would drag / grind better.
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Bear in NM
Adventurer
T'm going to do anything that elaborate. I am in the process of getting my rear hitch fine tuned for my trailer, and might just go with a simple "slide" on the bottom of my hitch. I have a slide in my front hitch, that I install when the receiver is not being used. The front hitch and slide decrease my overall departure angle a small amount, but my thinking is that I want that early warning, as when I feel my hitch start to hit, I darn well better be out of the vehicle, making an assessment. And luckily for me, my departure issues are typically arroyo crossings, and not boulder fields.
Craig
Craig