Gen 2 Front Hitch Anyone ?

I’ve been living with the 4xInnovations Front Hitch for Gen 2 Tacomas since spring22. Solid and heavy piece of steel. Great welding. You can see in the pics how I’m using it so far. Other intended uses are many.

Anyone else with a front hitch? How are you using yours? Show pics please!

I’ve been asked twice now if the hitch came from the factory. When not in use I usually keep a rubber cover on it.


New Kuat 2 place bike rack. Sits too high. Need a hitch drop.


Ok, I admit I really only wanted this thing up front so I can tell people “Stop looking at my rack… hey eyes up here”. Seriously, people used to carry bikes in front in the 1970s all the time behind the land yacht station wagons and other sofas on wheels. They used racks that hooked into the hood latch I believe.


Can’t see it here but I have the 10” hitch drop at this point. Now with no bike on and the rack folded up, only about 6-8” is visible when driving.


This is my view with the 10” hitch drop and bike loaded. Taking the seat off helps a lot.

 

Interesting useage!
I've only used front hitches at work to push equipment like lifts in remote areas or to extend roof racks.

 

Just curious why you would prefer to have a bike rack on the front of the truck as opposed to the rear?

The most common reason for front hitches I’ve seen is folks who have boats or trailers that they need to fit into tight spaces or difficult turns, and it can be easier to maneuver them with a front hitch.

Or, both hitches being utilized. Back to tow, front for some type of storage.

 

I've only used mine for my winch. Mine is from Mobtown, RIP.

 

Being fairly new to it, I’m partly just trying it out. One to see how I like it. Two to see if cops stop me. So if I don’t get any flack from the cops, I should be good to load up the boat in back, bike in front for trips.

When the bike rack is not in use, it is most convenient up front and out of the way of the business end of a truck. I’m also starting to like it up there. I can see what is going on with it at different speeds, etc. One bike is my limit. Two bikes would be too much view obstruction.

 

Don't use it for much other than a recovery point and occasionally to snorkel a trailer in somewhere really tight and weird but I do have a front hitch.

I actually took my factory rear hitch chopped it and frenched it into notches I cut in the front frame, tied it into the lower bar as as well to strengthen that, it really stiffened up the front end, gave me a solid recovery point, a place to use a hitch winch if I ever needed to and more flexibility moving trailers.

Not the greatest picture but you can kinda see it here:

 

That shot is awesome

 

Thanks!

It's not as crazy as it may look, just a bit of a wash out, I cropped it to get a better view of the hitch, it's the best picture I have on my phone right now of it.

Here's the full, about as "crazy" (or mild really) as it gets in Florida unfortunately.



We got boring dirt, bad puddles and...

Well that's really about it.

 

I had them ship mine without the receiver welded on as I have a light bar in that vent and didn't want to relocate it. Mine site lower, and I had to cut a hole, but it is okay by me. Here it is with a winch in there as I was out pulling down an old tree for our solar array the get built. Usually there is just a license plate and the winch lives in the bed.

 

Having had to replace a bike last year from smashing it into the garage, the front makes a lot of sense.

 

Nice-you can do an easy snatch back to the truck for a double with that...

 

Yup yup!

 

Looking for something else I found some pictures of when I was doing it.




Mock up.









The no going back point of notching the frame, pretty sure this voids the warranty.









Modified and set in mock up.









The good god what am I even doing that's a huge hole realization.








The "Oh yeah; it's all coming together." point.







I tied it in to the chin bar to support it and the hitch, almost like I planned it! (I didn't the factory hitch is just huge.)









Looks pretty good with lipstick on it, you can kinda see I bent the lower tabs of the core supports and tied into my thickened and widened bumper mount pads.







I did everything with as much strength in mind as I could figure, to include adding the little 45 gussets you can see to the far left here:

 

I have the Mobtown hitch and use it to carry a Surf Rack with my bait cooler to serve as my fishing station.

 

This was my moment of commitment... cutting the bumper.



And a notch to the aluminum part...

 

Very nice!!!

 

I like that it can be so practical for carrying additional things or maneuvering a trailer. I don't have one, but sometimes I wish I did!

 

Have a mobotown front hitch, use it for my winch and front recovery points.

 

That's what I'm talking about! Holy crap that looks fun. With that setup you're casting lines and having beverages in seconds. Well done

 

If you ever decide to get one, I am very glad I took the chance with a hidden hitch instead of the one's that mount below the bumper.