Please help with another tongue weight question

[CalvinT]

Fabricator welder here.
After examining my hitch and mounting of it, the main thing that makes the hitch weak is the cross-member it’s bolted to is pretty thin and could potentially twist like a pretzel with enough weight and leverage on it (extended hitch). Obviously the closer the ball is to that cross-member the stronger the assembly will be.
The good thing however is I don’t believe it will just all of a sudden snap off. It will probably start to sag before it breaks. Of course that depends on what kind of steel that cross-member’s made out of and how well it is welded (or bolted) to the outer frame rails. I need to go back look at that I guess.

Some of the aftermarket rear bumpers actually bolt to the stock bumper mounts AND that hitch mounting also, and that would stiffen it up some. But you won’t get any of them to admit if it helps with your tow rating or tongue weight limit, because they don’t want to be liable for saying it will tow more than the rating.

The published tow ratings for the Bronco, or any vehicle, are as much about safety, stability, cooling capacity and drive line durability as they are about weight carrying capacity. So using a stronger bumper or hitch connection won't increase the safe tow rating.

https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/1502-sae-j2807-tow-tests-the-standard

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[BlueWaffle]

No.... Extending the hitch WILL NOT reduce the tongue weight. It is the exact same weight.

But it WILL create additional leverage which is BAD for the weak hitch design. Essentially it will become a longer lever to try and twist the crossmember mount.

...... More leverage boils down to the equivalent of more weight.


Extensions absolutely reduce the safe tongue weight. Not an opinion.. just abiding by the laws of physics here.

 

[Fordified1]

The published tow ratings for the Bronco, or any vehicle, are as much about safety, stability, cooling capacity and drive line durability as they are about weight carrying capacity. So using a stronger bumper or hitch connection won't increase the safe tow rating.

https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/1502-sae-j2807-tow-tests-the-standard

Ok Karen. I didn’t tell anyone to tow more than it’s rated.

 

[CalvinT]

Ok Karen. I didn’t tell anyone to tow more than it’s rated.

I didn't say you did. But what does this imply?

Some of the aftermarket rear bumpers actually bolt to the stock bumper mounts AND that hitch mounting also, and that would stiffen it up some. But you won’t get any of them to admit if it helps with your tow rating or tongue weight limit, because they don’t want to be liable for saying it will tow more than the rating.

 

[Fordified1]

I didn't say you did. But what does this imply?

That if you’re gonna run a hitch extension and close to max tongue weight, you better think twice because that crossmember cannot handle the leverage. One of the bumpers that ties into the hitch would probably allow you to run a hitch extension or push the tongue weight a bit, but I am not implying anyone should tow more than the ratings. I believe the conversation had gone into leverage and maybe I should’ve been more clear.

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