99-01 front hitch on 98?

[Elessar65]

Does anyone know if a front hitch for a 99-01 X will fit on my 98? I know the bumpers are different, but is the frame the same? I was planning on removing that stupid plastic valance thing with my fog lights in it anyways. Any other differences/problems I might run into? Any help would be great. Searched for a while on here and found a few threads with the same question/problem I have, but no resolution to it. Thanks

 

[Elessar65]

Anyone?

 

[MountaineerGreen]

The bumper opening probably won't be correct- the hitch should bolt up to the frame fine though.

 

[Elessar65]

Ok, cool. Thats about what I figured. I guess we shall see how it works. Thanks, needed to verify what I thought against someone who actually knows what they are talking about, haha.

 

[hworksinc]

Where did you find a front hitch for the '99-'01 Explorers? The only one I've seen is for the '95-'98 explorers...

http://www.gowarn.com/detail.asp?product_id=18411&GID=


*EDIT* Scratch that - I just saw info on a Curt hitch (p/n 31500) for '99-'01 - is that the one you were looking at?

 

[Elessar65]

yeah, thats the one

 

[Elessar65]

Ordered the curt front hitch. Don't know when it'll get here since my order is still "processing", but when it does and I put (or try to put) it on the truck I'll post the results for anyone who's interested. Maybe even a pic or two.

 

[Elessar65]

Well, had the day off today, so I figured I'd see if I could throw it on there. Bad news though, the bumper is about an inch too low. I'm going to find a sawzall and cut a notch in it for the hitch to fit into. now if I only knew someone who had a reciprocating saw. I'm not looking forward to spending an hour with a hack saw until my arm falls off.

 

[techieman33]

You could probably rent one pretty cheaply at home depot/lowes.

 

[Elessar65]

Good point. Transferred my registration from Indiana to Kansas this morning though. $116, I'm basically wiped out til Payday.

 

[IZwack]

If you're buying tools, a more versatile tool than a reciprocating saw is an angle grinder - for about the same price (4.5" is more than enough for 95% of us). A reciprocating saw is pretty much for cutting things apart where as a grinder can be used for cutting things apart and making things (depending on the attached wheel). Plus an angle grinder can be more precise. Of course both tools can be dangerous so just be careful where you point that thing :

 

[Lloyd10977]

If you're buying tools, a more versatile tool than a reciprocating saw is an angle grinder - for about the same price (4.5" is more than enough for 95% of us). A reciprocating saw is pretty much for cutting things apart where as a grinder can be used for cutting things apart and making things (depending on the attached wheel). Plus an angle grinder can be more precise. Of course both tools can be dangerous so just be careful where you point that thing :

I want to add my vote to what IZwack said. I have both a Ridgid recipricating saw and a Porter Cable grinder and I find that I used the grinder 10 times more often. For the grinder I have a variety of wheels for cutting metal, masonry, twisted wire brushes, sanding discs, buffing wheels, wire cup brushes. It is definitely a multipurpose tool.

 

[Elessar65]

I'll keep that in mind once I get to the point where I need to buy one. For now though I'm borrowing a sawz all from a guy at work, I just have to get a metal blade for it.