ATV front 2" receiver and towbar

[Sodo]

Added a front hitch to my ATV so I can tow it with the tractor. Sometimes I want to leave the tractor where I'm working but need transportation back to the shop, for whatever I broke, or forgot. Towing the ATV seems to be a good way. ATV always has a chainsaw, gas, oil on it, But I can still can load more stuff on the ATV (shovels, pick, level, chains, winch, cooler etc)

Towbar has option to use a 2" trailer ball; can tow the ATV with my pickup too. It tows nicely forward. I drove thru the forest towing it, just followed along nicely. :thumbsup: ATV doesn't reverse well (being pushed by the towbar) if the steering turns, it goes to full lock and remains at full lock, the only thing you can do is go forward again, or walk back, straighten the handlebar and reverse a little, again.

OK first things first. Obligatory pic showing how I lifted the ATV front to save my aching back.



Made a little cardboard template for the bumper bracket.



Cut out the flat pattern with an abrasive cutoff blade on the angle grinder.



Bent the brackets, and ground them to fit the bumper tubing.



Welded the brackets onto the bumper.



Welded the receiver.



Receiver bolted on.

Receiver "cargo shelf" on front.



Hitch ball on front for maneuvering a small trailer or (?)

 

[BukitCase]

Shiny - NOT shiny - does not compute

But seriously, cool project - just one question, tho - are your ATV tires filled with Mercury, or is there ANOTHER reason the Kubota's back tire is airborne??!?

Enquiring (but shiny) minds wanna know... ... Mr. Shiny

 

[Big Barn]

But seriously, cool project - just one question, tho - are your ATV tires filled with Mercury, or is there ANOTHER reason the Kubota's back tire is airborne??!? Enquiring (but shiny) minds wanna know... ... Mr. Shiny

Pretty sure Sodo was killing two birds with one stone and doing a tire rotation.

Terry

 

[George2615]

Shiny - NOT shiny - does not compute

But seriously, cool project - just one question, tho - are your ATV tires filled with Mercury, or is there ANOTHER reason the Kubota's back tire is airborne??!?

Enquiring (but shiny) minds wanna know... ... Mr. Shiny

I think he likes 3 wheeling. His avatar shows the opposite rear wheel off the ground too.

 

[George2615]

Hey Sodo, check that lower lynch pin. Looks like its missing.

 

[Sodo]

Dang George! And I just got back from towing at 55 mph on the freeway! Lucky so far I guess.





Lynch pin is there,,,,, you can't see it because,,,,,, its too dang SHINY!

 

[Sodo]

Heres the towbar construction. Also have a clevis type attachment. All of my ATV hitches have this interchangeable swivel arrangement that use a large 1" thread and welded nut.

Lots of ways to make a simple one-degree hinge, I used these Harbor Freight "D-Ring Hitch" parts from my scrap pile, pinned them together for the "hinge".



Cutting off most of a HF 2" coupler. This coupler will be a "2" ball coupler attachment" for my ATV hitch swivel.



Cutting some old 3/8" welding test plates from the scrap pile. Some might consider these to be
"historical artifacts in the push to legalize 120v MIGs for TBN members" but here they
are being desecrated as basic scrap steel !



Tacked onto the shortened coupler.



1" thread stub tacked onto plate. Trued up and ready for the root weld. Ain't that somethin' - hobby/maintenance guy slingin' buzzwords like a pro welder!



The root weld.



2nd pass. Actually the hobby/maint guy just "welded it twice." but he HAS learned a LOT on this forum. :thumbsup:



Welding towbar (1 1/2" x .065" SQ tube) to the hinge. .065 is thin wall stuff, light weight. But theres no need for thicker to drag a 600 lb ATV around the farm. I have 1/8" wall SQ tube too - but decided I don't want to have to lift it every time. Sometimes weight just adds up to more stuff to carry around. Plus it would be unwise to subject the ATV bumper to more than the thinwall can withstand. Sorry just being the engineer,,,,,, Also it's just so easy to weld .065 with a MIG. If I had only a stick welder I would have used the 1/8" for sure.



Nut part of the swivel welded to towbar SQ tube.



The complete towbar.

Plugged into the ATV front receiver.

 

[farm boy00]

Shiny - NOT shiny - does not compute

But seriously, cool project - just one question, tho - are your ATV tires filled with Mercury, or is there ANOTHER reason the Kubota's back tire is airborne??!?

Enquiring (but shiny) minds wanna know... ... Mr. Shiny

Finally. Someone else who is addicted with shiny things

 

[Todd NE WY]

"Plus it would be unwise to subject the ATV bumper to more than the thinwall can withstand" No offense but are you sure the front bumper of that ATV is designed to be pulled down the highway at 55 mph? There are some forces which are multiplied exponentially at high speed. How would that thin wall hold up if the ATV hit something in the road and tipped over?

 

[Sodo]

Hmmm... Tractor's fine at 55 but yeah gotta watch those chuckholes!