CURT31604 2-Inch Front Receiver Hitch, Select Dodge Ram 1500, 2500, 3500

I purchased this hitch to mount on my 1996 ram 2500 diesel primarily because there are no front tow hooks and to get tow hooks is almost 2/3 the price of this hitch. I also have a trailer that I need to maneuver into a small garage door opening with only a couple inches clearance on each side and must be parked at an angle due to the driveway. Do-able but usually with several forward back corrections to get it as straight as possible. This should solve both problems.I was expecting this to be harder to install than the advertised 45 minutes based on the other reviews. They were right. I probably spent 5 or 6 hours. I have all the tools and experience required, drilling the holes was no problem. The part I found to be the problem was the middle bolt that I had to drill out. At first I COULD NOT get the bolt to come through the hole straight no matter what I tried. After spending an hour trying to feed a single bolt through the frame with the fish wire I found out the problem was that the large flat washer was too long and was hitting the front of the frame box so it would not sit flat on the frame side and allow the carriage bolt to come through the hole properly. I ended up cutting the washer down about 1/4" on each side. After that was done it fed through properly. The next issue was the bumper support arms did not want to line up properly without using the floor jack to hold everything in place so I could feed the final bolt through the rear.The paper instructions were not that helpful, but there is a video on youtube that Curt put up showing the installation which was helpful to watch, of course it went much more smoothly in the video than real life. I really hoped this was not going to hang down and look like scaffolding under my truck but with the stock air dam trimmed around the receiver it is very well hidden. Overall the hitch is very well made and looks good. Installation was a real pain but it was do-able. The fish wire is much-much more durable that it looks. The last few bolts I fished through with a completely bent up wire that was only barely holding a couple threads. It was difficult to get it unscrewed off the bolt by the time it was through the hole thus I got frustrated and just started bending it up unwinding it off the threads. A small pencil magnet is also helpful to feed through the nut and grab the bolt so you can try to hold onto it while threading the nut so you do not accidentally push it back into the frame. If you do loose the hardware in the frame you can fish it back out with a flexible magnetic pickup and some patience.

I am FAR from an automotive tech. Heck, I don't even change my own oil, but the install of this hitch was still possible. I have an 1994 Dodge Ram 1500 the doesn't have factory hooks or any reliable tow-point (recovery point) on the front end. I have only gotten stuck once that I needed a pick-point up front but didn't have it that one time so I got this hitch. Is a front hitch a bit overkill? Maybe...but it is kind-of unique and fun. As stated, you remove 2 of the 3 bumper bolts to mount the hitch. You MUST remove the U-Bolt in the front; They provide 4 bolts, spacers, and nuts for the U-Bolts you remove so it is not a huge deal, but don't try and skimp out.Note: This is ONLY bolt on if all holes are present. They were NOT on my vehicle. Supposedly you *can* use the hitch with only 4 of the 6 bolts but, that's bad practice if you're putting stress on it. (Vehicle recovery from snow drifts) It recommends an 11/32 in. drill bit to drill the hole. Those are online only orders so I used a 1/2 in. and although it is VERY tight getting the bolt in, it IS possible, it just takes patience. Also note that the hardware is Grade 5 hardware, not your standard/typical hardware store 'stuff'. You also should use a torque wrench, as per the install manual, to snug up the fasteners.Word of warning. The packaging on this hitch is terrible. The steel is simply placed in a box with the hardware taped onto the receiver. No packaging material at all inside the box which makes them a real hassle to move around as it tilts, wobbles, and such. It is also unstable in all orientations except flat on it's back.Great hitch though and it adds a tow-point/recovery point to the front of vehicles that for some reason or another (Normal Dodge bad ideas) don't have one.

My mechanic said this is the most difficult front receiver he has installed. The bolts are too short to draw the front mounting tabs into the frame, so he had to bend the tabs inward 1/4 inch using a torch. The front bumper mounting brackets had to be modified. He had to burn larger openings for the front mounting tab bolts inside the frame. The plus side is that my steering box modification could stay, and now that HE did the work, it is a great installation. Looks good. I am pleased with the purchase as long as a really qualified mechanic does the install. Now I can install a winch or maneuver the trailer with the front mounted stinger. Needed about 1 inch longer bolts.

Rusted-bolts that needed to be cut off? Check.Holes that didn't align 100%? Check.Difficult to install without scratching it and getting a perfect fit? Check.Drilling, modifying, a little fabrication? Check.I installed this on the front end of my Ram and I must say that every problem I encountered was mostly due to the truck. This receiver was probably modeled for a frame of a newed ram with an E-Coat frame where as mine is a wax-coat. There are finite differences between the two so if you want it be professionally installed you should have some experience beyond oil changes and brake jobs. Or hire someone who know what they are doing.The build quality is excellent - right down to the welds. The coating is rock-solid. On my Ram it hangs just-right - in the middle of the front lower valance. A little careful trimming and it is barely noticeable. I purchased this to hang a heavy-duty removable winch, have a SOLID place to chain to the front of the truck, strengthen the front structure (forums mention some kind of "wander" that I never really noticed but now there's not a bit of flex in the front frame rails) and have the piece of mind that comes from knowing if someday the truck will get backed into....and that person will have a really bad day when they meet the hitch....

Installation was a major pain but definitely worth the time and effort. You could hang a 3/4 ton truck off this it's so strong and stout. I love it.

Works perfect, bought it to attach a medium duty snow plow that connects via a 2” hitch , solid construction, works a designed. I would recommend that you watch the installation video before ordering as it is not a simple installation (requires some drilling and levering to get it properly installed)

Great front hitch. Fairly easy to install.... a couple things had to be modified on a 2001 Ram. Good price and quality.

Super