Front-Mount Hitches for 2012 Nissan Frontier

Question:

I am considering your front hitch for my 2012 Nissan Frontier 4x4 to hold a winch but am concerned about reducing my ground clearance as well as the approach angle for the front of the vehicle. Ideally the winch should mount up near the center of the grill. The hitch mount could easily be buried or underwater if the front tires get buried.

asked by: Kevin M

Expert Reply:

The two front-mount hitches we have for your 2012 Nissan Frontier, Draw-Tite # 65075 and Curt # 31241, both mount to the same points on the Frontier's frame and the bottom of the receiver tubes on both will be approximately 7-inches below the top of the mounting brackets. I measured both hitches in our warehouse to see if one offers more clearance than the other; they are virtually identical in this respect. Between the two I suggest the Draw-Tite since it has a higher vertical load rating and costs less too.

Keep in mind that if you had a winch mount installed in the hitch, and that mount extended vertically to position the winch higher up, further from the hitch tube, you would lose some of the hitch capacity due to the load being further away. This greater vertical distance becomes more leverage applied to the hitch tube. This increased leverage causes loss of hitch capacity, much in the same way that any hitch extender like # C45795 does.

expert reply by: Adam R