Best 1997 Toyota Tacoma Front Receiver Hitches

Overall everything went well. The box arrived with a few holes in it, but the hitch and all bolts were there and just a couple of minor scratches. Installation was pretty much straight forward, a little more difficult on the ground as opposed to doing it from a lift but that is generally accepted by do it yourselfers. Tool list is more extensive if you torque the bolts properly, for instance you will need a crows foot that fits your torque wrench as you can’t get a socket on a couple of the bolts. I’m a tool crazy person so that is no problem for me! I preferred the Draw-tire brand as I could put the rock and gravel Shield back on my 2010 Toyota Tacoma. Looks good fits great and etrailer.com did a great job of delivering the product at a good price. Thanks etailer.com!

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The hardware is cheese. Stamped with grade 5, I would rather see grade 8 bolts, one snapped on me. My only problem is the hardware is cheesy, cheap . Grade 8 would be nice. I would rather see rust than know my bolts can snap at any time.

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Work great, was easy to install, instruction that it came with weren't great, but video online helped. Going to use it for a bike rack and Winch. There was some scratches on the hitch when I received it, I think you need to rethink you packaging, putting metal on metal and wrapping it Saran wrap just doesn't keep it from rubbing, I will have to touch it up. Thanks for the fast shipping.

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My front hitch for my 2008 Tacoma got to me within 3 days very fast service. I installed it in 30 minutes and was able to put the front skid plate back on without doing any other changes to it. Very good product. I will be using it to put my rod rack on front of truck to use it at the outer banks of North Carolina for surf fishing this coming fall. Thanks for a very good hitch.

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Dealing with etrailer.com was definitely easy. They very much so appreciate any and all business. Shipping was pretty quick and they kept me informed on my order status all the way through as well with follow up to make sure everything was satisfactory. I have a 2019 TRD Pro Tacoma, I opted to just replace my skid plate with a lighter one given the slight addition weight of the hitch. On top of the fact I didn’t want to have to cut such a pricey factory part. Everything installed easily and while I’ve never had much reason to use fish wires I can tell you in this situation it’s a lifesaver. If I recall some people had issues fitting a ratchet to the top nuts. I used my stubby bolt through ratchet set and worked pretty flawlessly. Got to say over all I have zero complaints, some people mentioned the loss of ground clearance and/or approach angle but it’s really not that intrusive. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking to make their Tacoma a little more versatile. My main objective was to be able to use my Surf Mate hitch rod/cooler set up without it getting in the way of the tailgate. Everything works great!

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Installed a Curt 31075 Front Hitch on a 2019 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro. Took about 2 hours since the skid plate needed to be removed and cut. I'm a little concerned about how deep under the bumper the receiver pin is. My purpose for installing is to use my SnowSport Plow. The interceptor for the plow is going to be close to the front license plate. The Pro right side hook had to be removed permanently but I did invert it and reinstall it just to fill the bolt holes it came from. 2 inches from the front of the Pro skid plate needed to be cut off. I split a commercial grade garden hose and covered the sharp cut edge. A receiver hitch plug was cut and inserted in the back (in photos). Thanks Curt, etrailer, Carol and Conner from etrailer.com. Hope the pictures help someone considering a front hitch on their TRD pro.

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Excellent website. Easy easy to find what you need for your truck year. Mine was a 2001 Tacoma. Had 6 bolt holes that were to line up perfectly but only 4 of mine did. They landed exactly where my original tow hooks were. The instructions that came with my front mount 2" reciever even showed the torque amounts. Quality quality material, welds and bolts. Took me about 20 minutes to do the job. Floor Jack put it right where I needed it. I did have to cut a little plastic valance tab to line everything up. I have an original NC frame. No rust here. No way to ream out a 9/16" hole to make the last two bolts line up. When I was done with the install I jacked up the whole front of my truck off the ground from the front reciever. Worked perfect. Strong. Very happy. Now to talk the wife into a "Badlands" winch. Hahahah

Ordered the front-trailer hitch receiver for my 2003 Toyota Tacoma, and it arrived in 2 days! My son and I wasnable to install it in 20 minutes. It came with the bolts, washers and nuts needed. Matched up perfectly as if it was a factory add-on.

Just what I was looking for. Thank you.

I ordered these two, front and rear for a 1990 GEO Tracker 4 wheel drive that I am rebuilding. I believed they would fit, I finally got around to mounting them and they don't fit, to large. I think I have had them to long to return them.

Bolted right up to my 2019 F-250. Looks like it's going to work perfect to haul my E-bike rack. I might have to use a dual receiver hitch to drop the rack down for better visibility while driving. That's to be determined. I'd highly recommend the Eco Hitch!!

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The hitch is great! Super stout. But, installation was a disappointment. There was a significant gap between the frame rails on the Ford. About 3/8 inch. Did some research and it seems some frames are different but can't confirm. I happen to have a piece of 3/8 steel plate that I was able to cut and drill and slide it in to take up the gap. Definitely extra work I wasn't planning on doing. I guess I'd still buy it again but if you're going to pay someone to install it then make sure they put a nice spacer in there and bot a bunch of washers. Again, not sure is this is a Ford inconsistency or an eco hitch problem. Because it's a hitch and needs to be 100% solid this should be looked into.

This hitch came quickly and I believe was priced fairly for what you get. Unfortunately, as some other have posted, this hitch is intended for my vehicle (1996 Ford E350 RV) but did not fit correctly. I had a problem with the front holes not being spaced far enough apart for the bolts to fit. The rearmost bolts go into a oversized and slotted hole in the underside of the frame so there was no problem with those, but the front holes in the frame have to be drilled out to 17/32" for the supplied 1/2" bolts per the included directions, and I couldn't get the bolts in both sides. The bolt holes in the hitch needed to be approximately 1/4" further apart. Also, there is a relief cut out of the hitch that I assume is to miss a bump on the under side of the frame. This cut out is in the wrong location to miss the bump in the frame. I went ahead and torched the slot for the bolt a little longer on one side and made the cut out for the frame bump bigger on both sides. A little grinding, a little touch-up paint, and back on she went. Had to notch the lower plastic valance just a little bit to clear the receiver, which was expected. Actually had to cut it a lot less than I thought I would. The two safety chain loops sit right under the valance, but I don't for see the need to hook anything to those, so I opted to not hack up the valance at this time. I intend to put a bike rack on the front, and also use the hitch to get drug onto the beach at Pismo from time to time. Hopefully the cuts I made don't weaken the hitch for that purpose. The directions call for this to be a 20 minute install. Granted, I took off the bumper, but even if I hadn't, and the hitch was fitted correctly, I find it hard to believe anybody could get this done in anywhere near that time. As another reviewer said, now that it's on, I'm a happy camper, but it was a little bit of a job to get there.

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The hitch is good quality but the hole pattern did not match my 2011 E150 Ford Van. The rear bolts fall in the access hole. I have to drill 3/4 holes in the frame instead of 17/32". I have to remove the whole front bumper because the accesshole is to small for the 1/2 carriage bolt.

Just what I needed. The hitch fit perfectly, all parts were there and the installation instructions were very clear.

Perfect hitch for those needing a rack for extra space. I used a heavy duty vinyl bag to enclose my tools, cords and generator on my 12k mile trip to alaska. The held that 500lbs extremely well across the permafrost damaged Alaskan highway! No twists, no bends and no worries!

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Needed a front hitch for a 2006 Ridgeline Honda truck. I found it on etrailer.com and a better price for same hitch on another online store. As I talked with the customer service agent, I was also offered a discount which was quite a surprise. Shipping was very fast. Had it installed on my truck so I could attach a mounting hitch and snow blade. I am extremely happy with this hitch and etrailer.com.

We live just south of Buffalo and Put this on our '11 Honda Ridgeline with a snowsport plow and a week later it snowed, and snowed and snowed... 5 feet in 24 hours and it's still snowing.... It's not good.... It's AWESOME! Not one driveway or even our street is clear... Except ours. It was easy to put together , easy to install and works exactly like it's advertised! It's November and it paid for itself already. Communication with etrailer was exceptional. We could not be happier with the whole setup.

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I bought this receiver to add front mounted 'accessories' on my 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara. I plan on using this to add an extra bicycle rack, a cargo basket, a receiver mounted winch or other 'accessories' needed for my Jeep when I take my family camping. It will also be useful for "front launching" a boat or parking a trailer in tight spots. It took me about an hour to install, although I had already previously removed the lower wind deflector cowling, so did not have to spend time removing it or cutting it for a finished look. Detaching and moving the top trim panel between the grill and the bumper is a must to facilitate the installation. The receiver fits pretty close, although you do have to manipulate it to get the holes to line up with the frame. Follow the instructions and do not tighten any of the bolts until you get it lined up and all the bolts in loosely, then torque it down. As noted in the instruction sheet, the driver's side of the receiver does not sit flush against the frame, there is about a 1/4" to 5/8" gap. The instructions say to use the extra split washers (in the kit) as filler, but they would just rattle around loose in there and provide any benefit, so I omitted them. Once tightened down, the receiver tube was not parallel to the ground, it is slightly higher in the front, sloping towards the rear. It is not off enough to affect my intended use, but may be bothersome to those with type 'A' attention to detail. Overall a good product that will add a lot of flexibility to my Jeep~

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Relatively easy install. Just have to be mechanically inclined. We use the hitch to carry a fish rack/cooler on a 2011 Jeep Wrangler. So far so good.

Road tested 4000 miles & off-road, Solid, Great ! I always wanted a front hitch, it is rad ! We had a great experience across the board. Ordered the front hitch mount and had a mechanic (Weld Tech/San Diego) install it, because they already had our van to install their lift kit. They charged me one hour labor. I can see that it fits well and is solid. We went on a 4000 mile adventure with a small motorcycle on the front hitch. etrailer has been a good source for for a few things now.

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I own a 2003 Ford E-450 RV cutaway and wanted a front hitch to carry our bicycles since our rear hitch is used for a trailer. I originally tried to mount the equivalent Curt front hitch, because of its cheaper cost, onto the vehicle. However, the Curt hitch wouldn't work because it can't adequately accommodate the slight downward hump in the truck's frame. This hump can barely be seen between the two hitch mounting bolts. The hump is on both the left and right side frame rails on my vehicle. If your frame is not totally flat (has even a small hump) you cannot use the Curt hitch. The Curt's small indentation on its mounting flange will not adequately accommodate the frame's hump. This Draw-Tite hitch, 65001, mounted perfectly on my vehicle and the installation procedures I used were exactly as depicted in the etrailer video for the E350 van. In the video, the technician uses a rotary file to expand the rearward holes to allow the insertion of the bolts. I had to do the same thing and bought a rotary file for my drill at my local home improvement store for less than $3. I did not have to use the rotary file on the forward holes. In addition, I have the larger Roadmaster front sway bar and steering stabilizer and as you can tell in the photo, there is plenty of room for the hitch.

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Added to use with a front winch. The install was not too difficult and the included instructions were spot-on. On my F250, the front tow hooks add to the strength of holding the hitch to the frame. On the F250 you do lose the OEM fog light location, but I used the wiring to add/relocate after-market fog lights. The set up has already proven helpful, pulling me out of a snow back while plowing. Just what I needed for some summer off road camping as well.

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I chose this product because it was among the more inexpensive front hitches I could find. I plan to build a t-bar for it and use it in conjunction with a homemade headache rack to carry 16 foot garage doors. Like other reviews and vids I have found, the bolt up is hard. I reversed the bolts and use the new ones on the outside, as well as removing my grill. My truck is a 2003 - so not much room like the 2008 and newer trucks.

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I chose Draw-tite because they are built very well and this one is no different. The welds are done well and I have no fear that this product will serve me well. The install wasnt to bad for a DIY type like me and the fit was excellent, only took a few hours. Knowing that I can now be pulled out of a bad situation or pull someone else out is comforting with the help of a hitch mounted winch. The Price was right and etrailer shipped it out fast although packing could use a smaller box . Oh yeah, UPS sure tested the toughness of this receiver ! . Great product and great service from etrailer

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im very satisfied with my front receiver. ive used it as a recovery point,to move trailers, and as a mount for bike rack and cargo holder. if i had a winch platethat would be very handy too. etrailerhad a fair price, quick shipping, and overall great customer service. i would use them again andrecommend to a friend as well.

This item showed up extremely poorly packaged with two holes in the box and paint missing where my hitch came out of the box and was beat up while being shipped.

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Ordered the same hitch from Amazon, and showed up not J-Pin ready, with (1) hole drilled for a hitch pin against the weld. Can't run the nut flush because of the interference with the weld bead, and no 7/16" hole present. Returned it. Ordered another one from etrailer direct. Called in the order to make sure they QC'd prior to shipping. Assured me they would. Box never opened, and the same nonsense showed up. Not happy, trying to work it out.

After a year of having this on my truck I can say that I wish I did it sooner! The installation is easy as can be. The hitch is super handy as both a tow point and also as a kind of skid plate/bumper. I have contacted multiple ecology blocks and other objects in my truck, the hitch is the first thing to touch so nothing on the truck gets damaged! This is a super strong, affordable, and versatile addition to any vehicle!

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VERY Easy install - not quite centered but that's no biggie - Used it already to fine tune the travel trailer into it's tight parking space. Also will be used for carhauler/utility trailer parking and canoe hauling and bike hauling and winch mount - Multi use deal! ; )

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I buy practically all my towing accessories from etrailer. One of the reasons why is that you can tell that they take the feedback of their customers seriously. I read a lot about previously shipped products having fell out of the box in certain areas. etrailer heard that feedback and my shipping box was reinforced in just the right areas that were talked about getting punched through in shipping. The tech notes video on the 2012 F-250 applied exactly on my 2016 F-250. All the measurement specifications were correct as well. This is a job that can be done by one person, albeit you'll have to be careful. Your second set of hands can be jack stands, as it was in my case. If you take your time in positioning everything - installation will be a breeze. I do agree with previous reviews - it would be nice to have a second fishing wire as it does get stretched out when pulling the first bolt through. That, or a heavier duty gauged wire - that's just a small detail however. If you're really concerned about it, you can buy a secondary fishing wire at around 5 bucks. I spent more time taking out and putting back in body clips than I did with the install of the hitch receiver hardware. I really like the way it looks and I'm excited to use it.

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I plan on installing it tomorrow, however first impressions are not good. The box it item was shipped in was extremely damaged. Torn, ripped and taped up on all sides. The delivery person said that due to the sharp edges and the face it wasn't secured in the box (lose) led to the damage. It appears the item was not packaged properly. I just hope all the parts are there. More to follow.

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Have used it a few times last fall to carry a cooler and fishing rod cart on the beach. So far have not had to use as a recovery to get pulled out of sand or pull another vehicle with the tow strap loop attachment that I bought as an additional accessory. The top mount on the bumper was ideal since gives more clearance than below bumper mount when in the sand. Keeps the cart up high. The paint on the hitch is very nice.

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The item was packaged poorly causing me to have to touch up prior to installation. Large box with no stuffing causing the item to rattle around. Probably got scratched on staples in the center of the box that served no purpose. The installation instruction were unclear and contained errors. There we multiple washers and you had to guess as to where to use them. Instructions showed bolts installed where there on holes

Fits perfect and works just as I needed it to. I use it for my SnowSport plow set-up on a 2022 Gladiator Sport Max Tow. I’ve been using front receivers for this same plow for the last 24 years. It’s been used on 5 different trucks and this front receiver mount plow is the BEST. *** When installing on a Gladiator(possibly the Wrangler as well), the front plastic trim below the bumper needs to be cut for receiver clearance. I wanted a tight and “factory looking” install, so I took my time with a vibrating cutter and very sharp utility knife. After trying to put it back in place, the hole is not just square, it’s shaped more like. “T”. I suggest you make small adjustments/cuts as you go forward. It may take several times fitting and cutting to get it right and tight, but in the end it does look like it came that way from JEEP. On the Max Tow package, there is also a metal skid plate that does not get reinstalled. Unfortunately that piece is where the back of the plastic fascia mounts. I ended up securing it with some long heavy-duty zip-ties and it’s worked well for a year now. Just an FYI for those installing the same receiver on their same vehicle.

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Product shipped and received on time. I'm very happy with the packaging. Hardware was included with instructions to install the hitches I purchased.

This was one of the easiest accessories I’ve installed on my Tundra. It is a front receiver hitch so I don’t use it very often. Mostly just for bike racks when towing a trailer, but when you need it you need it.

Straight forward and perfect fit on my 2008 Toyota Tundra!!

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Great product,easy installation and dealing with etrailer has been a real good experience.