Removed trailer hitch and spare , to lose ~130 lbs...questions:
Had to lift the bed to get this boat anchor off the truck. I never tow....
Where do I find the brackets to remount the stock bumper ?

What is the purpose of that over built structure ?
How does the damper work ?
Even the trucks without the towing package have this structure.
What is the purpose of having so much weight on the tail ? I'll trade driving slower in the wet for dragging around this weight in the tail.

 

So you don't carry a spare tire just to save on some weight in the truck?

 

Where do I find the brackets to remount the stock bumper ?

Other than cutting them off the tow bar or fabricating your own.
Good Question!

 

Spare never gets used, as I'd rather plug and inflate the tire on the side of the road. I ride motorcycles so i'm very conscious to inspect my tires. I can't imagine a complete blow out without there being some signs. Swap it out before it fails...

If I get a flat, plug the tire and inflate it on the spot. So much easier than swapping out a tire on the side of the freeway or road.

Besides I'm getting 22-24 mpg on the freeway....at 60-65 .

 

Well there has to be some kind of brackets to mount your bumper back up because how do they mount the bumper from the factory if it doesn't have a trailer hitch installed.

 

@motoscience, I looked at that I while back and asked the same question. Maybe I'll fab a couple pieces of metal into brackets and/or bolt a 2x6 to the rear end. It's probably lighter than that bumper...
20-22 mpg @ 60-65? That's where my truck hovers now. I figure I can drop a couple hundred pounds and push it to 24.

 

They all come with that same bumper support hunk of metal.....the trailer hitch can be added to any Dodge Ram. The damper counter acts some sort vibrations associated with towing ....? Is this an SLT feature ?

Does the frame really need this bracing ? Don't know...

Without this rear bumper support , there is no way to bolt the bumper back on. Ergo, I have cut the mounts off to mount the stock bumper.
One slight problem is the center support for the bumper will be gone.

The stock bumper doesn't weigh much, and it sure beats the 2x6
bumper look.....

I'm surprised this has not come up and that somebody doesn't make an aftermarket mount.

 

i pulled my spare off aswell.. my tires are bigger then stock so it dose me no good anyhow

 

Pulled off the spare and about 500lbs+ of weight reduction but never really cared about mpg w/ this barge

 

Sorry for going ot on the thread