# Can you increase you tongue weight for a 600lb rear plow?



## WhitePlowr (Jan 8, 2011)

If i wanted to put a 600 lb rear plow on an XJ parts of the hitch or frame need to be beefed up or can it handle it beyond the stick numbers??


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## Brndnstffrd (Mar 8, 2013)

Just to start off i have no experience with rear plows, but I do have experience with xjs.
I'd probably start with replacing the factory hitch, since chances are by now it would be pretty rusty since they have been out of production for so long and the factory hitches tended to have bad rust issues. I've seen many snap right off leaving the bolts and the part where it mounts still on the jeep. Also some aftermarket ones are stronger, although its more the vehicle limiting the capabilities then hitch design.

Also if you do replace the hitch, i forget who makes them but there are plates with the nuts welded to them that go inside the frame channels and sandwich the frame in between the metal plate and the hitch. They are supposed to stop the bolts from pulling out and also distribute the weight on the hitch better. They are a pain in the ass to put in since the bumper has to get taken off (good luck if the truck has seen snow) and have to be wiggled and persuaded into position.

There are companies out there who do make exotic stuff like frame braces and body braces etc but I don't know if they are needed or worth the expense for this purpose.

Maybe someone else will jump in with more experience/knowledge and give some more input.


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## WhitePlowr (Jan 8, 2011)

I replaced the hitch with the CURT one which is a 500lb and 600 lb distrib
I also made custom thicker grade 8 nut strips to put in the frame so i did beef it up a bit but now im going for more weight


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## Brndnstffrd (Mar 8, 2013)

I just put that same curt hitch on one this summer. Like i said i only know about towing with them, and have no experience with rear plows, so unless someone else knows otherwise, the hitch and the nut strips are about all you can do without doing anything custom. 

Have you done anything to deal with the rear squat? Also I know your question was about tongue weights, but do you have a transmission cooler?


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