Bull Bar with Front Hitch?

I have a 2500 so it's probably a little different then most, but I was wondering if anyone has come across a Bull Bar or grill guard that does not interfere with the way the front hitches mount?  My front hitch bolts into the frame on the outside and bottom of each frame rail sticking out using the tow hooks bolt holes to secure.  All of the front bull bars I have come across use this same bolting pattern and appear as if they would interfere.  Maybe someone already has one and figured out a way to make this work.  Only thing I can see is custom brackets?

Anybody?

I never really looked around for one, but I'll see what I can come up with.

I believe one of the guys has a lifted truck that has one.but I don't know if he has a front hitch.

This is 2002blackedout2500

The problem isn't finding one, I can seem to find plenty listed, but when looking at the install directions it looks like they using the same mounting spot as the front hitch.  Seems like I'd need to order one of the generic ones without the mounting hardware and just fab up my own mounts.  Thanks for looking!  Just one more reason to convince the wife I really do need a welder.

That sounds like a good idea, post some pic and let us know how you come out.

I would suggest fabbing your own mounts is the way to go 
As MSO3 2500 said...post some pics when you do it, would love to see how it comes out!

This is what I did.

AV2500... how does that guard and hitch assembly mount to the frame?

I have a front guard that looks like it mounts similar to yours, but I don't trust it to mount D Rings or a receiver on it.  But the frame mounts to your guard might be better than mine.  That's why I'd like to see them, so maybe I can modify my frame mounts accordingly.

I basically made a custom front hitch that incorporated mounts for the grill gard. None of the mounting hardware or brackets that came with the grill gard were used. The hitch is made of 3 inch thick wall square tubing and 3 inch thick wall angle iron. All bolted to the frame.

Yes, I can easily see the 3" tubing.

What I'm trying to see is how the assembly is mounted to the frame.  The frame isn't thick walled, so it has been a challenge for me to think about how to attach something thick and heavy to something thin and light, and still get the performance expected from something thick and heavy.

I had the same challenge on the rear receiver hitch, which I removed and remounted.  At first, I purchased the Reese Titan 45013, but when I looked at how thin the rear of the 2500 frame was, and noticed how the Reese sideplates hang in line with the open end of the G channel, rather than the web, I decided to put the 45013 back in the box, and put the original GM hitch back on.

Then, I made some reinforcement brackets to drop into the top side of the bottom flange of the frame, so that the lower frame flange is sandwiched between the upside  down "U" hitch bracket and my reinforcement plates.  But then I decided that the reinforcement plate was too thick inside the frame, and would create an isolated stress riser at the forward edge of the plate.  With the expected cyclical stress concentrated on that pinpointed transition zone between super thick and stiff, to suddenly thin again, I felt that the frame would fail there from fatigue cycling. 

So I didn't install that reinforcement, but instead made a smaller, thinner reinforcement plate intended to distribute the cyclical stresses more gradually across a broader area of the frame.  Ended up going with that, because at the very least, the frame flange reinforcement plates reduce the mounting hole wallowing failures I've seen in the past.  But  there is no practical way to test my ideas  to address these concerns.  It's all guess work on my part... just looking at other failures and noting successes, and attempting to avoid mistakes and copy good ideas.

So, I'm kind of hoping to see your idea!  (as far as how you mounted to the front frame)

It is kind of hard to get a pick but I did the best i could. Basically the 3 inch angle iron slides perfectly inside the frame, and I bolted it up. Also I notched the angle iron to slide under the round tube that goes through the frame, so ti would go back further and distribute the load better. The d rings have held up to me snatching on a few stumps and stuck vehicles.

I see... you deleted the factory tow hooks and used the holes that the factory tow hooks used to be in, right?

Yes and added a few new bolt holes

I have a 11' and I have basically the same brush guard. I got mine from Hunter. http://www.ebay.com/itm/120988502240
Mine also slid into the frame easily but the universal mount was a wee bit longer than it needed to be and didn't fit 100%. I just cut the excess so it was to length and was able to slide the tow hooks back in over that.

I also used grade 8 bolts instead of what came with the kit just to be safer.