BlueBaby, I had the same experience with my Smittybilt Stryker bumper as the hitch does not bolt to the factory crossmember, only to the bumper itself. I run a hitch skid to deflect the object past the bottom of the spare. I cut a factory hitch and a insert and it will bolt to the muffler side of the rear crossmember with the bolts going through the Smittybilt bumper. I then cut the insert to makes a tube that goes through both the piece of factory hitch and into the back of Smittybilt hitch. I welded it all together to keep the skid from bending upward when it contacts an obstacle.

 

Yup