for max stability in long-drop hitching, you might consider a modified 3-point hitch, similar to what a farm-tractor uses, but, of course, not identical
picture an A-frame, attached to some angle-iron bracketry that is BOLTED to the frame, up near the spare-tire area, (use pre-existing bolt holes to mount your brackets, and fasten w/grade-8 hardware)
the "legs" of the A need frame attachment, and the apex of the A is to attach, by a pin-joint, to the back of the drop, opposite from the ball-mount portion of the tongue---
for easy adjustability, make it modular--
1. use 2 pieces of 1" galvanized pipe for the struts
2. use 7/8" allthread and 6 matching nuts for length adjustment (2 nuts to be welded solidly to end of struts, and then the allthread screwed into the end thereof)(save the strut-threading for later)
(2 nuts to be welded direct to allthread to make 2 really big bolts, and 2 to be used as jam-nut next to bracketry)
make your frame-bolted bracketry, and poke the big allthread thru a 1" washered hole in your bracketry---nut them loosely with the 2 unwelded nuts ---now you have a really large bolt, to be attached to a large strut, hanging loosely in your bracket
for the near-ball (lower) end, get a short (2-4") piece of the same drawbar stock that your drop is made of.
bore an 11/16" hole thru it, in one press, slowly with lots of cutting oil. this will accomodate a 5/8 hardened pin like what you already use w/ the rec'r hitch
weld the piece of drawbar to the back of your drop, at approximately the same level as the ball, so that the open end will point toward the front of your truck, probably aimed right toward your axle-pumpkin.
now, bore another 11/16 hole into the other end of the large piece
take the 2 struts, and a couple of short pieces of angle-iron, weld the angle-irons to the ends of the struts in such a manner as to have flat inserts to poke into the piece of drawbar, and drill them thru, also, so that a standard 5/8"hitch-pin will hold them.
once all this fab-work is done, simply start the threads of your big bolts into the strut ends, run them up until they have shortened enough to pin the other ends into your box.
now, tighten whole ass'y with a big wrench, and hitch up. if you want some flex, simply back the jam-nut down a turn or two, and wrap some baling wire around the bolt-threads to prevent it from spinning down too far. ---- your post caught my eye, because i call my garage "bigugly engineering"--happy dragging--rich
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