Need Trailer Hitch Installation Help

[Minishotglass]

I tried searching the forums but no cigar. For those of you who installed a trailer hitch onto your p5s, how in the hell did you manage to get the carriage bolt and the rectangular bar (circled in red) into the frame rail??? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Reitrof]

You should have as part of the install kit long wires with coils at one end. The bolt threads on to the coil and then use the other end of the wire to feed the wire and bolt thru the frame.

 

[Minishotglass]

You should have as part of the install kit long wires with coils at one end. The bolt threads on to the coil and then use the other end of the wire to feed the wire and bolt thru the frame.

Thanks. I got this trailer hitch second hand so no installation kit was included.....that part with the coils makes sense but how about the rectagular bar where the carriage bolt fits inside? Thanks.

 

[flash75]

I assume the two bars were included in your kit? You need them to keep the carriage bolts from spinning. As I recall from a Frontier hitch I installed 9 years ago, you thread the bolt into the spring-wire, run the wire through bar and insert the wire through the hole and pull the parts into the hole.

Clifton

 

[LindsaysTrachea]

Yeah. You probably will need to get a hold of some of these fish wires and pull the bolt and plate in from a larger hole. The plates are there to hold the carriage bolts and distribute the force from the bolt.

 

[Purrfectangel]

Your hitch looks different than mine. On my hitch there are two carriage bolts on each side and a long piece of metal on the hitch to connect them to the frame. But your hitch doesn't appear to have that piece of metal. That aside, the access hole should be big enough to shimmy the head of the screw and that small plate up through the hole.

So..

1) put plate or small piece of steel about 1/16 -1/8 in thick on bolt

2) take a small spring, attach a piece of wire to it, attach to end of bolt, shimmy through hole and let hang. Or find an access hole by dropping the frame a bit. Run wire through and pull.

You can use any spring and wire or you can put some double sided tape around the end of the screw, rap wire around tight and put some electrical tape over the top.

Hope this helps

 

[Minishotglass]

Thanks for all the replies yes I do have the rectangular plates since they are required for the install....it just appears so that the access hole isn't big enough (no pun intended lol) for the rectangular plates. I'm going to give it a shot.

 

[atgcpaul]

I have the same rack as Minishotglass had, and I can't get the 2 vertical tabs
on the hitch to slip onto the existing bumper bolts. It seems like the bolts are
too high up and the holes in the tabs are about 1/2" too low. I don't want to
drill larger holes in the hitch tabs if I don't have to.

If you installed this hitch, did you have this problem and how did you fix it?

Thanks, Paul

PS--I am very happy this forum exists--especially for the P5.

 

[slavrenz]

....it just appears so that the access hole isn't big enough. I'm going to give it a shot.

That's what she said!

Sorry man, I hope your trailer hitch issue goes okay. I have no experience in this area, but couldn't resist the comment. I've been watching too much of The Office...