Can I Install a Hitch on My Car

February 14, 2022 Post a Comment

How to Install a Tow Hitch on Your Car or Truck

At a glance

Whether you need a tow hitch for your automobile or rental truck, installation is fairly common (and relatively easy). Information technology tin can get complicated on certain cars and with some hitch types, but near elementary installations require only basic tools, and so you lot won't have to splurge on a new toolbox merely for this project.

We've broken down the whole trailer hitch installation process and then you can save some greenbacks (and learn a new skill to testify off to your friends):

Know your numbers
Get your workspace fix
Prepare your car for installation
Attach the hitch
Tighten the bolts
Double-check your work

If DIY installation seems likewise complicated, don't be afraid to call a professional installer! Your mechanic, car dealer, or automobile shop staff can assist (and nosotros won't gauge).

half-dozen steps to a DIY tow hitch installation

Tow hitch installation is fairly elementary in theory, but depending on your motorcar and tow hitch blazon, the procedure tin can get a li'l tricky in practice.

Hither are the six basic steps for a standard tow hitch installation.

1. Know your numbers

First things start: to choose the right trailer hitch, you gotta know how much your car tin tow. The last thing you'd desire to do is drill a tow hitch designed for a heavy-duty truck onto your hatchback.

You tin commonly discover your towing chapters in your vehicle manual. You tin can besides requite it a good Google search or call your car dealership (they should take this info handy).

Your towing chapters helps y'all pick the correct hitch, only information technology also tells you how much stuff y'all can adhere to that hitch. Once you lot've figured out the maximum amount your vehicle tin tow and found a trailer hitch, decrease the weight of the tow hitch itself.

For example: if your car's tow limit is 8,000 pounds and your tow hitch weighs 150 pounds, you'd be able to tow only 7,850 pounds' worth of trailer and cargo. Then if y'all're hauling a moving trailer filled with everything you lot ain, y'all'll want to ensure that unabridged weight is below your car's tow capacity.

A skilful dominion of thumb: don't ever get over your tow limit! If you want to acquire the ins and outs of towing capacities then you tin can do the math yourself, Curt Manufacturing has a user-friendly guide.

Types of tow hitches

Your typical receiver hitches fall into v dissimilar classes (aptly named class I to class V) based on towing chapters. The hitch class you choose will depend on whether you're towing a snowplow or a moving trailer filled with bedroom furniture.

At that place are also a diverseness of other heavy-duty hitch types for different vehicles and uses. Here's the 411.

Tow hitch types

Hitch type	Compatible vehicles	Main use	Average maximum weight limit
Bumper hitch	Some SUVs and minivans, virtually trucks	Bike rack, cargo carrier, ball mountain–compatible trailers	~6,000 lbs.
Front mount hitch	Trucks and SUVs, some cars	Trailers, snowplows	~9,000 lbs.
Rear receiver hitch	Most cars and trucks	Lite trailers	20,000 lbs.
Weight distribution hitch	Most cars and trucks (requires hitch receiver)	Heavy-duty trailers, campers	15,000 lbs.
5th cycle hitch	Pickup trucks	Heavy-duty tractors and trailers	xxx,000 lbs.
Gooseneck hitch	Pickup trucks	Heavy-duty tractors and trailers, agricultural employ	thirty,000 lbs.
Pintle hitch	Heavy-duty trucks	Construction, agricultural, and armed services apply	lx,000 lbs.

*Images sourced from Dwelling house Depot

FYI: Most heavy-duty trucks come with a rear receiver hitch already attached. Depending on what you're towing, though, you might demand to install a different blazon.

2. Get your workspace ready

Earlier y'all go downwards and muddy with your tow hitch, y'all'll need to brand sure you have the right equipment. This will depend on the auto and tow hitch type y'all're working with—refer to your hitch didactics transmission to figure out what y'all demand for installation.

Here are the basics to have on hand for most installations:

Wire tube brush
Lubricant
C-clamp
Torque wrench
Wheel chocks
Pin and clip
Power drill (if your vehicle doesn't already have holes)

If you're pulling your new tow hitch right out of its box, you'll probable find the washers, bolts, and instructions inside the hitch itself. Accept these pieces out of their packaging and go on them within reach.

Next, make sure you have good light If you're installing your tow hitch in your garage or a place with dim lighting. Plug in extra lights or accept someone shine a flashlight for you lot.

Brand sure you have your instruction manual on mitt. It'south your friend—trust it, employ it, and keep information technology close. Then assemble your entire hitch (if information technology isn't already) per the manufacturer's instructions.

A tip to go along your back rubber: if your tow hitch weighs more than 50 pounds, play it safe and call a friend to assist you lift information technology. (And even if it's lighter, we recommend you lot have someone nearby to aid regardless.)

3. Fix your car

Before you just wedge your hitch into its place, you'll want to make sure your vehicle is secured, clean, and articulate of any obstacles to installation. Here are a few steps to accept:

Activate your parking brake: this is the first safeguard confronting rolling.
Brimming your wheels: firmly place 2 wedges in the center of both rear tires in case your vehicle accidentally rolls. For peace of mind, feel costless to put chock wheels on the other side of the tires too.
Remove the spare tire: depending on where your vehicle's spare lives, information technology may get in your way.
Jack your car: this step isn't required, but this can give y'all more working room.
Remove any plugs or bolts from your car: some hitches require that you remove certain parts and pieces to make space for the bodily tow hitch. You tin check your instructions to see if this step is necessary.
Clean thoroughly: apply a wire tube brush and lubricant to clean the holes in your car your hitch will hook into. (Don't cut corners by using an old toothbrush—it doesn't get the job done every bit well!)
Drill holes: if your car or truck doesn't have pre-drilled holes for hitch mount installation, you'll probably need to drill them into the frame of your vehicle. (Some tow hitches, like the CURT hitch, have no-drill installation.)

4. Attach the hitch

Now your auto is prepare for the main outcome: attaching your hitch. Here's how to proceed:

Lift the hitch into position: if you have a friend nearby to assist, this is when you'll want them to assistance.
Adhere the hitch to the frame of your vehicle: use C-clamps to hold information technology in place.
Tighten the bolts: use your easily to tighten them just plenty and then that your hitch stays in place, but don't worry about torquing them just all the same (we'll get to that subsequently on). Adjust the other side to finger-tight equally well.

CHECKPOINT: Does your trailer have a brawl mount and a trailer ball? If non, here'due south a quick installation how-to.

How to install a ball mountain

If yous think installing your tow hitch was straightforward, you're in luck: installing a ball mountain is even easier (and takes nearly v minutes.) Here are the steps to follow:

Insert the ball mount shank (the heavy foursquare part) into the receiver tube you just installed on your vehicle.
Adjust until the holes on the shank and receiver tube line upwards.
Secure the mount using a hitch lock or pin and clip (the matter that looks like a behemothic bobby pin).

Voila! You're done. Be sure to wiggle the brawl mount back and forth to test how firmly in place the mounts are.

If your ball mount rattles loudly while you drive, y'all can buy anti-rattle kits for certain types of mounts online through Amazon or at places similar Home Depot, O'Reilly, or your friendly neighborhood auto repair shop.

How to install a trailer ball

If your ball mount didn't come with a trailer ball, yous'll demand to add one. Otherwise, you won't exist able to tow anything! Trailer balls come in different widths and configurations, so brand sure you purchase the right size for what you're towing.

Luckily, merely like installing a brawl mount, it'south a pretty simple process:

Remove the nut and washer from the shank you've been working on using a wrench. One time it's looser, you lot may be able to utilise your fingers.
Insert the shank into the ball mount's hole.
Replace the washer and nut and tighten them with your fingers.
Once yous're no longer able to tighten the trailer brawl with your fingers, use a torque wrench to cease the task.

five. Tighten the bolts

One time your hitch is attached, tighten the bolts equally much every bit you tin can with your fingers. When you accept all the bolts in identify, use your torque wrench to tighten them to the values listed on your tow hitch's education manual.

Finally, connect any electrical wiring for your restriction lights and turn signals.

To legally tow a trailer, your vehicle's brake lights and turn signals demand to exist wired to your tow hitch through a trailer wiring harness. A trailer wiring harness is a wire that extends from the dorsum of your vehicle to your trailer.

Lots of trucks and SUVs come pre-wired for tow hitches and trailers, but if yours isn't, yous'll need to purchase and install a trailer wiring harness.

We won't get into the weeds on wiring hither, simply you can observe how-to videos on YouTube or consult a professional.

half-dozen. Double-bank check your work

Test the security of your tow hitch by shaking, wiggling, and tugging on it, and bank check your brakes and turn signals to make sure your wiring is sound!

Rubber offset—don't tow anything unless you're sure that your hitch is installed correctly. And if you need reassurance, have any professional person hitch installer check your handiwork.

Written by

Julia Campbell

Julia Campbell is a full-fourth dimension writer who knows the tricks of the merchandise when it comes to planning a hassle-free move. Having moved 7 times in the by five years, she draws from her own experience and industry expertise to help you avert her biggest mistakes (like that time she thought she could get away with packing her dishes without wrapping them showtime).

stewartsaidee1971.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.move.org/how-to-install-hitch/