Trailer Hitch Installation continued: Part 2:

After much trial & error, here is the shot of the bolts & spacers in the correct position:

Next I got under the back of the car & lifted the left side of the hitch up & into position over the muffler. I let it rest on top of the muffler & lifted the right side up & carefully started the nuts onto the exposed bolt ends. This was difficult because I was on my back, holding the hitch up with one hand & trying to thread a nut onto a loosely fitting bolt with the other hand. I had to start & stop a couple times because the hitch was so heavy. Lots of moving the hitch around & trying to start the nut onto the threads without pushing the bolt up into the frame rail. This is one of the places where a lift would be a big advantage! Finally I got all the nuts hand-tightened:

The instructions say to slide the hitch over to the passenger side & then tighten & torque to 75 lb/ft:

Trailer Hitch Installed:


Tounge installed:

The ball I got with the trailer didn't fit the tounge. I had to buy a 3/4" shank, 1 7/8" chrome hitch ball (mfg: Reese= $10.76 at Advance Auto parts):

Overall the job took about 1 1/2 hours start to finish!
I hope to go ride my dirt bike this weekend with my new trailer! Proud pictures to follow...

 

Very nicely done!

 

Great of you to take pics. Unfortunately I don't have the patience to stop and take um. Glad you do for those that it helps.

 

Nice job, & good write up & pics (as usual) from you !!!!

 

Nice post on putting on hitch. I put mine on after being told that my new HHR didn't come with cross rails for the side rails($350 for the cross rails) I had a car top carrier that I was going to put on,but I got another idea. Why not put on a hitch and build a trailer using my carrier. Found a small trailer kit at Harbor Freight tools that matched the size of my carrier

 

I installed a "Hidden Hitch" trailer hitch and the installation was pretty much identical. I found an old spacer with carriage bolt and an old spring/hook inside the frame when installing the new one, from a previous owner who probably quit when trying to install a hitch...

 

Thanks for the how-to. I've been thinking about putting a hitch on but I've been waiting to find a good deal on a small trailer first. It's going to have to wait till spring now. Too darn cold to be crawling around on the ground now.

 

Stopping & taking pics is a pain (& it def makes the job longer) but I have learned a lot about my car by checking out this site. I love to take pictures anyway so..

 

I like it!

 

That's too funny. I thought about leaving it in there once or twice myself trust me! haha