1. Prior
to installation, it is good practice to loosely Assemble the hitch,
install the drawbar, pin and clip and hold
the hitch up into position. This will allow
identification of any obstructions to the installation,
verification of drawbar position on the vehicle
and will give an idea of how the hitch is to
be installed.
2. A scissors jack or floor jack can be very useful in
holding the hitch up in place. In many cases clamps can
be used to clamp the hitch to the frame
during the installation procedure.
3. It
may be necessary to temporarily loosen the exhaust
system and/or slightly reposition it to clear
the hitch during installation. This is particularly
true where an exhaust system has been
replaced prior to installing the hitch, as all hitches
are designed using vehicle original equipment
. Do not forget to reattach any exhaust
clamps, hangers etc. after hitch installation.
4. In
some cases, it may be necessary to adjust the bumper
on a vehicle, or the brackets which mount to
the bumper, in order to properly install the
hitch. Most bumpers are mounted to the bumper
brackets using bolts in slots. Find the appropriate
bolts and adjust the bumper accordingly.
5.
Wherever possible, hitches are designed to use existing
holes. In cases where appropriate holes are
not available, holes must be drilled in the frame.
Once the hitch is accurately positioned and clamped
in place on the vehicle, holes can be drilled
in the appropriate places using the holes in the
hitch as a guide.
6. In
cases where the holes must be drilled without using
the hitch as a guide, hole locations can be permanently
identified by spraying black paint through
the hole locations. Remove the hitch, center
punch the hole positions and drill a pilot hole.
This can then be followed with the appropriate
drill size for the hole required.
7. Drill holes that are either the same size as the bolt
or at the most 1/32" larger. Clearance holes or
slots are provided in the hitch for
adjustment.
8. When drilling, be extremely careful to avoid drilling
into vehicle components which are located
behind where the hole is being drilled. Slacken
off pressure on the drill just prior to breaking
through.
9. When
installing the hitch, be sure to use the reinforcing
plates supplied with the hitch where appropriate.
These plates reinforce the frame and spread
the load to the frame edges.
10. The
hitch must have solid metal to metal contact with
the vehicle attachment points. Excessive undercoating
or weld on the vehicle should be removed.
11. All
hardware, with the exception of tab nuts ( thin nuts
welded to a wire used on some hitch applications)
and U-bolts are grade 5 (Imperial sizes) or
8.8 (metric sizes). Tighten all bolts to the
torque levels in chart below.
BOLT SIZE |
GRADE 5 TORQUE |
METRIC |
GRADE 8.8 TORQUE |
3/8 |
30 Ft. Lb. |
8 mm |
18 Ft. Lb. |
7/16 |
54 Ft. Lb. |
10 mm |
36 Ft. Lb. |
1/2 |
72 Ft. Lb. |
12 mm |
64 Ft. Lb. |
5/8 |
150 Ft. Lb. |
14 mm |
103 Ft. Lb. |
3/4 |
245 Ft. Lb. |
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Tab Nuts- Torque to 38 ft-lb |
U-Bolts - Torque
3/8" U-Bolts to 18 ft-lb |
Torque 7/16"
U-Bolts to 28 ft-lb |
12.
Never modify the hitch in any way. Do not drill holes
into the hitch to mount accessories etc.
13. Never cut holes or modify the assembly using a torch.
Never weld a hitch to the vehicle frame.
ACCESS
TO ENCLOSED FRAMES |
BOLT
LEADERS
In
many applications it is necessary to get a bolt with a
reinforcing plate into an enclosed or difficult to get to
area of the frame of the vehicle. Bolt leaders are provided
to pull the fastener assembly into place. An access
hole is usually present in the frame through which
the assembly is pulled. Usually, a carriage bolt is
supplied with a reinforcing plate that is larger than the
enclosed area. In this way, the assembly will lock in
place and not spin when the nut is installed on the carriage
bolt. |
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1.
Check to see if the reinforcing plate and bolt head will
fit through the access hole. If not modify the hole
to accept the hardware supplied. A common way
to accomplish this is to use a large wrench or pry
bar to enlarge the opening as shown. A file can be
used to open up the hole just enough to allow the
fastener assembly to pass through the hole.
2. Thread the reinforcing plate and hardware onto the bolt
leader. Hold the assembly up in place putting a bend
in the bolt leader at the correct distance between
the access hole and the attachment hole. Fish
the bolt leader through the access hole. The bend
will help to fish the leader through the attachment
hole.
3. Pull the hardware into position. It is much easier to pull
the bolt and reinforcing plate through independently
without the two engaged.
4.
When installing the hitch, be careful not to push the
fastener assembly into the frame. The best way to
avoid this is to leave the bolt leader on the bolt, threading
it through the holes in the hitch as it is raised
into place. Once the hitch is clamped or bolted
in place the bolt leaders can be removed and
the nuts installed.
U-BOLTS
Another
common method used to access an enclosed frame utilizes
a square cornered U-bolt. Usually , the hitch assembly can
be used as a template to drill the two
holes required for the U-bolt. Ensure
that the two nuts are drawn up evenly on the U-bolt during
installation. If one nut is installed at
a time, the U-bolt may bend and
break. |
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