Reese hitches are used primarily by people towing light loads. This type of hitch is strong, durable and of good quality. People tow trailers for different reasons. A home away from home is what a trailer offers for those on vacation. A trailer allows you to move your goods without the help of movers. Trailers require you to install a hitch before you can tow. Reese hitches and accessories provide you with all light duty trailer hitches. They also provide you with all other towing accessories.
To install a Reese Hitch, you need a socket wrench set, a torque wrench, 2 wheel chocks, a car ramp, and safety glasses.
1. Make sure your car is parked on a flat surface to ensure a safe installation. To ensure safety, make sure the emergency brakes are on. The front wheels should also be chocked for added safety. To protect yourself from rust flakes and dirt while under the vehicle, wear protective goggles.
2. Be sure to lower the spare tire so that the hitch mounting holes are accessible. The owner’s manual will provide a detailed description of how the tire should be lowered. Each vehicle has its own instructions, so be sure to review yours. If an underbody mounted tire is not available on your car, you can skip this step.
3. Unpack the Reese hitch and mounting hardware. The hitch retaining bolts have threaded ends that must be placed through the washers or spacers. The applications that come with the hitch installation hardware determine how the threaded ends are installed. Most manufacturers drill mounting holes during manufacturing. Locate them under the rear frames of the vehicle. If not available, you can either drill the holes or have a professional do them for you. There should be 4-6 small holes drilled in the frame. Through the holes, insert the retaining bolts from the top. This ensures that the ends of the bolts are sticking out through the bottom of the frame rails.
4. From under the vehicle, position the hitch making sure the bolts protrude from the hitch mounting holes. Then the washers and nuts should be placed over the ends of the bolts and finger tightened.
5. During installation, the vehicle wiring harness must not be caught between the frame rails and the hitch. Make sure not to damage the harness while tightening the bolts. To do this, you can slide it or the hook slightly. Use a socket and a torque wrench to tighten all the bolts and nuts that retain the hitch. Tighten according to the hitch instructions in the torque specifications.
6. The spare tire should be raised to the bottom of the vehicle. This step can be skipped if it is not available.
While drilling the holes, be sure not to drill too much into the body. This could damage the landing gear. Installing Reese Hitches is an easy job that can be done in these 6 easy steps. You can use the hitches to tow any type of cargo.
