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rear hitch

rngrfrd2000

NAXJA Forum User
Location
allentown pa
i am going to install a rear hitch on my 00 xj. i wanna know by what means do i put nuts inside the "frame rails". it has a color matched bumper on it and i dont really wanna take it off and fish nuts inside the rails....anyone got a diff method?
 
There is a nut strip that you can buy (not sure if you can get it anywhere other than the dealership) that can be fished into the frame rail without taking the bumper off. My dad just did this to his '98 a few months ago. It's tricky and requires a lot of patience to get it fished up in there with the bumper on. In the long run it may actually take less time if you take the bumper off, even though it is more of a pain in the keester.
 
I bought a Reese a few years ago and it came with the nuts with strips attached to them for installing inside the frame rail. Went in without a hitch.....Oh wait, bad pun, sorry.
 
Uhaul uses rectangular plates with a screw hole in the middle. See if you can stop by a Uhaul place and buy some of those.
 
Get the nutstrips from the stealership, take off the bumper and you are golden. IIRC, they are about $20 for both. If you just fish nuts through, you can rip them through the frame rail. Not good if you are using the hitch as a tow point. Wouldn't want to be anywhere around a flying hitch. Just my .02
 
Yeah, the actual nut strips are dealer only, and they are the preferred method. But they are intended to be installed with the bumper off -- I can't imagine how you'd fish them into place with the bumper installed.

The aftermarket hitches come with square or rectangular plates, and fish wires that you feed through. The individual plates are shirt enough that they can be fed into the frame without removing the bumper. The plates are quite thick, but each one is an individual piece. I haven't heard of anyone tearing one through the frame, but I prefer the factory method.

I certainly would not just fish in a standard nut or bolt with a standard washer. That would almost be guaranteed to tear through the frame.
 
It only takes 5 minutes to pull the bumper and it will save you an hour of fighting the strips to line up.
 
If you have an '00 model, there's probably already a nut striip on the right to hold the exhaust hanger, so you'll only need the left one.

It's easy to take off the bumper, and the strip just lays in with its holes all lined up without having to fish for anything.

If you expect ever to take the hitch off again, for example to add a skid plate, or if you want to keep the hitch when you trade it in, get the proper nut strip, because the little individual U-haul things are impossible to get off when they rust, and you'll probably end up torching them off.
 
rngrfrd2000 said:
u guys got a quick solution to wiring for a trailer?


42455.gif


Hoppy Litemate 42455 ('91-'96) or 42465 ('97-'01) are the easiest to install. For earlier years you'll have to use one the various universal converters.
 
Also it is easier to install in this order:

Put nut strips in frame rail
re-install bumper
attach hitch
 
Maz said:
ehummm, what is a nut strip? Any pics on what it looks like?
Picture a long, flat piece of stock. Now drill some holes in it and weld the nuts to the top, or if the piece is thick enough you can thread the bar itself.
 
Yucca-Man said:
Picture a long, flat piece of stock. Now drill some holes in it and weld the nuts to the top, or if the piece is thick enough you can thread the bar itself.
Got it, nothing high-tech here. I guess the main use is to distribute load over lareger area of frame. Thanks Yucca-Man
 
Yeah, there's nothing earth-shattering about them; the flat chunk o'metal simply acts as a giant load-distributing washer that also holds the nuts in place to line them up for the bolts.
 
i've been searching about load capacity and decided to look into a load leveling device...can anyone throw up a link to something? i am having a tough time finding anything....this thing sounds like the way to go
 
Not sure if this is what you are looking for (RollGard Suspension Stabilizer)

http://www.amtechsprings.com/categories/home/home.html

I've been running one of these for a 1 & 1/2 years now. Made a BIG difference when towing in high winds on I-80 in Nebraska & regular street handling. Had to make a very sharp lane change on I-80 once to miss a running dear and these things made the Jeep handle like a car. I'm only running a 3.5 lift w/ 31's. I take them off when going on the trails as they will act as bumpstops. I got mine from ebay for $99 - so not sure of their current price.

00' XJ Classic
 
rngrfrd2000 said:
i've been searching about load capacity and decided to look into a load leveling device...can anyone throw up a link to something? i am having a tough time finding anything....this thing sounds like the way to go

Do you mean a weight distributing hitch?
 
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