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OEM Hitch bolts

I can't tell you offhand, but one thing I would like to mention is that you should keep at least one screw - so you can size it for new ones.

Select from the SAE Grade 5 bin - they're strong enough for what you need, but they're more ductile, so they won't "shatter" when they fail. You'll get some warning when you look under - the bend a bit before they give. In steel, "strong" typically equates to "brittle" - and failure modes are more dramatic in harder steels. I've always used SAE 5 bolts on trailer hitches, and I've not had any trouble.
 
If its OEM, I believe 17mm or 19mm, you'll also need a 15mm with an extension and wobbly to remove the bumper to get the nutstrips.
 
Don't forget a long cheater bar. If the bolts have any rust at all you will need one.
 
Also take something to knock out the large size pop rivets that hold the nut strips in place. A drill would be best, a chisel and punch should work also.

I was at the local pick-n-pull and found a Cherokee with the nut strips left in because of those @#*! rivets.
 
would the "nut strip" in question be the thing I need to install the fuel tank skid plate as well? I took the plate and assumed I would have the nuts in the rail-- needless to say, I now have a plate and no way to attach it:(
--Shorty
 
I did this about 2 months ago 18mm socket lots of PB blast I mean lots of it. took me about 4 hours then I realized some dumb sh*t had weldeded part of it to unibody waste of freaking time. I did keep the bolts becauses I got a free hitch off somebody here.
 
mikeforte said:
Does anyone ever buy the nut strips new from the stealership???
Click to expand...

I did... $50 shipped for both.
 
When I removed the bolts to intstall my hitch couple a weeks ago, I broke of all the bolt from the strip. The I had a kit for the hitch so I did not need to use the strip but remove it from the frame rail was a pain. The bolt that was sticking out was to long to pull out fron the 3/4" hole at the back so I used a saw-zall to cute it and pull it out. The kit ( bolt and plates you can get from a hitch shop) had all the bolts needed exept one for the muffler braket. I cutted the part of the strip I needed, drilled and tab the bold and put it back in place.

If I would go to the yard for a hitch and the bolt give me a problem. I would not was my time removing the bumper and trying to save the strip.
 
I purchased the driver's side nut plate from the dealer at 36 bucks. My passenger side was already installed, presumably to allow the muffler bracket to be installed at the factory.

I have a 99 Cherokee Sport and I believe the nut plates are not installed on the drivers side unless you have the factory hitch installed. I did not mind paying the $36 as I will also need it for the the tank skid, which is forthcoming.

I did pay $6 each for the Mopar hitch bolts (bought all 6 of them buggers) but I figured I would gladly pay the extra money to have the correct bolts and prevent days of searching for the correct hardware. I now know I could have found the correct stuff at any Ace hardware, or at least close enough to work.

Good luck.
 
month old thread, I know. I just did this the other day and the vehicle did not have a nut strip on it. It took about two hours to get the hitch off. I don't remember which socket I used, but I was lucky that when the person origionaly put the hitch on they cut the end off of an open ended wrench and never took it back off so I had something to use to hold the bolts while taking the hitch off. Then the real frustrating part was when it came time to put the hitch on my XJ. Apparently when Jeep built my nut strip they only put one weld on the nut furthest inside the frame rail and when they put the skid plate on the single weld broke. It took me about 3 or 4 hours to get the skid plate off so I could put the hitch on. I guess in the end it was worth it, the hitch was in perfect condition. The only problem was the part where the trailer plug goes was bent. It didn't bother me because I don't plan to tow anything I only need the hitch for recovery, so I cut it off. I cleaned the dirt off with a pressure washer and gave it a fresh coat of paint. Not bad for 15 bucks.

DSC04645.jpg
 
mikeforte said:
Does anyone ever buy the nut strips new from the stealership???
Click to expand...
yeah, and will probally again, all the used ones I've seen have some rust bad enough to weaken 'em. Of course everytning rusts in this area, out on the other coast they'd probally be ok used.

Yeah, I also bought the bolts from dealer, but they didn't cost me as much as quoted above. I bought some generic grade 5 bolts first, thinking I had the thread pattern correct. But I didn't and just gave up and handed my money to the stealership for the correct ones.
 
Last edited:
I just installed a Reese hitch less than a week ago. My 98 only had the nut strip on the drivers side so I just used the bolts and backing plates that came with the hitch for the driver's side and found fitting bolts and washers for the passenger side.
 
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