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hitch saga

A

Alienspecimen

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Best Coast RI
I bought from AZ what supposed to be a custom built hitch.
Everything went fine on the drivers side, but when I went to the passengers side, I was for a big surprize.
There is a strip of metal within the rail with threaded holes. The last two (the ones towards the front of the vehicle) are occupied by bolts that support the tailpipe assembly.
Can I take these bolts, without breaking them off ( this is the third day when I am flooding the rail with PB Blaster...), how long is the threaded rail and if I can remove it without taking off the whole bumper.
Also, any advice from peops that have successfully installed hitches welcome...
Thanks
Boris
 
I believe every hitch is a bit different. I bought one of those turd Reese ones and they wanted me to unbolt the exhaust from the same spot and then move it over so that it was only using one bolt. This would have moved it over far enough so that it would have been touching the shackle. Sounds like yours wants the hitch to just go in between the frame rail and the exhaust mount. I think you will have (depending on year) a nut strip in that rail already. You shouldn't have any trouble getting those two bolts out if you've been soaking them like you've said. Good luck.

-river
 
If your Jeep is not too rusty the bolts should come out, and you can reuse them to install the hitch. That strip is the standard strip for doing just that, and it's just right for the job. The nut strip is about 16 inches long. There are two holes quite close together at the rear, where it goes through the hole in the end of the unibody, and three more further back. The standard hitch uses 4 of these holes.

You do need to take the bumper off to get it out, but you should be able to tell by probing which holes have a threaded nut behind them, and if they're where they belong you can leave it in. The bolts are a somewhat non-standard metric coarse thread. The bolts are obtainable, but they're not the usual pitch, so if you're shopping, take one with you. The size is a tiny bit smaller than 1/2 inch, and the pitch is the same as a standard US coarse thread, so if the threads in the strip are rusted (as the unused ones may well be), you can also tap them out pretty easily to a 1/2 inch coarse thread, and use 1/2 inch bolts.

You can get these strips from the dealer too. They're a mirror image pair, so if you weld you could also fab your own if you have the right hand one to copy. It's easier to use the strip than to try to fish little pieces down the frame, and if you expect ever to take the hitch off again (for example to install that gas tank skid you're lusting after - admit it, you know you are!) you'll be ahead.
 
get a breaker bar, or put a lead pipe around your socket wrench... it'll break free eventually. well, depending on how bad the rust is. it took me a good while to get the ones in my 2001 to loosen up. my XJ has lived in the rust belt, but it's in pretty good shape (lucky me!) you get a bit more snow than I do, so.... I can't imagine how bad the rust is... give a hard pull on the bolts and spray in some more PB Blaster, give another hard yank, and hopefully that'll let the PB Blaster soak in a little more. I used the fishwire technique for the drivers side, and the entire process took me about 10 hours (including breaks to relax on NAXJA and eat). if the bolts weren't stuck, probably would be been around 2 hours. lol
 
riverfever said:
I believe every hitch is a bit different. I bought one of those turd Reese ones and they wanted me to unbolt the exhaust from the same spot and then move it over so that it was only using one bolt. This would have moved it over far enough so that it would have been touching the shackle. Sounds like yours wants the hitch to just go in between the frame rail and the exhaust mount. I think you will have (depending on year) a nut strip in that rail already. You shouldn't have any trouble getting those two bolts out if you've been soaking them like you've said. Good luck.

I usually go to overpriced NAPA for stuff, since AZ screws up orders from time to time, but this time I had to go to them for the same Reese, because it had better rating.
It seems that on the 99 the exhaust is already moved towards the front and I shared only one of the bolts for the hitch.
I wanted to give an update on the installation and warn others about the pittfalls.
I was able to take off efortlessly the two bolts in question, after PB Blaster did its magic. What I did not know was that soaking the bolts that hold the bumpers for one night only does not do the trick, so if anyone is about to take theirs, beware.
Boris
Click to expand...
 
whatevah said:
get a breaker bar, or put a lead pipe around your socket wrench... it'll break free eventually. well, depending on how bad the rust is. it took me a good while to get the ones in my 2001 to loosen up. my XJ has lived in the rust belt, but it's in pretty good shape (lucky me!) you get a bit more snow than I do, so.... I can't imagine how bad the rust is... give a hard pull on the bolts and spray in some more PB Blaster, give another hard yank, and hopefully that'll let the PB Blaster soak in a little more. I used the fishwire technique for the drivers side, and the entire process took me about 10 hours (including breaks to relax on NAXJA and eat). if the bolts weren't stuck, probably would be been around 2 hours. lol
Click to expand...
Mine is 99 but it seems that it held a little better the salty New England roads (RI is the worst offender of all...)
I am in the process of rustproofing my Jeep and used this as an opportunity to do just that. For the same reason, I wanted to remove that strip, which rusts faster than the frame. I sprayed some rattle can rust enamel and ruberrized undercoating I got from NAPA. Wanted to go with the latter all the way, but you cant spray it within 12 to 14 inches from the exhaust pipes.

And yew, Matthew Currie, I do lust after that that gas tank skid, but there is no danger owning one soon, since I just bought a sailboat, it would not go along with wife...and I don't really enjoy sleeping on the couch. But I think that removing the strip and using the bolts that came with the hitch was a better idea, because they have higher rating
 
Alienspecimen said:
But I think that removing the strip and using the bolts that came with the hitch was a better idea, because they have higher rating
Click to expand...
Accually your better off with the nutstrip. Those little incerts that are provided with the hitch can over time pull through the frame rail. You can get new strips from the dealer for about $15.00 a side IIRC.
 
scoobyxj said:
Accually your better off with the nutstrip. Those little incerts that are provided with the hitch can over time pull through the frame rail. You can get new strips from the dealer for about $15.00 a side IIRC.
Click to expand...
I looked at the AZ website this morning for the update, but they do not sell the hitch anymore.
It attaches to the frame with four bolts on each side. You need to insert the bolts with one of the monkey wires provided with the kit and let them hang from the frame. Within the frame each one lays on a 2X2 (approximately) plate, about an a 1/3 of an inch thick, except for the last one, the one closest to the bumper which uses a hardened washer. All plates have a square hole for the "neck" of the bolt. The bolts are 1/2 standard.
This seemed to me to be the better option, even better than what Matthew Currie suggested, because the nuts are bigger and the plates are wider and thicker than the strip. (and it gave me a chance to play...:)
Boris
 
tgregg said:
I need to find 6 of the bolts to install my hitch. I have 2 and need 3 more per side. Anybody know where I can buy them?
Click to expand...

Just bought some from dealer, had some 8.8 metric grade from home depot but worried they weren't strong enough, so I got all but 2 from a friend who was removing his factory hitch. I then ordered those 2 from a dealer at about $4.10 a piece if I remember right. I'll try to put the part number on here later if I can find the reciept.
By the way I replaced the old nut strip( 'sill reinforcement plates', I think the parts counter lady told me they were called "officially") and wanted new bolts because rust is always a problem around here as well. I would reccomend you do that as my 99's was already weakened by rust.
 
i stole the hitch off my brothers 00 and put it on my 01 most of the bolts broke when i took it off so i bought two new welded nut strips and beefed up those poorly welded nuts.. since i work at a "CAT" CATERPILLAR Dealer i aquired some grade ten bolts which oil/ phosphate coated anti-seized the hell out if them and hope i never have to remove it... oh yeah it looks better on mine than his..
 
IIRC the thread size is M12x1.75.

You can get the bolts from the dealer, and they will have like a half inch on the end that is not threaded which helps lining the hitch, skid, frame, and nut strip up without ruining the leading threads. I had my GF pick some up at a stealership to install her gastank skid in her libby, and she got some extras which I used on my XJ.
 
I had to take the die grinder to mine yesterday to cut off the hitch bolts where they attach to the frame. They were stovebolt type heads and couldn't get a grip on them NOTE TO SELF: make sure the hitch is supported in more that one place when removing....OUCH....lol.
Mine was atached to frame rail with two bolts on each side and it looks like they did not relocate the pipe hanger.
I think I'm going to have to cut and remove my rear bumper in sections, can't get any of the bolts to budge, PB blasted for about two weeks, still won't come off.
 
Part number on my reciept for the bolts is listed as 34201964 . Price was $4.70 @.
I think mjma is correct with the thread size, But can't really remember. I know it is an unnusual size that I had a hard time finding in stronger strength before settling with some barely used and some dealer bought ones. I always like to use new hardware for everything when possible.
By the way, I was wrong before, I bought the old 8.8 bolts I originally used at a local ag/industrial supply store, not at home depot. But they used the same supplier as Home Depot.
 
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