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Hitch Nutstrip issues

themow

NAXJA Forum User
Location
South jer z
Decided today that i wanted to install my hitch. I pulled my back bumper off and pulled out the passengers side nutstrip. I realize that i will need to fabricate one myself. I see a few things that concern me though.

First, The factory nutstrip is not flat. It goes up in one area to make room for some type of imprint in the frame. That seems it would be an issue if i wanted mine to go that far back into the frame

Second, only 2 of the 5 nuts on the factory nutstrip are able to have a bolt threaded through them. The others are pretty rusty. I considered running a tap thru but heard its pointless.

Has anyone encountered these issues and what have you dont about them?

Aside from going and getting ripped off at the dealership
 
Either make it to sit flat inside of the opening and dont worry about the 'hump'...

100_3783.jpg


Or... cut out the bottom part where my finger is at to let the strip extend out to the last hole, which may not even be used.

100_3776.jpg
 
You can retap the holes to 1/2 inch NC. The metric size is just a little smaller but the same thread, so it's easy to tap out, and then you can use standard bolts. I did this on mine, and it worked fine.
 
It would not have stamped correctly with the bend there in the crossmember. Mine has those exact same humps and they will be ok being there. You can tap that out or just run a threadchaser through it and it will be fine.
 
Search around the forum here...someone recently (within the last month) posted a diagram with the specs / dimensions on the nutrails, so you could fab your own....
 
themow said:
Decided today that i wanted to install my hitch. I pulled my back bumper off and pulled out the passengers side nutstrip. I realize that i will need to fabricate one myself. I see a few things that concern me though.

First, The factory nutstrip is not flat. It goes up in one area to make room for some type of imprint in the frame. That seems it would be an issue if i wanted mine to go that far back into the frame

Second, only 2 of the 5 nuts on the factory nutstrip are able to have a bolt threaded through them. The others are pretty rusty. I considered running a tap thru but heard its pointless.

Has anyone encountered these issues and what have you dont about them?

Aside from going and getting ripped off at the dealership

Why did you pull the back bumper? I am a hitch pro for uhaul and the cherokee hitch it pretty easy. either you have weld nuts in the frame (you will have to use the hole for your exhaust hanger for one of them) or you have to fish-wire through the frame and pull down through the frame.

what year is your jeep? here are the install instructions; www.etrailor.com just put your jeep info
 
afjeep2082 said:
Why did you pull the back bumper? I am a hitch pro for uhaul and the cherokee hitch it pretty easy. either you have weld nuts in the frame (you will have to use the hole for your exhaust hanger for one of them) or you have to fish-wire through the frame and pull down through the frame.

what year is your jeep? here are the install instructions; www.etrailor.com just put your jeep info

You have to pull the back bumper if you're going to remove or install the nut strips. The "weld nuts in the frame" are not actually attached. 97-up Cherokees have the right strip installed, but not the left, and the original poster needed to access the right one so he could fabricate a left one to go with it, as well has having to clean up the threads.

I have had to remove two U-haul hitches from my last two Jeeps (in order to install a Mopar class III hitch), and must say that I would gladly remove the bumper and put in nut strips to do it right. Obviously, not all U-haul hitch pros are equal. The first one was done all right, but those bolts are hard to get out once they rust. They are basically just carriage bolts with a square washer on them, and if the bolt strips the hole in the washer, there's no option but to torch them off. And then you still need to take the bumper off to fish out the remains. The second, on a 99, was installed by someone who should not have been allowed to handle anything more technical than a shovel. First (I suppose lacking the correct bolts) they pried the right nut strip up without removing the exhaust hanger, and installed a set of mismatched bolts beneath it, and on both sides, when unable to access the forward bolts easily, they tore little holes in the frame to reach them. All this, mind you, with the bumper off, which they then bolted back on with GREEN LOCTITE! :explosion
 
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