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Picked Up and OEM Hitch


jgrote
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Well, it's time for the next little project. I picked up a factory hitch from a 2003 today. I managed to get it, and the harness, for $22! It needs a good repaint, but everything looks to be in good shape, and I love that it has the integrated step and OEM plugs. Here's a pic from the JY. I'll post better pics once I get to painting it.

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I hate when I typo in the topic! :angry: Oh well, you guys and gals get what I mean. I just got done cleaning it up and spraying it with rust inhibitor. It looks really nice! I'll post pics in a moment, when the paint is a little drier. Now it has to cure for 24 hours before I can paint it. Now for the big question! Gloss or flat black? I bought gloss, but I am second guessing myself. It really looks pretty good flat. And since it's not exactly in perfect condition, I'm afraid gloss is going to show every little imperfection. What are your thoughts?

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Alrighty, pics!

Bottom

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Top

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Hardware

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Closeup of how the flat black looks

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This is my idea for hanging it! Yes, that's a power cord and a hose clamp. Use what you got, right?

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I found out when I was prepping it that it's a class 5. Most of what seems to be on Ebay or Amazon are class 3's. It makes sense, considering how it mounts. Most units from Curt or others mount with 8 bolts. The OEM mounts with 12. It's also a 3 piece unit, which makes it easier to install by yourself. I plan on leaving all 3 pieces together though to simplify installation.

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Class 4 is more than the vehicle is rated to tow, heck class 3 is more than it's rated to tow.

 

I'm thinking more in terms of off-road recovery, in which case I'd prefer a hitch that's as solid as possible. A class 3 or 4 hitch is probably more than adequate (hence why I'm not rushing out to find an OEM one), but it would be nice not have stronger.

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Wow! $22 is fantastic. I think I paid >$400 15 yrs ago for the OEM. I do like the OEM-the little step is nice but it's the two ladies no arms that bolt further up the frame that distinguish it from other aftermarket hitches. It's heavy as Hades but it's solid.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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I ended up going with semi-gloss black. It looks just as it should, which is what I was aiming for. First, I spent a little extra time running the harness. The truck I took it out of had the little converter box zip tied under the truck, with the harness heading to both taillights and up through grommets on both sides. That meant that there was a wire harness running under the truck from one side to the other. I wasn't a big fan of that, so I figured out how to install the box under the amp and run the wires out through the left grommet, but run the harness to the right side through cavities under the plastic piece around the tailgate latch. It was a PITA, but worth it. Those converter boxes should last longer if not left in the elements.

 

Next was mounting the hitch. If you ever want to DIY this job, GOOD LUCK! I had to drop the evap. canister, but that's no surprise. On the other side, I had to disconnect the rear 3 mounts for the exhaust. Then I was barely able to squeeze the hitch in while pushing the muffler out of the way. Sorry I didn't get any pics of this, but I was too dirty to touch my phone. Now for my only really useful advice; Use a floor jack to jack it up close to where it needs to go. (That's obvious.) Then, take the handle out of the jack and shove it into the hole where the receiver goes. Now you will have a long handle (and lots of leverage) to lift up the front of it, as well as wiggle it around to get bolts to line up. This worked perfectly and made this a fairly easy one-man job. I'll post a final pic in a little bit, but really it just looks like a hitch on a Pathfinder.

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