Now I know this is not everyone’s cup of tea, but I figured I'd post it in case someone wanted to install a hitch, and maybe learn from some of the mistakes I made. Personally I'm using the hitch for my bikes since I don't want to scratch my paint job with my bikes. Anyway enough with the introduction here we go.
Tools you'll need:
Flat head screwdriver
Needle Nose Pliers
9/16" Deep socket
19mm socket
10mm socket with extension
Lots of patience
If you have the draw tite hitch (which is the one I have) you'll see this in your kit.
Step 1: Jack the car up or roll up on ramps (I did the later CHOCK THE WHEELS FOR SAFETY and use your Ebrake!)
Step 2: Remove the rubber muffler harness off the body of the car (push toward the drivers side)
Step 3: Remove the heat shield bolts from above the muffler (two bolts are shown…..the third is on the other side of the muffler, even with the left bolt.) Lower the heat shield, don’t take it completely off.
Step 4: Remove the plastic pin that holds the plastic shield to the car. (Use your needle nose pliers)
Step 5: Insert the threaded backing strap into the large hole, align the thread so they align with the hole directly behind the large hole.
Step 6: Here’s the trickiest part and may be beneficial if someone helps you with this. You need to bring the hatch under the car careful that you don’t mess up the muffler…..Or the paint….or the heat shield. Make sure that the muffler mounts and rubber harness stay between the hitch and the car, and hand tighten the bolts into those threaded sockets from the backing strap you installed earlier. Once they’re located, inspect the area and ensure that you will be able to locate the muffler where it belongs and that its mount doesn’t end up below the hitch. Once you ensure that, tighten the 19mm bolts using your trusty socket. Once finished, they should look something like this.
Step 7: Take the horseshoe shaped bolt and thread it through the link hanging from the center of the car. The bolt will drop through two holes in the center of the hitch, tighten the nuts with the deep 9/16” socket. (Sorry for the fuzzy picture)
Step 8: Reattach the heat shield (don’t worry it will bend into place with the hitch there) reattach the plastic pin on the drivers side, and reattach the rubber bracket that holds the muffler to the car. Once you’re done your hitch should look like this:
Or this:
The whole thing took me about an hour and a half, made a couple of mistakes, but overall I would rate it a 1.5 out of 5 for difficulty. I hope this helps some of you guys. Good Luck!