Draw-Tite Hitch Install

[Sodium Duck]

Here's my little write up on installing the Draw-Tite hitch.

I can't imagine anyone installing this without taking your rear bumper off. It would be just about impossible. So make life easy, and yank it.

1. There are two bolts on the sides of the hatch area, when you open it - take them off.

2. Next there are two of those push tab button type things behind the rear wheel, on the corner of the wheel well - take them off, too. They just pull out easily.

3. Underneath the bumper, almost directly below where the bolts from step 1 are, are two more of those button plug type things. I have no idea how to get them off. They definitely do not pull out easily. I broke one previously from another project; the tab that it is attached to just sheared off, so be careful with it. I think I jammed a screwdriver into the part above and pushed down - I duno, if someone knows how to properly remove it, chime in.

4. Take out your license plate light. You just push that little tab forward and it slides out. Then you just unplug it.

5. Then just grab a corner and it'll pop off. Again, be careful with this step. I snapped another little tab thing doing this. But my bumper stays on pretty good regardless.

6. Okay, bumper off. Next are the bolts. Take out the four I circled. I hope you either have a really small hand, or a great set of small tools.

7. The hitch comes with conical tooth washers. The teeth go against the hitch like the picture shows.

8. I found that there are two tabs that block the hitch from laying flush to the car. One was this random one directly in the middle of the hitch, the other was from the button bolt clip thing on the drivers side of the car from step 3.

9. Magically bolt on your hitch now. In my install, one of the bolts was stubborn as hell. I was unable to fit a socket wrench in to get at the top bolts, which of course is the bolt I had an issue with. I had to use a crescent wrench, 1/4 of a turn at a time, forever. I tried a hundred different times to get the threading to line up, I don't know what the issue was. There was a point where it just wouldn't budge. I left it for a while, came back, and just forced it through. After a few turns it went in smoothly.

10. Important things to remember before you just slap your bumper on and call it a day. Remember to fish your license plate light wire through the hole, or you may trap it and have to remove the bumper again (I know what you're thinking, but no I didn't do that... sort of. I had to use a long screw driver to fish it back out). Otherwise, just reverse the steps and enjoy the fruits of your busted knuckles/fingers and labor.