Hiaboo
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Rochester, NY
I'd like to know a good place to pick up a decent class III hitch, it'll be used to tow a 16' alum boat with 30hp, and will be putting in a rear shackle when i'm not using a ball so..
class III hitch?
- Thread starter Hiaboo
- Start date
red91
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- exact location unknown
You can get one new at u-haul installed for about $125.00 Wiring and all. At least here in washington. Saves you the headache of doing it yourself.
- Location
- Terra Firma
The U-Haul hitches are made by one of the major manufacturers, either Valley or Drawtight. They are good hitches, BUT ... they use individual square tabs as nut retainers inside the "frame" rails, and that's not nearly as strong as the nut strips used by the factory.
This isn't a criticism of the U-Haul hitch, because all the aftermarket hitches are made the same way. They do it so the bolts can be "fished" into position without removing the rear bumper. You must drop the bumper to insert the factory nut strips. If you have a newer model XJ the right side already has the nut strip -- it's used for the tailpipe hanger -- so you would only need to by the left side piece from a dealer. If you already have a factory skid plate and/or rear tow hook, you already have both nut strips.
Wal-Mart sells a Reese universal Class III that fits the XJ, but it hangs down a bit more than an application-specific hitch would. I bought a Hidden Hitch from JC Whitney for an XJ a couple of years ago and that tucks up behind the bumper very nicely.
This isn't a criticism of the U-Haul hitch, because all the aftermarket hitches are made the same way. They do it so the bolts can be "fished" into position without removing the rear bumper. You must drop the bumper to insert the factory nut strips. If you have a newer model XJ the right side already has the nut strip -- it's used for the tailpipe hanger -- so you would only need to by the left side piece from a dealer. If you already have a factory skid plate and/or rear tow hook, you already have both nut strips.
Wal-Mart sells a Reese universal Class III that fits the XJ, but it hangs down a bit more than an application-specific hitch would. I bought a Hidden Hitch from JC Whitney for an XJ a couple of years ago and that tucks up behind the bumper very nicely.
RichP
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Effort, Pa
The other option is a tomken rear bumper with hitch built in. Cost more but you kill two birds with one stone the hitch and a bad thing for someone to run into from behind... about a $100 more than the hitch alone..
AZ Jeff
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Gilbert, Arizona
Eagle said:The U-Haul hitches are made by one of the major manufacturers, either Valley or Drawtight. They are good hitches, BUT ... they use individual square tabs as nut retainers inside the "frame" rails, and that's not nearly as strong as the nut strips used by the factory.
This isn't a criticism of the U-Haul hitch, because all the aftermarket hitches are made the same way. They do it so the bolts can be "fished" into position without removing the rear bumper. You must drop the bumper to insert the factory nut strips. QUOTE]
Eagle, normally you are right on about XJ stuff, but I have to chime in here:
1. the square bolster plates that the aftermarket hitches use, if properly installed, may not be any less strong than the nutstrips, in a practical sense. The bolster plates I used in my '92 were the width of the "frame" rail, and equal in length, and were over 1/4 inch thick. I really think they offer sufficient spreading of the load so as to be equivalent to the nutstrips.
2. I was never sucessful in fishing the bolster plates thru the opening in the frame rail with the bumper in place, so I ended up removing the bumper to install them anyhow. Of course, in doing so, I broke 3 of the 8 bolts holding the brackets to the body, so I wound up drilling and retapping three weldnuts
FitchVA
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Roanoke, VA
bought my hidden hitch from etrailer.com along with the wiring harness. stopped by the local stealership for the nut strip. that hidden hitch tucks up under the bumper nicely
martin
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Huntsville, AL
When I got my 88 XJ in 1997 from my Dad's estate it had a 5 year old U-haul hitch on it with the 1 1/4 square. My Folks left the draw bar in and it was rusted in place. About 3 years ago I looked at those fished in carriage bolts and found I could not turn them due to rust.
I decided to pay the shop to install it. I looked around for a hidden-hitch brand for my XJ but no one in town stocked the hitch, could order it, but not stocked. I found Draw-Tite was popular locally. I went to a Recreational Vehicle (RV) Dealer and got a price on class 3 with a 2 inch opening. I took in the XJ and they told me your bolts are too rusted you will have to pay use extra labor. I was just glad they were doing the work.
When I had the hitch installed Draw-tite had just come out with the J-pin. It is a hitch pin shaped like the letter "J" which presses the draw bar against the side of the opening to prevent that rattle. I decided a solid connection vs a little slop was a good. Here draw-tite's site do a search for J-pin http://www.draw-tite.com/
About 4 months after I had the hitch installed I picked up skid plates from the dealer for a bargan price. It was fall 2001 and Chrysler wanted to dump inventory since the XJ was out of production. I then went to the effort to install the nut strips like eagle talked about. When done I felt like I did have a much better attachement than with the carriage bolts and large square washers. You end up with one piece of metal holding all the nuts, not worry about pulling out since the entire nut strip will not pull through the frame.
I did have to chase the threats of the nuts on my nut strips with a tap, the factory paint was making it hard for me to start the bolts. You will also want to use the alignment holes in the strips and frame to keep things lined up. A 1/4 inch pop rivet would do the job but I did not own a gun so I use some plastic wall anchors with push pins which expaned the anchor when I pushed in the pin.
You will have to remove the rear bumper mounts to install the nut strips. It takes some time but when done you have no worries about the hitch.
I decided to pay the shop to install it. I looked around for a hidden-hitch brand for my XJ but no one in town stocked the hitch, could order it, but not stocked. I found Draw-Tite was popular locally. I went to a Recreational Vehicle (RV) Dealer and got a price on class 3 with a 2 inch opening. I took in the XJ and they told me your bolts are too rusted you will have to pay use extra labor. I was just glad they were doing the work.
When I had the hitch installed Draw-tite had just come out with the J-pin. It is a hitch pin shaped like the letter "J" which presses the draw bar against the side of the opening to prevent that rattle. I decided a solid connection vs a little slop was a good. Here draw-tite's site do a search for J-pin http://www.draw-tite.com/
About 4 months after I had the hitch installed I picked up skid plates from the dealer for a bargan price. It was fall 2001 and Chrysler wanted to dump inventory since the XJ was out of production. I then went to the effort to install the nut strips like eagle talked about. When done I felt like I did have a much better attachement than with the carriage bolts and large square washers. You end up with one piece of metal holding all the nuts, not worry about pulling out since the entire nut strip will not pull through the frame.
I did have to chase the threats of the nuts on my nut strips with a tap, the factory paint was making it hard for me to start the bolts. You will also want to use the alignment holes in the strips and frame to keep things lined up. A 1/4 inch pop rivet would do the job but I did not own a gun so I use some plastic wall anchors with push pins which expaned the anchor when I pushed in the pin.
You will have to remove the rear bumper mounts to install the nut strips. It takes some time but when done you have no worries about the hitch.
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