Draw-Tite Max-Frame Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class III - 2"

Video Transcript for Trailer Hitch Installation - 2006 BMW X5 - Draw-Tite

Today on our 2006 BMW X5, we'll be installing the Draw-Tite Hitch, part number 75492. This is what our hitch will look once it's installed. Next, we'll go ahead and give you a couple of measurements to assist you in selecting accessories for your new hitch. From the center of the hitch pin hole to the outermost edge of the bumper is 4-1/4 inches. From the top of the receiver tube to the ground is 18-1/2 inches. This will assist you at selecting accessories such as a drawbar, a bike rack, or a cargo carrier.

Now, let's go ahead with the installation. Before we can install the hitch, we'll first need to remove the rear fascia. To remove the rear fascia, there are a total of six fasteners. To access these fasteners at the rear bumper fascia, we'll need to remove the trim around the exhaust tailpipes. These are snap-in pieces so we'll simply just put it a little tug on them and pop them out of place.

While we're here, we can also remove the rear fascia door. It too just snaps in place. Now, it will expose the rear bumper fascia bolts. They will be above the exhaust tailpipes. For this application, we'll be using a T55 Torx Bit Socket to remove the bumper bolts.

Now with both of those removed, we have four additional fasteners, two in each wheel well. Now with the fasteners removed on the driver's side, I'll go ahead and repeat the same process on the passenger's side. Now, we're ready to go ahead and remove the bumper fascia. It's a good idea to get an extra set of hands to help you do this as it is quite large and heavy. Additionally, as you remove the bumper fascia, you'll need to be careful not to pull on the wires for the rear backup monitoring system.

This wire is a one-piece wired system so we need to disconnect it at each sensor and pop the plastic fasteners free from the bumper structure. Now, we can go ahead and remove the wire from the rear bumper fascia and structure and go ahead and set it aside. Our next step will be removing the center six Torx bit fasteners that were exposed by removing the rear bumper. Next, we'll need to mark for our forward attachment point. This will be in the axle cross member. Using our tape measure, we'll go ahead and mark from the rear going forward 1/8 inch or as per instructed. Next, we'll go ahead and show you the rear hardware. This will be the attachment hardware going across the rear cross member where we'll remove the Torx bolts earlier. This will be a new 10-mm bolt and conical toothed washer. The teeth of the washer will face the hitch and a round spacer block. The spacer block will fit into the rear cross member and the bolt and conical toothed washer will secure the hitch to the vehicle. It will sit like this. Now, we're ready to go ahead and put the hitch in place. It's a good idea to get an extra set of hands to help you hold the hitch while you install the two outer fasteners. Now, we'll go ahead and tighten up the bolts or snug them up just to draw the hitch up to the cross member, so that we can use the front hole of the hitch as a template to draw out our hole into the cross member. Using my 1/2-inch bit, we'll go ahead and use it as a center or pilot to where the center of our whole will be. Now with that done, we'll go ahead and use a smaller bit and use a step-bit process to drill out to our final size hole. Now with our 1/2-inch hole drilled out, we're going to go ahead and remove the hitch and set it aside. With the hitch out of the way, we'll now open the hole up to 11/16. Again, we'll use a step-bit process. Now, we're ready to go ahead and put the hitch back in position. For our forward fastener, we'll be using the rivet nut, split lock washer, flat washer, 1/2-inch bolt, and 1/2-inch conical toothed washer. With our 10-mm bolts in and lightly snug up, it will allow us to go ahead and put the insert up into the cross member, and then our bolt and conical toothed washer will go through the hitch, to the flat washer, to the lock washer, and into the rivet nut. Now, we'll go ahead and tighten the bolt down to secure the rivet nut into the cross member. Once we have it tightened down, we'll go ahead and torque to specifications as indicated in the instructions. Now with that completed, we'll need to go ahead and remove the bolt. Remove the split lock washer and flat washer. At this time, we'll go ahead and remove the hitch completely, reinstall the front hardware, the 1/2-inch bolt, and conical toothed washer. Now with all our fasteners in place, we can go ahead and tighten them down. Next, we'll go ahead and torque to specifications as indicated in the instructions. Now with that completed, we're ready to go ahead and cut out the rear lower fascia to go around the hitch. With our tape measure, we can measure it's going to be approximately 4-1/2 inches by 2-3/4 inches wide. Now, we'll go ahead and measure it out on the lower fascia and cut it out with our rotary zip tool. With that done, we're ready to go ahead and reinstall the rear bumper. Keep in mind that part of reinstalling it will be reinstalling the wires that we removed earlier to the backup sensor system. Now with our wires reinstalled and with an extra set of hands, we'll go ahead and reinstall the rear bumper fascia. With the fascia in place, we'll go ahead and reinstall the six fasteners in the rear tailpipe fascia trim. With that completed, this will complete the install of our Draw-Tite Hitch, part number 75492, on our 2006 BMW X5.