Trailer Hitch Installation - 2009 GMC Sierra 1500

Installation of a Trailer Hitch on a 2009 GMC Sierra 1500

Today on this 2009 GMC Sierra 1500 series we are going to be installing Hidden Hitch part number 87430 and this installation will also apply for Draw-Tite hitch part number 75521. We are underneath the vehicle and the first thing we did was remove the spare tire. We are going to first start by pointing out the attaching points that we are going to be using to install our trailer hitch. We are starting here in the center of the vehicle at the bottom of the bumper, you can see we have got two existing weld nuts here and those are going to provide our two rear most center attaching points for the hitch. Then moving on to the frame starting over on the driver side you can see there is an existing bolt at the end of the frame and we are going to remove that and that is going to provide our rear most attaching point. 00:38

Following forward we have got two more existing holes and those are going to provide our two forward most attaching points. Into each one of those holes we are going to take one of the carriage bolt and block assemblies that are provided with the installation kit. Merge the two and set them inside the frame down through the holes. That set up is going to be the same on the passenger side as well. With the carriage bolts in place remove the rear most bolt. Into that weld nut we are going to be putting the new 14 millimeter bolt along with the flat washer and lock washer combination and that is going to be the same bolt combination that we are going to be using into the weld nuts at the bottom of the bumper. From there we want to go to the passenger side and remove the bolt from there and put the carriage bolt and block assemblies in place. 01:20

Before I put the hitch up into position it might be a good idea to take a look at the condition of the weld nut at the bottom of the bumper. Any vehicle that has seen at least one winter is probably going to have some corrosion and some possible rust built up in those so it is a good idea to clean them out first. To do that we want to take a spray lubricant like a WD-40 and spray down the weld nut and then take a wire brush and run that in there a few times and that is going to help the break up and help remove the rust and road grime that is in there. You may need to do this a couple of times and you can test fit your bolt to see how much resistance you are getting. With that done we can put he hitch up in position. We are going to be attaching the hitch to the carriage bolt using the conical tooth washer and hex nut. We just want to put those fasteners in on the passenger side as well. Then we can go to the bumper. With that in place we can start the final tightening and torquing. Now we are going to go back through and torque our bolts down. We just want to verify with the directions the specific torque rating for each of the bolts. Then with all of the hardware torqued down, if you had lowered your spare tire earlier you want to make sure you put that back up into position and your installation will be complete. Now with our hitch installed we are going to give you a couple of final installed dimensions which will help make choosing your hitch accessories a little bit easier. From the top of the receiver tube opening to the ground is going to measure 20 inches and from the center of the pin hole to clear the rear edge of the bumper is going to be approximately three inches. That will conclude the installation of Hidden Hitch part number 87430 on a 2009 GMC Sierra.