Trailer Hitch Installation - 2010 Nissan Altima

Installation of a Trailer Hitch on a 2010 Nissan Altima

Today on this 2010 Nissan Altima we are going to be installing Draw-Tite hitch part number 24796. This installation will also apply for Hidden Hitch part number 60873. The first thing we need to do before we can get started installing our trailer hitch is you need to go in the trunk area of the vehicle and remove the flooring. We will be drilling holes through the trunk floor to attach our hitch to. We want to make sure we get this out of the way before we do that. Now we can come underneath the vehicle, and we need to unbolt both of our mufflers from the main cross tube here, we are going to take and loosen these clamps because we are going to be taking both mufflers off the vehicle. :33

With them separated we want to take and slide the muffler rearward and release it off of its rearmost hanger. We want to just set those off to the side. Then we want to take the heat shield and bend it just enough to expose the inside of the trunk well in between the spare tire well and the frame. We then next want to take and bend the heat shield back enough to expose the area in between the trunk well and the frame. This is the area we are going to be using to install our trailer hitch. What we are going to do next is take our hitch and put it up into position, make sure its centered properly, and then we are going to mark the holes and drill them out. 1:13

We can actually take it and put it straight back until it hits the bumper. With it positioned, I am going to go ahead and use the marker and mark the holes out. You can use a center punch as well. With the holes marked we can go ahead and drill out our holes. We are going to be using a 7/16ths drill bit for each one of the locations. With the holes drilled, we can go back in the trunk area where we are going to put our hardware into place. Looking at the passenger side you can see our two drilled holes. You can also see we have some burs left over, we want to clean those up before we put our hardware into place. With those cleaned up we want to next take the reinforcing plate that is provided with the hitch installation kit, and we are going to set it right on top of the holes. Then we will take our 7/16ths carriage bolts and go ahead and slide them through the holes. With our carriage bolts in place we can come back down underneath the vehicle and put our hitch up in position. It is a good idea to get a second set of hands to help you do both sides at the same time. you want to make sure you do not push your bolts up into the truck well. 2:35

We are going to be attaching the hitch to the bolts with a lock washer and hex nut. With the hardware in place we can tighten and torque our bolts down. You want to check with the directions to verify the appropriate torque rating for each individual bolt. With all our bolts torqued down, the installation of our hitch is complete. We are next going to take and bend our heat shield into place. Then we will follow that with putting our mufflers back on. The final thing we are going to do is go back in the trunk and seal around the reinforcement plate that we mounted earlier. This is going to ensure we do not have any exhaust fumes coming into the trunk area. Finally, with the reinforcement plate sealed we want to put the trunk pieces back into place and our installation will be complete. 4:09

Now with our hitch installed we are going to give you a few final installed dimensions that will help make choosing your hitch accessories a little easier. From the top of the receiver tube opening to the ground is going to measure 9-1/2 inches. From the center of the pin hole to clear the rear edge of the bumper is going to be approximately 7 inches. With that, that will conclude the installation of Draw-Tite hitch part number 24796 on this 2010 Nissan Altima.