Trailer Hitch Installation - 2003 Volkswagen Jetta

This Product Fits The Following Vehicles

1999 - 2004 Volkswagen Jetta Sedan Only, except Turbo
2005 - 2005 Volkswagen Jetta Old Body Sedan Only, except Turbo

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Installation of a Trailer Hitch on a 2003 Volkswagen Jetta

Today we are going to be installing part number 24748 on a 2003 Volkswagen Jetta. The first thing we want to do is to go ahead and remove the spare tire out of the spare tire well because there are going to be two holes that we are going to drill in there. OK, looking under the vehicle now, we are going to locate the area where we actually are going to be installing the hitch. There is an existing hole here on the back side of the tow loop that is going to be one of the mounting points. We actually are going to hold the hitch up into position using the bolt and the nut into this hole location and then kind of straighten the hitch out and mark all the other holes, because all the other holes are going to have to be drilled out.

OK, with those locations marked, we can go ahead and the hitch back down and drill the holes out. We are going to go ahead and start with a 1/4 inch pilot hole in each location and then enlarge those to 1/2 inch. Now that we have got the holes drilled, we can go ahead and go back inside the trunk area. You can see here where the holes have been drilled. You want to first go ahead and de-burr the holes themselves, get all sharp metal out of there. And then there is still one more hole to drill here on the drivers side frame rail and it is basically involving putting in the plate that is provided in the installation kit. We want to go ahead and align it with the hole that we have already drilled, and it is basically going to be hugging around the frame of the vehicle itself. So we want to kind of of lay it in here and we want to angle it so it will be clear of the carpeting and the fascia piece here, as well. And once we get that aligned, we can go ahead and mark it again, and then drill that hole as well. OK, now that we have the holes drilled out we can go ahead and put the plate into position here. And the carriage bolts down and through. And then we want to do the same for the ones in the trunk well, as well. Now that you can see coming back underneath the vehicle where the bolts coming through. There is one up here on the drivers side as well. I am going to go ahead and put the hitch back up into position now, using the appropriate fasteners.

OK, now that we have got all the fasteners into place, we can go ahead and kind of hand tighten everything. And then we want to go back with the torque bar and torque them down to their specified torque ratings. Now that they are all hand tightened, we can go back through and torque them all down. And the specified torque rating for all the bolts is going to be 75 foot-pounds. OK, as a final step - or you could have actually done this previously - all the holes that you have drilled into the trunk area need to be sealed with some form of sealant. You can even do so after you have drilled the holes - put the sealant inside and put your bolts through or you can actually seal it afterwards. Basically, any surface that can get fumes through it, you want to go ahead and seal up. So I am actually going to seal around the outside of the hitch and around the bolts, as well. OK, once you have ensured that the silicone has dried, you can go ahead and put your spare tire back in. Once you get the spare tire and the carpeting back into the trunk, your installation is complete. And this will conclude the installation of part number 24748 on a 2003 Volkswagen Jetta.

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