Trailer Hitch Installation - 1997 Isuzu Rodeo

This Product Fits The Following Vehicles

1994 - 1997 Honda Passport

1991 - 1997 Isuzu Rodeo

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Installation of a Trailer Hitch on a 1997 Isuzu Rodeo

The Hitch mounts to the side of the bumper brackets and will have a cross member that bolts on between the two brackets. They will mount on the side here and then a bracket will go across. First well install the brackets and then worry about the cross member

Trailer Hitch Installation: Starting with the passenger side well take out this bolt and this bolt here and well install our first side bracket. This bracket will end up being mounted right here. We kind of just finger tight it up here now, so we need to solve this flexibility when we put in the cross member and do any minor adjustments. Just do a hand tight as far as you can

Now well go to the drivers side and well take off this bolt here and this bolt here and do the same thing. To get the other bracket on, since the passenger bracket is loose and the whole assembly is loose its good to have a third hand to help hold the bumper while you put the bracket on. Sometimes it helps to wiggle it to get it started and then you should be okay. Now well install our cross member onto our loosely mounted side brackets. Well start with the passenger side and work our way to the drivers side. Before we put this up there we did do a test fit already to see how much space we need because the instructions say you can use a flat washer or a block like this. Our test showed we needed a space this much because back up inside here theres a little bolt thats in the way, so well have to space the hitch down. Also in our test fit we found out that this will barely align with this, so well get up there as close as possible and have to pry it into place and well use a bolt to draw everything together at that point. With these spacers a good hint is to go ahead and tape it down to hold into place while you put the hitch up and well run our bolts through those

Since we have a real close tolerance on here, whats happened is the holes just arent lining up as perfect as they should, were probably about an eighth of an inch off at the most. What well do is run a drill bit up just to clean it out to make sure the bolt can get through easily

Now well use our handle nut here we have to go in this little spot here, slide it through into the bumper and look through here to line it up. Now well go ahead and start torquing it down. The bolts on the outside which are 10 millimeters which go to 36 foot pounds. The half inch fasteners here, here and up here get 72 foot pounds of torque. That will conclude the install of this hitch

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