Trailer Hitch Installation - 2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser - Draw-Tite

Installation of a Trailer Hitch on a 2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser

Today on our 2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser, well be installing the Draw-Tite Hitch part number 75461. This is what our hitch will look like once its installed in the vehicle. Next, well go ahead and give you a couple of measurements to assist you in selecting accessories for you new hitch. From the center of the hitch pinhole to the outermost edge of the spare tire cover is 8 inches, from the top of the receiver tube to the ground it 19 inches. This will assist you with selecting accessories such as a drawbar, a bike rake or a cargo carrier. Now lets go ahead with the installation.

Before we can begin installing the hitch, first well go ahead and remove the tow hook here on the driver side frame rail. Well remove the two fasteners and the tow hook and set them aside as they will not be reinstalled.First, well go ahead and point out the attachment points. Starting from the front, the open hole in the frame is where well install our carriage bolt and block then reusing the two weld nuts that we used for the tow hook here on the driver side; and this will be repeated identically on the passenger side.Next, well go ahead and clean out the weld nuts because overtime theyll build up with dust, dirt and debris and can make it extremely difficult to install the new hardware. So using some spray lubricant and a -inch nylon tube brush part number 814092, well go ahead and thoroughly clean out the weld nuts.Quick Tech Tip: I recommend taking one of your new fasteners and going ahead and attempting to thread it in hand tight just to make sure its going to go nice and easily when youre ready to install the hitch.Well need to add the hardware for our forward attachment which will be our -inch carriage bolt, our 1 x 1 -inch spacer block, the pull wire and then securing the hitch once we have these installed will be the conical tooth washer and -inch nut.Now, well need to go ahead and open up the access hole. Now with the plastic cap removed from the frame, we can go ahead and take our bolt leader, feed it through the attachment point and out the access hole where well slide on our block and thread on our carriage bolt.

We can feed both of them into the frame and pull them into position. Well go ahead and remove our bolt leader and prepare to install the hitch. Keep in mind, everything we do here on the driver side, well repeat identically on the passenger side. Now we can go ahead and reinstall the frame cap that we removed to open up the access hole. Here on the inside of the frame on the driver side, we need to relocate the manufacturers wiring.

Just using the trim panel tool or a flat face screwdriver, well go ahead and pry the connectors free from the frame and set it aside from now. Now were ready to go ahead and install our hitch.For the weld nuts, well be using the new 12mm bolt along with the -inch conical tooth washer with the teeth of the washer facing the hitch. I recommend to get an extra set of hands to help you hold the hitch in place while you install your fasteners. Feed the passenger side up over the exhaust and into position and then bringing the driver side up to position, being careful not to push our hardware back into the frame, we can now go ahead and install the 12mm bolts and conical tooth washer. And then well go back and add our conical tooth washer and nut for our forward attachment.Now with all our fasteners installed finger tight, we can go ahead and run them down.

Once we complete that, well go back and torque each fasteners specifications as indicated in the instructions. Now with all our fasteners torqued to specifications, we can go ahead and reinstall the electrical wire we removed previously. The connector will fit in the frame just rear of where we mounted the hitch. And thatll complete the install of our Draw-Tite Hitch part number 75461 on our 2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser. .