Can You Lift A Vehicle Using The Rear Curt Hitch Receiver
Updated 09/05/2020 | Published 07/03/2017
Question:
Can an installed hitch on a 2008 Honda Accord Coupe be used as a jack point for the vehicle in the rear? The rear tow hook that's used for mounting is itself a designated center jack/lift point from the factory.
asked by: Mike L
Expert Reply:
I reached out to my contact at Curt Manufacturing and asked them if it would indeed be safe to use the hitch receiver as a mounting location for a floor jack and they stated that only on a Class III or above receiver would they recommend using the hitch receiver as a lift point.
As each manufacturer may have different opinions on using their hitch as a mounting location for a floor jack, I would need to know the brand and Class of hitch receiver you have installed on your vehicle to ensure it is safe and allowed by the manufacturer. If you can give me this information then I would be happy to check for you.
Mike A.
9/5/2020
I have been a technician for 15 plus years and can say that a hitch will always be secured to the vehicle in a way that it becomes a strong frame support extension, in a way. It is secured to the frame to pull something heavy and also support braking force. This is a perfectcly suitable jacking point espcially being installed balanced with the frame on each side. No damage will reault unless as stated previously the frame is badly rusted. In which case you should not be pulling a trailor either.
Product Page this Question was Asked From
Curt Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class I - 1-1/4"
- Trailer Hitch
- For Towing
- Class I
- 200 lbs TW
- 2000 lbs GTW
- 1-1/4 Inch Hitch
- Visible Cross Tube
- CURT
more information >
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Kevin
6/17/2020
hi..regarding the answer I called Curt customer service and they claim that Class III or higher hitches can NOT be used as jacking points although they really couldn't give me a credible explanation, or any reasoning, as to why not. At least insofar as the 02 Highlander (Class III), a Toyota technician told me that so long as the frame (unibody) is not rusted, it is perfectly OK to jack on the hitch. Does anybody with an engineering degree know the actual answer to the question: Can you jack on a Class III hitch that is mounted to a frame/unibody without fear of damaging the unibody?