Solution for Installing Trailer Hitch Where Bolt Holes Don't Seem To Line Up

Updated 08/22/2024 | Published 04/06/2019

Question:

The forward most weld nut, on the driver side is off center enough that I cant thread the new bolt. This is the hole that was not previously used for the Tie Down brackets/Tow Hook, or anything else. My application is for a Thule bike rack, weighing about 37 pounds, plus two bikes weighing combined 75 lbs, so 112 lbs total including hitch. Can I install the Trailer Hitch with only 5 of the 6 bolts, with the missing bolt being the driver side forward one? If not, what are reasonable options that dont involve a lot of time/expense? Thank you.

asked by: Greg T

Expert Reply:

The recommended solution for installing a hitch where the bolts all don't seem to perfectly line up is to first start each install bolt and leave it as loose as possible. This gives you a bit more leeway to compensate for holes that don't seem to line up perfectly. Once they are all started you can then begin to tighten them down. Typically what causes is this is the hitch getting bent in shipping.

expert reply by: Jameson C