Trailer Hitch Installation - 2006 Nissan Murano

Products Featured in this Video

Curt Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class III - 2"

112 reviews

Code: 13571

Price:  $189.32

• Trailer Hitch
• Custom Fit Hitch
• Class III
• 350 lbs TW
• 3500 lbs GTW

• 2 Inch Hitch
• Visible Cross Tube
• CURT

This fully welded trailer hitch receiver bolts onto your vehicle's frame with no welding required. Powder coated steel is sturdy and corrosion resistant.

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How to Install a Trailer Hitch on a 2006 Nissan Murano

Today on this 2006 Nissan Murano we are going to be installing Curt hitch part number 13571. Before we get started installing our trailer hitch we need to do a couple of things in preparation. We first need to lower the exhaust system down. This vehicle has a dual exhaust system so we do need to remove the hangers from both sides of the vehicle. There are two on the driver side and one over on the passenger side outboard frame rail. The hanger on the passenger side is bolted to the side of the frame so we are going to unbolt it to lower it down. Over on the driver side we have just got some standard rubber hangers. To remove these we are going to spray down the studs of the hangers with a spray lubricant and then we can take a set of pliers or a pry bar and separate the two. If you still do not have enough working room underneath the vehicle it might be a good idea to remove the fourth exhaust hanger at the forward side of the vehicle almost even with the axle. 00:56

Before you remove this one you want to make sure you support the exhaust tube with some kind of support strap because once you do lower it off the hanger the exhaust will want to fall and you could damage it. With the exhaust lowered down we are going to start pointing out the attaching points for our trailer hitch. Over on the passenger side you can see at the rear of the frame we have got two existing weld nuts. These are going to provide our two attaching points on the passenger side. Over on the driver side we have three attaching points. The one weld nut at the rear of the frame and the two at the forward side which apparently have bolts in them that are holding up the tow hook on the driver side so we will need to remove the tow hook from the driver side. That will consist of the two bolts at the bottom and then two more on the inboard side. 01:40

The next step is to clean out the weld nuts in the frame especially the ones that did not have any existing bolts in them. Any vehicle that has at least seen one winter is going to have some road grime and corrosion built up inside the existing weld nuts so it is a good idea to thoroughly clean them out first. To do this we are going to be using a spray lubricant and take a wire brush and run it inside the weld nuts a few times to help loosen up any existing corrosion that might be built up in there. It is a good idea to do this for all of the weld nuts that we are going to be using. Then we can put the hitch up into position. When we put the hitch up in position into the four rear most weld nuts, two per side, we are going to be using the new 12 millimeter bolts along with the conical tooth washers. To the forward most hole on the driver side we are going to be using the 10 millimeter bolt along with the conical tooth washer. Now that we have got all the hardware up into position we can start torquing our bolts down. You want to verify with the directions the specific torque rating for each of the bolts. With all the bolts torqued down we just want to make sure we put our exhaust back up on all of its hangers and our installation will be complete. Now that we have got our hitch installed we are going to give you a couple of final dimensions that will help make choosing your hitch accessories a little easier. From the top of the receiver tube opening to the ground is going to measure 14-5/ 8 inches and from the center of the pin hole to clear the rear edge of the bumper is going to measure approximately six inches. This will conclude the installation of Curt hitch part number 13571 on a 2006 Nissan Murano.

At this point we can go ahead and reinstall the exhaust. It will probably be a good idea to work on the driver side first, and then go back over to the passenger side. Now that we have the vehicle off the lift, lets go ahead and give you a couple measurements that will help you out when choosing accessories. From the top of the receiver tube to the ground is 14-3/4 inches. From the center of the hitch pin hole to the outside edge of the bumper is 7 inches. That will include the install for part number 87448 from Hidden Hitch on this 2006 Nissan Murano.