Trailer Hitch Installation - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee - Curt
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How to Install a Trailer Hitch on a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Today on our 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee we're going to be installing the Curt Trailer Hitch Receiver part number 13051. This receiver that we'll be installing today is a Class III rated receiver with a 2" opening on the receiver tube. Here's what our hitch looks like installed on our vehicle. Now we'll go ahead and give you a couple measurements in helping you choose some accessories for your hitch such as a ball mount, a bicycle rack, or a cargo carrier. From the center of the hitch pin hole to the outer most edge of the bumper is approximately 7". From the top of the opening in the receiver to the ground is approximately 16-1/2". Now let's go ahead and install our hitch. First let's go ahead and point out our mounting locations that we're going to be using to install our hitch.
There'll be a total of six mounting locations, three on each side. We're going to begin over here on the driver side. We'll be using this location right here, here, as well as right here. You will notice that over here there is a support bracket that is on this rear mounting location. Let's go ahead and move over to the passenger side and point out our mounting locations.
We'll be using this location here, here and this existing weld nut back here. For the five mounting locations that already have a manufacturer's bolt installed in them, we'll just be using a hex bolt, and a conical tooth washer in each of the locations, making sure that the teeth face toward the hitch when installed. Over here on the passenger side, since we don't have a support bracket here at the rear most mounting location we will need to add this round hole spacer block in between the hitch and the vehicle's frame. Since the other five mounting locations already had a bolt in them the threads will usually be clean enough and you won't need to do this, except for this rear mounting location that didn't have any hardware already installed in it. You're going to want to go ahead and take a little bit of spray lubricant and a nylon tube brush to clean it out. The tube brush that we're using today is part number 814092. Once you have everything cleaned up it's a good idea to go ahead and take one of the bolts and thread it in to make sure that it goes in easily.
If it does not you'll need to continue to clean the threads. Now we can go ahead and remove the hardware in the other five mounting locations. To do that we'll use an 18mm socket. You may notice that we're using a swivel end here on the end of our impact gun, that's really just to speed things up. You don't necessarily need this, but this back location here is kind of difficult to get into with this lower fascia. For video purposes we're going to use the swivel because it'll speed it up.
You can get in there with either a wrench or a socket. It'll just take you a little more time because you can't move the wrench or socket very far due to the limitation of items on both sides. It's a good idea to get an extra set of hands to help you raise the hitch up into position. You will need to slide the hitch up and around the lower part of the rear fascia here. Once you have the hitch slid up into position we can go ahead and loosely install all of the hardware. Making sure we install the round hole spacer block at the rear most mounting location on the passenger side, in between the hitch and the vehicle's frame. Once we have all the hardware installed we can go ahead and come back and tighten it all down and then torque it to the manufacturer's specification. With that, that'll do it for the installation of the Curt Trailer Hitch Receiver part number 13051 as installed here on our 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee. .
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Video Edited:
Zack K
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