Trailer Hitch Installation - 2006 Ford Escape - Draw-Tite

Products Featured in this Video

Draw-Tite Max-Frame Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class III - 2"

730 reviews

Code: 75751

Retail: $427.99

Price:  $220.35

• Trailer Hitch
• Custom Fit Hitch
• Class III
• 525
• 3500

• 5250 lbs WD GTW
• 2 Inch Hitch
• 675 lbs WD TW
• Visible Cross Tube
• Draw-Tite

Fully welded Mercury Mariner trailer hitch is strong and durable. Draw-Tite's Tested Tough guarantee ensures that this hitch exceeds industry standards. The combination of an E-coat base and a powder coat finish provides excellent rust protection.

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How to Install a Trailer Hitch on a 2006 Ford Escape

Today on this 2006 Ford Escape we're going to install part number 75751 from Draw-Tite, their class three 2" receiver hitch. This is what the hitch looks like once it's installed on the Escape. Next we'll give you some measurements to help you out in selecting some accessories such as a ball mount, a bicycle rack, or a cargo carrier. From the top of the receiver opening down to the ground comes out to about 16". From center of the hitch pinhole to the outside edge of the bumper is about 1-1/2". Also, the hitch goes past the bumper about 1" as well.

Now we'll go ahead and show you how the hitch is installed. First up we'll go ahead and show you where the hitch attaches to the frame of the vehicle. You'll use these two holes in the side here, and this hole at the bottom. Now we're looking at the driver side; this is going to be the same on the passenger side. One thing to note is that sometimes the exhaust is a little bit close to this hole here so you may have to push it out of the way or maybe just loosen it up to get access to the hardware to tighten it down. Next we'll go ahead and show you how the hardware works with the hitch. This carriage bolt and this block will be installed on the inside of the frame, then pulled out through the hitch.

We'll get a conical tooth washer and nut. When you install the conical tooth washer you'll want to make sure the teeth face towards the hitch. Now this hardware combo's going to be the same for both these two and the one on the bottom as well. This will all be the same on both sides of the hitch. Let's go ahead and install our hardware inside the frame. What I'd like to do is start off by installing the hardware for this hole right here, one on each side, then we put the hitch up, allow that to hold the hitch for us why we install the hardware for here and here.

Now this is going to be your access hole here. It's a good idea to check it and make sure that the hardware will fit inside. If not, you could always take a pry bar and pry it as you need to get in there as well. It doesn't take much in this particular vehicle. Let's take our bolt leader which comes with the hitch. We'll run it through the hole we're going to use and out our access hole.

We'll thread on our block, push it up inside, and then thread on the carriage bolt. Kind of helps to put it in head first. This is our driver side. This will be the same thing on the passenger side. We'll just go ahead and unthread our bolt leader. We'll get an extra set of hands. We'll hold our hitch up in place and install our conical tooth washer and nut. It's a good idea to shove the hitch forward so you can trap the bolt. Makes it a little easier to thread in. We're just going to get this finger tight just to hold it in place but you'll still be able to move it around. Now we'll go ahead and install the hardware for these two holes. We'll take our bolt leader and run it through the hitch in the hole, and then out our access hole in the bottom. Then just like before we're going to install our hardware. Again, move your hitch around so you can pull the bolt through. Now we got our hardware loosely installed on the driver side; let's do the same thing on the passenger side. Now with all our hardware loosely installed we'll go ahead and tighten down the bolts and torque them down as specified in the instructions. Now to tighten down our hardware we'll need to use a 11/16 socket. With that, that will finish it for our install of part number 75751 from Draw-Tite, on our 2006 Ford Escape. .