Trailer Hitch Installation - 2010 Mazda 3 - Draw-Tite

Products Featured in this Video

Draw-Tite Sportframe Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class I - 1-1/4"

64 reviews

Code: 24842

Retail: $327.79

Price:  $195.79

• Trailer Hitch
• Custom Fit Hitch
• Class I
• 200 lbs TW
• 2000 lbs GTW

• 1-1/4 Inch Hitch
• Concealed Cross Tube
• Draw-Tite

This fully welded, corrosion-resistant vehicle trailer hitch receiver is perfect for your light-duty towing needs. Draw-Tite's Tested Tough guarantee ensures that this hitch exceeds industry standards. Drawbar sold separately.

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How to Install a Trailer Hitch on a 2010 Mazda 3

Today on this 2010 Mazda 3, we're going to install part number 24842 from Draw-Tite. This is a class one, inch and a quarter receiver hitch. This is what the hitch looks like when it's installed on our Mazda 3. Next we'll give you some measurements to help you out in selecting some accessories, such a bicycle rack or a cargo carrier. Top of the receiver opening down to the ground will be about 11 inches. From the center of the hitch pin hole to the outside edge of the bumper will be about six inches.

Now, we'll go ahead and show you how the hitch is installed. First thing we're going to do is get our vehicle ready. To do that, we'll need to go ahead and unbolt these straps that go to the bumper cover. We'll need a 10mm socket to remove those bolts. This will allow us to put the hitch up into place. Next we'll go ahead and show you where the hitch attaches to the vehicle.

It's going to attach at the bottom of these bumper supports right here, this hole and this hole and this large round hole here. Also by a tie-on loop here, we can use the hole right above it. This is the driver side. This will be the same on the passenger side. Before we install the hardware on the car, we'll go ahead and show you how it works with the hitch first. Going through the tie down bracket first, we'll get this 3/8ths bolt, flat washer, through the bracket and through the hitch.

On the other side, we'll get cone tooth 00:01:17 washer and we'll make sure the teeth on the washer always face towards the hitch and then the nut. Next, we'll go ahead and go to these fasteners here. This will be installed in the bumper structure, 7/16ths carriage bolt through the hitch. The bottom will get another cone tooth washer and nut. This hardware combination is going to be the same for this hole, this one and this one. Let's go ahead and install our hardware now.

We're going to install right here first. We'll take a bolt leader that comes with the hitch, run it through the hole we're going to use and we'll use one of these holes up here for an access hole. Take a block wood 00:01:56 and thread it through the wire and then we'll go ahead and thread in our bolt. Push the bolt back in, pull it out. Let's go ahead and do our hardware here and here. This one, I'm definitely going to leave my bolt leader in place. This is all the hardware I'm going to install on the passenger side. Let's do the same thing on the driver's side. Now, we'll go ahead and lift our hitch up in position. Definitely want to get an extra set of hands to help hold it up and run the hardware through the hitch. Ours is a pretty tight fit but the pry 00:02:47 pinching against the wire, so we just took a soft mallet and just tapped it right off. One set of fasteners holding the hitch up in place, we'll go ahead and install the rest of our hardware. Let's go ahead and pull our bolt back out and we'll install a cone tooth washer and nut. Be careful not to knock it back inside. When we're dong with our passenger side, we'll go ahead and finish up the hardware on the driver's side. Now, let's install our hardware here. Now our hitch is off just a little bit. That's why I leave all our hardware loose so we can move it around. We'll just use a screwdriver to line up the holes, then we'll install the hardware. With all our hardware loosely installed, we'll go ahead and tighten it down, then torque it down as specified in the instructions. With the hitch fully installed now, we'll go ahead and reinstall the fasteners for each strap. With everything tightened down, that will do it for Draw-Tite sports frame trailer hitch receiver, class one, inch and a quarter, part number 24842 on our 2010 Mazda 3. .