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Today on this 2012 Dodge Charger V6 model, were going to install part number C12064 from Curt. This is what the hitch looks like when its installed on the vehicle. Next well give you some measurements that will help you out in selecting some accessories, such as a bicycle rack or a cargo carrier. From the top of the receiver opening down to the ground will be about nine and a quarter inches. From the center of the hitch pin hole to the edge of the bumper will be about seven inches. Now well go ahead and show you how the hitch is installed.
First thing we need to do is go ahead and loosen up the exhaust and also remove a portion of it. Theres a T pipe right by the rear axle that were going to loosen up the clamp on. Well spray some lubricant on it and then loosen up the nut and then loosen up the clamp. There are two exhaust hangers by the muffler on the drivers side that we have to remove as well. Theyll unbolt from the frame.
Now well go ahead and remove that section of the exhaust. It will be a close tolerance so you have to work it back and forth and around to get it off the exhaust tube. With that removed well go over to the passengers side and well go ahead and unbolt the hangers for that. This will be the same as the drivers side. Well go toward the front and there will be two other hangers that we have to spray down with some lubricant and well go ahead and remove those.
Well just go ahead and pry them off so we can get the exhaust as low as possible. Now there are going to be some fasteners on the very bottom edge of the bumper cover that were going to have to remove. This will give us some flexibility in the bumper cover so it can lower the exhaust as much as possible. Well go ahead and undo the fasteners. There will be one inside the fender well that well remove, two screws on the passengers side, and then behind the bumper theres some brackets that go up to the bumper structure.
Well remove those plastic rivets as well. Were going to pull back on the fascia just enough to get the exhaust to fall down through to fit below it. This is a very tight fit. The exhaust pipe will drag on the inside edge. Once we have it as low as possible we can go ahead and start installing the hardware for the hitch. Looking at the passengers side youll see two round holes and an oval hole between there. Youll also see a threaded hole. The hitch will use the two round holes and the threaded holes. Well go ahead and install our hardware. Were going to use the block and the carriage bolt. Well also use a bolt leader to install the hardware. Now well take our bolt leader and run it through the hole were going to use, and then out through the access hole. Well thread our block in and push it into the frame and thread on our bolt, and then pull the whole thing through. Weve got one done, let go ahead to the next hole and repeat the same process. Now were done with our passengers side. Lets go over to the drivers side. That will only get one block and carriage bolt, and there will be two threaded holes to work with. Well go ahead and install our hardware on the one round hole next to the oval hole just like we did on the passengers side. Then well take a moment to clean up the threads in the threaded holes. Well use some lubricant and a tube brush to clean it out. The tube brush will be part number 814092. This is a new vehicle and pretty easy to clean out. However when the vehicle gets older there will be more dirt and debris inside the threads and this will take more time to clean out. Eventually it may need a thread tap to clean out the threads. Lets go ahead and install the hitch. Were going to take the passengers side of the hitch and set it on top of the exhaust. That will hold that side for us for now. Well push the drivers side and install the phalange nut for the bolt hanging down from the frame. Now well go back to the passengers side and push the hitch up, run the bolts through the hitch and be careful not to push them back into the frame and then install the phalange nuts on those two bolts. With the hitch loosely installed, well go ahead and install the metric bolts and the conical tooth washers for the threaded holes. Well go ahead and make sure the teeth on the conical tooth washer are pointing up toward the hitch. Well use a short socket and extension to help push it up and run the bolt in on the passengers side. Now lets go over to the drivers side and install the two metric bolts and conical tooth washers there. With all our hardware loosely installed well go ahead and tighten down the bolts, then torque them down as specified in the instructions. Its a good idea to use a medium length socket on the passengers side and a swivel, that way you get access to the nut and still tighten it down. With all our hardware torqued down to specifications, well go ahead and start reinstalling the exhaust. Well go ahead and reinstall the drivers side first and then reinstall the passengers side. Then well go ahead and reinstall the rubber hangers going up toward the front and then well go ahead and reinstall the fasteners for the bumper cover. That will finish it for our install of part number C12064 from Curt on our 2012 Dodge Charger.
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