Trailer Hitch Installation - 2015 Mazda CX-5 - Draw-Tite

How to Install a Trailer Hitch on a 2015 Mazda CX-5

Today on this 2015 Mazda CX5, we're going to review and install the Draw Tite Max Frame Class III 2 inch receiver hitch, part number 75217. This is what the hitch looks like when it's installed in our CX5. As you can see, there's really not all that much to see but the receiver opening itself. This is our 2 inch opening here and this has a rounded collar around the edge of it. This is actually reinforcement for our tube. We'll see two hitch pin holes. The larger hole is 5/8ths of an inch in diameter and the small one is actually designed for use with a J pin stabilization pin and that works with accessories that do not have their own anti-rattle device built into them.

On the bottom here, we have the tow loops. This will accommodate a variety of different types of hitch chain hooks that are out there. Our receiver opening here is actually welded to the cross tube which is hidden entirely behind the bumper. Once it's up behind the bumper, it uses existing holes that are in the vehicle. No drilling or any other modifications are necessary. It has a tongue weight, which is the weight that pulls down on the hitch, of 525 pounds.

It has a pulling weight of 3,500 pounds. Always double check your owner's manual or your manufacturer to make sure your vehicle can handle these kinds of weights. Next we'll go ahead and give you a couple of measurements that will 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 will be about 12 1/4 inches. From the center of the hitch pin hole to the outside edge of the bumper will be about 4 1/4 inches. Now we'll go ahead and show you how we installed the hitch. To start off our install, we need to lower the exhaust to get it out of the way to make things easier to install the hitch.

Before we do anything to the exhaust, we'll go ahead and put a strap underneath it to help hold it when we lower it down. I'm just using a cam buckle strap but you can use anything that will help to hold up the exhaust. To remove the exhaust rubber hangers, we'll spray them down with some lubricant and we'll push, pull or pry them off as needed to remove them. There are two on each side of the muffler, one here and here. We'll use a pry bar to help push on the rubber hanger to run it off the rod it's stuck on. One down, three to go.

Then we'll use our strap to help lower it. With the exhaust out of the way, we can show you where the hitch mounts up to the vehicle. You'll notice these two holes here and one large hole up here, the hitch will line up with this hole and this hole. Inside the frame we have to install hardware, which will be this block and this bolt. Those will be installed through the larger hole here and out this back hole. The same set of hardware will be in place in this hole as well. To help us get the bolts into the frame it comes with four bolt leaders. We'll take the bolt leader, run it through the hole we're going to use and out our larger hole here, also known as an access hole. We'll take our block, thread it through, push into the hole and we'll take our bolt and thread it onto the bolt leader, push into the frame and pull it out the hole. Now you can leave these on or off, a personal preference. If you leave them on in case you push the bolt back in when you put the hitch in place, you can pull them back out. For our larger hole here, it's going to be a little bit different. We'll actually do everything on the outside, put it all together, then push it through the hole. Once the block's in place we'll go ahead and pull our block back through. This is our driver's side. We'll repeat the same process back over on our passenger side. Before you put your hitch back up into place, you want to make sure that your exhaust hanger is still attached on this part right here because the hitch will sit up against here and trap it, so if you leave this off, you won't be able to put it back on. Next we'll go ahead and show you the rest of our hardware before we put our hitch into place. You'll notice the conical tooth washer here with the teeth. The teeth always face towards the hitch. Then the nut goes behind it. All right, with an extra set of hands, we'll go ahead and put our hitch up into place. We'll work into position and then we'll install our hardware. It helps to push the bolts to one side or another to help hold it and you can install the hardware. Now with one piece of hardware on each side holding up the hitch, we can go ahead and install the rest of our hardware. All right, with the hitch loosely installed, we'll go ahead and tighten it down using a 3/4 inch socket. Then we'll torque the bolts down as specified in the instructions. Okay, with our hitch tightened down, we'll go ahead and put our exhaust back up. It will be a bit of a tight fit. There, cool. It may help to have an extra set of hands to pull the exhaust to one side as you line this side up. Okay, with the exhaust back into place, we can go ahead and remove our supporting strap. With that, that will finish it for Draw Tite Class III 2 inch Receiver Hitch, part number 75217 on this 2015 Mazda CX5.