I am never doing this again

[crokett]

Well after 4hrs spent on what should have taken an hour tops, the hitch and wiring is installed on thhe van. I started this last Monday. The hitch takes 3 bolts per side. 2 use the existing bumper bolt locations. The 3rd you are supposed to drill a new hole then fish a bolt+plate through the frame to the new hole. Then nut then goes on the bottom. After 2 hrs trying different methods and much thought I finally fabbed up my own plate, drilled and tapped it and fished that in, then put the bolt in from the bottom. It took about 30 minutes to do all that.

I told LOML I am not doing this again unless it is a truck where the designers know you will probablhy install a hitch.

[just4funsies]

I am convinced that there should be a rule that auto engineers be required to work on their products in the shop. Then they might do things differently. The A/C refill inlet on my Lincoln is UNDER THE CAR!!

[JSUPreston]

I know how both of you feel. Out of desparation, and lack of a truck, I installed a hitch on my '96 Nissan Sentra years ago to haul a utility trailer. Took hours...never could get the wiring right, and looked dang funny when towing.

Now, I've got a 2000 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab. Great little truck, but under the hood it is so tight that to change a headlight, out comes the battery. Makes me almost miss the '92 Dakota I had before it. Almost enough room under the hood to stand in the engine bay.

Glad to hear you got the hitch on the van. Hope it works well, and remember to check the bolts on occasion and don't overtighten.

[Stytooner]

Well, when you are trying to get more power in a smaller size, open space becomes a limited commodity.
I can empathize with the tightness of things on smaller vehicles.
To change the timong belt on a Geo once, I had to remove the right front tire and build a special tool. The are many tools in my tool box that has only one specific use. I am convinced there is a conspiracy among tool makers and machine and equipment makers.
Just how hard can we make this so that they will need a special tool and specific software to do anything about any of it?
This comes from a shadetree mechanic and that's why I am holding on to my old pickup. I can work on it if need be.

[WayneJ]

Henry Ford used to give you a tool kit with each car. I Wonder what that tool kit would look like for todays car?
Wayne

[just4funsies]

Henry Ford used to give you a tool kit with each car. I Wonder what that tool kit would look like for todays car?
Wayne

The tool kit would have to come with its own TRUCK!!!

[AZ Tom]

I recently installed a hitch on a Ford Windstar van, and had the exact same problem. The hitch I bought required, "no welding", but you must fish the bolts through several feet of an enclosed frame rail, then out a bolt hole. They don't really explain how to do that.

I used a fish tape to first pull a string through the bolt hole, up the rail, and out the access hole. I taped the string to the threads of the bolt, and tied a second string to the head of the bolt.

Pulling on the string coming out the bolt hole would pull the bolt (by the threaded end) down inside the frame, and hopefully, out of the hole. The second string, around the head of the bolt allowed me to pull the bolt back, if the first attempt failed, and try again.

Each bolt required three or four attempts to get it in position, and hanging through the hole in the frame.

Of course, before all of this, you must first fish the plates down inside the frame, and get them into position. I'm using the term "frame" loosely, really just a stamped steel unibody channel.

I spent an entire weekend on what I thought would be a simple bolt-on installation.

Tom

[Hellrazor]

The A/C refill inlet on my Lincoln is UNDER THE CAR!!

Look at the bright side, atleast its not the oil fill

[just4funsies]

Look at the bright side, atleast its not the oil fill

Yeah, I guess... Problem is that it needs refrigerant more often than it does oil!!!

[Thalermade]

While I sit here this morning reading this post, there is a brand new hitch that just arrived yesterday (when my wife was off work for the day!), sitting in my garage waiting to be installed on my 1990 Wrangler. Six bolts total, 4 of which came with special "bolt leader" neeed to fish the carriage bolts and backing plates through the frame. Two holes to be drilled. On 1997 and newer, no holes to be drilled. So maybe somebody learned.....

[crokett]

Thalermade,

Either plan to spend the weekend on it, or take it to your mechanic. For your sanity I suggest the latter.

[BobSch]

Henry Ford used to give you a tool kit with each car. I Wonder what that tool kit would look like for todays car?
Wayne

A .45 with one shell?

[Texas splinter]

Stytooner said: "The are many tools in my tool box that has only one specific use. I am convinced there is a conspiracy among tool makers and machine and equipment makers. "
After over 40 years as an A&P mechanic, working on large and small aircraft, I have a rollaway full of those special, one-time use tools. If any of you ever need to replace the cabin supercharger on a 1956 RollsRoyce Dart engine, let me know. I'll mail you the wrench for free!

[mpc]

A trick I've used when I have to replace wires in long automotive wire harnesses... Normally there's no way to put a new wire inside the harness without removing the whole harness from the car - and the harness itself runs through tubes, nooks/crannies in the bodywork, etc. But it is possible to run a fresh wire along the same path as the harness. The idea of fishing light string first works. To make it easier to fish the string I use a plain old vacuum to help suck the string to wherever I need it to go. A lot easier than poking/prodding with a coat hanger, stiff wire, etc. A little tape over holes along the way helps the vacuum do its new job.

mpc

[Scottydont]

After doing a trailer hitch on a 2002 Ford Taurus I now what you mean. BOLT ON MY A$$! I used to be an ASE certified auto technician and I won't even work on my own car anymore. I have come to the conclusion that I like my knuckles. I am very savy about giving my wife advise about not getting screwed at the car dealer!