Trailer Hitch Installation - 2001 Dodge Dakota Pickup - etrailer.com

http://www.etrailer.com/tv-Hitch-install-2001-Dodge-Dakota.aspx

Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Today on this 2001 Dodge Dakota pick up truck, we are going to install part number 87554 from Hidden Hitch. This also applies to part number 75073 from Draw-Tite. Okay we will go ahead and first show you where the hitch mounts up onto the vehicle. It is going to mount up onto the frame itself in two different places. It is going to mount on the bottom of the frame using this bolt hole here and the hole where this existing bolt is. And the existing bolt is going to be removed and replaced by the hitch hardware. Also it is going to mount up onto the inside of the frame where another existing factory bolt is going to be replaced by the hitch hardware also. All right, we will go ahead and take this bottom bolt out here.

It is also a good idea on these bolts here to spray them down with a lubricant before you try to take them off. We did this earlier today and sprayed them down so it would soak in. It really helps loosen the bolt up. And do the bolt on the side. Now go ahead and repeat the same process on the driver side. Okay, we can go ahead and place the blocks for the hardware inside the frame. There is two different blocks. There is one with an offset hole and one with the hole in the center. The offset is going to go on the end of the frame. And then this one with the center hole is going to go right there. We can go ahead and our bolts in. Then go ahead and repeat the same steps back over on the driver side. At this point we can go ahead and lift the hitch into position.

And remember that the tabs, the vertical tabs that are on the hitch, are going to go up on the inside of the frame. We are going to get the tabs in there first and then work the bolts into the hitch. We will go ahead, when you get one side started, just put a nut on there to hold it up so you can work the other side in also, while it is held up if your are doing it by yourself. Once we get all of the bolts started, we will go ahead and put our hardware on. We are just going to use a hard washer, the block one, and then the lock washer, and then the nut. All right, next we will go ahead and install our hardware for our vertical tabs that go inside the frame. It is going to use the 7/ 16 bolt and then a small flat washer. That is going to go from the outside in. This is why you leave your hitch loose so you can work it around to get to the bolts on the inside. And then we put on our conical tooth washer and nut. Again we are going to repeat the same process on the driver side. We can go ahead and make the nuts finger tight and then go ahead and torque them down as specified in the instructions. Okay, with the bolts torqued down, that finishes our install part number 87554 from Hidden Hitch.
etrailer.com

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• etrailer.com
• 87554
• 75073
• Dodge
• Dakota
• Dakota Pickup
• 2001
• 01
• Dakota Pickup Dodge 2001
• hitch
• hitch install
• hitch installation
• Hidden Hitch
• Draw-Tite
• Draw-tite
• Draw Tite
• Reese