2008 Silverado - Curt Class Iv Hitch Install

[tnord]

after a LOT of searching, and phone calls to people that don't know what the **** they're talking about, i finally found a hitch for my 08 LT2 that could handle over 6k lbs without weight distribution.

 

i ended up with a Curt class IV from www.thehitchstore.com, with a 10k lb capacity, and 12k lb with weight distribution. this is of course more than the truck itself can handle, as i don't have the max trailering package, and it's more than twice as much as i usually haul (4500lbs). but i want to be able to load up a regular modern mid-size sedan on my car hauler and not exceed the capacity of the standard 6000lb hitches without spending the $400 on a weight distribution setup.

 

http://www.thehitchstore.com/class-iv-rece...tch-p-1095.html

 

this really is about the easiest thing in the world to install, and if you have just a couple tools you can do it in under an hour easy. all i did was drop the spare tire, and take out the existing 21mm bolts that are at the back of the frame. this thing probably weighed over 60lbs, so i wasn't going to try and hold it up with one arm while i threaded the bolts with my free hand. got my jack and set one end of the hitch on it to hold it up while i threaded the other side.

 

the hitch came with nice stainless hardware, and a couple of reinforcement plates. there are 6 bolts in total, two 22mm ones you install where the factory put in the 21mm at the rear of the frame, and four 19mm ones that you insert through the reinforcement plates and nut from the bottom. everything lined up pretty well, and i didn't have to reem out any of the pre-drilled holes in the hitch. the only thing i didn't like was that as you were torquing down the nuts, the reinforcement plates spin around and chew up the gooey, rubbery, factory coating on the frame. we use salt here in KS in the winter, so this was a little bothersome. i just went and got some of my own grease and coated everything though. so it should be fine.

 

i'm happy with it, especially for $150. way cheaper than the OEM part, and better. i don't know what places charge to install these things....but it's not worth paying, as all i used was a 1/2'' wratchet, a 5'' extension, a 19mm, 21mm, and 22mm socket. and a few globs of grease.

[97SierraGMC]

lol, my drawtite on my truck is good for

 

1,000 Lbs Tounge

10,000 Weight Carrying

 

im pretty much set

 

btw we have a flat rate charge at out shop to putting in hitches, wether its on a civic or a pickup.. $35

 

and will be done in about 15-20 min

[tnord]

i looked for a draw-tite for mine, but they don't offer anything that has over 6000lb carrying.

 

1000lb tongue, 10k lb carrying, 12k lb WD is what mine is....probably same as yours. good to hear it doesn't cost much to put one in, it's so simple.