Curt Hitch Install Problems

sfprii,

Please call Curt Mfg. Product Tech Support for help on in installing your hitch. The number is 800-798-0813.

 

Mine was bent when I got it too. Just bend it back. It bends pretty easily. I just grabbed the thing with a large crescent wrench and bent it until it fit.

I sucks that you have to fix it yourself to make it fit, but it is a lot less work than sending it back.

 

This is actually a very common issue with hitches.
I got Hidden Hitch on my CX-9. It was off by about 5mm. The bolts was short and the washers were warped. I had to be very creative to get it to fit. Besides, installing hitch is a two-person job unless you have a stand.

 

me too. ordered mine from etrailer.com, $130 i think, free shipping (i added rubber hitch stopper and some rubber mats).

it looked easy enough with bolts, instructions, tow adapter, etc. but it was off by an inch, width-wise! i was pissed. thought of what a pain it was to save a few bucks....

but then i remembered reading on these forums about just bending it.... so i took a look and indeed the ends were not at 90degrees to the cross bar. so i planted one foot on one end and pulled with my hands/arms on the other end, apart brute force style... it worked and the holes lined up fine....

another q&a issue was when i went to slide my yakima rack in, it wouldn't go all the way in... there was just a dab of weld on the inside. i had to spend 15min filing it down with a file (fortunately i had one). all in all, not as easy as it really should have.

i did like the tip to use a box to prop up one end... i used the box the hitch came in and it worked well. didn't need anyone to help me...

jksu

 

First, if it taking 5 hours to install the hitch he either does not have the tools or the skills neccessary to do the job. Especially given the nature of the defects you described.

Second, I always recommend going to U-Haul, the're everywhere and pay the $30 to install the hitch. Mine was $160 total with install.

 

See:

http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-m...n-about-installing-curt-hitch.html#post729808

for details, but I had lots of problems with the Curt hitch as well. They're shipping replacement hitch to solve the biggest problem (hitch was twisted), but I'm on my own for the other two. I agree with others that Curt has a QA problem.

One comment re U-Haul installing the hitch: The bolts sent by Curt are about 5mm too long for the left-side attach points. If somebody like U-Haul is installing the hitch, it's likely they'll use an air wrench, and in the process will drive the bolts up through the top of the frame member.

Re filing off a weld to stick the Yakima rack in -- I'm not sure on this, but I was told that it's a Class I (the hitch) vs Class II (the rack) issue. The receiver is 1 1/4" in both cases, but the rack people (not Yakima) I talked to implied there was a difference, presumably to prevent putting a Class II thing into a Class I hitch. I haven't seen anything on my Curt hitch that would support that theory -- a Class II ball mount fits into it just fine -- but others have commented that there's a dimple or other obstruction in a Class I hitch to prevent inserting a Class II thingy.

Finally, everybody says they can install this thing without lifting the car, but I think they're masochists. I made simple ramps out of 2x4 scraps to lift the car 3" and it made a huge difference.

 

More like lazy! And I even own really nice ramps. I would have had to walk all the way across the garage to get them, so I installed with the car on the ground.

 

More like a 67-year-old, arthritic back .

I own "nice ramps" too, but they're too high to use on the Prius.

Still waiting for my replacement hitch, but when it comes I'll spend more quality time under there. Planning on installing the Fumoto oil-drain valve at the same time, so I can squeeze all the pain into one day .

 

I totally agree, after having the same problem installing my Curt today. I don't care how common this issue is with hitches, it shouldn't be!

 

The Curt hitch I got was bent too when it arrived at the U-Haul where I had it installed.

The mechanic who was doing the installation for me was puzzled why it wouldn't fit, until I told him from reading the posts on Priuschat that it's a fairly common occurrence and it's easy to fix-- We just bent it into the right position and it installed no fuss no muss.

As long as it isn't the crossbeam that was bent, it really isn't a big deal. Just bend the mounting flanges back into position and you are good to go.

 

Easier said than done, since they're 1/4" steel, but not impossible. JKSU (see #7 above) is more man than I, if he was able to bend it with his bare hands.

The replacement hitch I received from Curt was also twisted, but this one only about 1.2 degrees. Everything mated up OK when I tightened the bolts, so either the hitch or the car frame "gave" enough to git 'er done. The mounting flanges were also bent, but I was able to bend them into position using a hydraulic jack and some 2x4 scraps.

Curt QC said they'd look into what was causing all their problems, but they haven't let me in on anything they've found. Judging from what I was told, however, the problem seems to be that they don't use a proper assembly jig, but just tack-weld the component parts into rough position, then "weld for effect". The outcome is predictable, I guess.

 

i've installed about 20 hitches as part of a training program i'm on and have never had a hitch go on easily. whether it be bent, holes misaligned or what have you, these things need to be manhandled to fit right. havent done a prius yet but after the buicks and fords i've done it should be a breeze for me..of course i have all the tools, reamers and 3 foot ramps

 

Most of the hitches I've seen for Fords and other trucks require that you drill holes in the frame to match up with the hitch mounting brackets, so you don't have to worry about the holes matching up if you drill the holes accurately. The Prius hitch uses factory mount points for towing hooks, so the hitch has to match up with those holes (and threaded nutplates in the Prius box frame) pretty precisely. I used some long bolts as guides to make sure the hitch was bent right to fit the frame -- when the hitch slid up the guide bolts nicely I replaced them with the mounting bolts and things went pretty smoothly. Only tool I didn't have that would have helped was a 10- or 12-ton press, mounted on a serious steel bed, for forming and twisting the hitch. Bending the brackets wasn't bad, but twisting the 2" box and/or 2"x1/2" bar (crossbar assembly) on the hitch would have been a real chore.

 

Leverage, dude, leverage!!

I bent the thing very easily. Stand the hitch on the end that was bent. Use the top end of the hitch as a lever to bend it back into proper alignment.

I remember another thread where someone else whacked it against a tree to bend it back into position. More than 1 way to skin a cat I guess.

 

That would be me. Read the story near the top.
Prius Hitch

 

I just installed a Curt Hitch on my 2006 Prius, so I will update this thread with current information. Here is what I found:

1) My hitch was also misaligned. The width was a tad short, not allowing the holes to align even with loose bolts. I had to bend the mounts outward by clamping the hitch in a vice and pulling on the other end. This increased the width, but also twisted one end slightly out of alignment, allowing only three of the four holes to work. I used a pipe clamp to torture the fourth hole into alignment.

2) The supplied bolts are now the correct size. I didn't have to reuse the front bolts as per darrelldd's instructions.

3) The instructions about modifying the plastic pan are misleading. The printed instructions show two cuts extending the slot to the back. I did this, but I also had to extend the slot an inch more toward the front, otherwise the pan won't go back into position. I cut the plastic pan on one of our band saws, although snips would work fine.

4) I did the installation by myself and without ramps. A large person might have trouble without ramps, but for a compact person like me, it's easier on the ground. A helper would make the job a little easier, but a well placed support does the trick.

My overall assessment is that it takes about 30 minutes to install, including the time needed to torture the hitch into alignment. The Curt Hitch seems to be well made and is hardly noticeable from the back of the car.

Tom

 

Any one have problems with wiring it in?