Receiver Hitch and Accessories to Equip a 2001 Mazda Tribute for Towing

Question:

hi ive never install trailer hitch before how hard is it to fit one? and what i should buy to get it all done to tow a trailer? what side of the ball should i get, because i heard my dad said our old trailer needed bigger ball mounted.confeuse...please give me some ideas.

asked by: Minh

Expert Reply:

Installing this particular hitch on your Tribute should not be too difficult if you have average mechanical ability and access to a torque wrench. One of the connections on each side of the frame uses a weld nut, a nut that is welded into the interior of the frame member.

Since your vehicle has a few years on it, there is a good chance that there is some corrosion and road grime built up in the threads of the weld nut. You will need to spray a lubricant like WD-40 into the weld nuts and scrub the threads with a wire brush to clean them before attempting to thread the bolt. Our installers typically use the brush portion of a battery terminal cleaner like part # DW00254. This may need to be repeated several times before the threads are clean enough to allow the bolt to thread into the nut. DO NOT force the bolt, as the weld can break off leaving the nut broken off in the frame. See the provided link to the install instructions.

You will also need a draw bar, a wiring harness to provide a trailer connector for the trailer lighting and a trailer ball.

The draw bar needed will depend on the height of your trailer coupler when the trailer is level. To determine the rise or drop of draw bar needed, measure from the top of the receiver to the ground, then measure the distance from the bottom of the trailer coupler to the ground. The difference between these two measurements will represent the rise or drop needed. Since you do not have a hitch installed yet, you can measure from the bottom of the bumper to the ground to represent the height of the receiver. The class III Curt, part # C45010 will most likely work for you, but I would still measure to be sure. I will provide links to our selection of draw bars.

You will also need a wiring harness, part # 118343 or part # C55255 if your Tribute is equipped with the tow package. The harnesses are easy to install, I will provide links to the install instructions.

The trailer ball needed will depend on the size of the coupler on your trailer. The coupler should have the ball size stamped on it somewhere. For a 1-7/8 inch ball, use part # 19260. For a 2 inch ball, part # 19247 or for a 2-5/16 inch ball part # 63847.