Recommended Adapter for Installing 1-1/4 Inch Hitch Accessories in 2 Inch Hitch

Question:

This is a hitch adapter question. I want to install a Class III 2 receiver hitch on my 2021 Subaru Crosstrek. I want to be able to use it for a 1.25 bike rack and 2 stuff with any one thing staying in it sometimes for months. So Im planning to buy an adapter, but to my untrained eye it seems like most if not all the designs will be a massive headache to remove if they get stuck over time. Im looking at the # e98912 for the hitch and either the # C45770 Curt or the MaxxTow # MT70033 for the adapter. I dont think I need the extension measuring stuff now but they look like theyd be much easier to bang out if they got stuck than a sleeve that sits completely inside the receiver. Is there a way to attach a sleeve securely enough to the bike rack so they always come out as one? Thanks for your help!

asked by: Alex L

Expert Reply:

Anytime a hitch accessory is left in a receiver for an extended period of time, you'll run the risk of the hitch and the shank of the accessory or the adapter corroding over time and becoming rusted together, which is why we don't typically recommend leaving hitch mounted accessories installed in the receiver when they're not being used. Applying some grease to the shank of the hitch accessory and the shank of the adapter will go a long way toward preventing this from occurring, but I'd also recommend removing the hitch accessory occasionally to apply more grease if needed and to check for corrosion. This can be fairly messy, so if you're planning on stowing the reducer in the vehicle, you might want to use a storage bag like part
# ETBMB.

Either the Curt # C45770 and the # MT70033 MaxxTow hitch adapters you mentioned would work just fine, but because they provide some extension, they will lower the capacity of your hitch by half which is why I'd typically recommend using a sleeve type reducer like # HT02. However, the # e98912 hitch you're interested in has a 525 lb tongue weight capacity, so lowering that by half still provides quite a bit of capacity for most hitch accessories, so you should be fine if you'd want to use either of the reducers you mentioned.

expert reply by: Mike L