A different shackle question

[Lifted95X]

I have a hidden hitch on my truck and I was looking to get the WAR153's. The only question I have is...The stock shackles are so close to the hitch that I am afraid if I get the extended ones they will not fit. Does anyone have both of these and can confirm if they do fit or not.

 

[CBoug76]

A Round Tube Hidden Hitch?

 

[Lifted95X]

Yes.

 

[CBoug76]

Your answer is Yes they will fit.
The only thing is that your going to have to take your hitch off so that your stock shackles can come out. The Stock bolts are going from the middle of the truck to the outside, and when you try to take them out, they will hit the Trailer hitch. What I did when I did mine, was I swapped it so the new bolts went from the outside in, so that I could remove the shackles with the hitch still on.

BTW Nice Truck, You might want to get some tail light blackouts, they change the look of the back of the Explorer.

E-mail me if you have any questions.

 

[Lifted95X]

Thanks...you too..I've had three set of the sticky tape kind and they always blow off. Thanks for the help.

 

[CBoug76]

I have a set of GTS Tailblazer™ Taillight Cover's and they are held on with Industrial Velcro, and its hard getting the velcro to seperate! my moto is you get what you pay for. so pay a little more and get the good ones.

 

[Lifted95X]

Well I looked into what you said about the bolt hitting the hitch when trying to remove...and I don't see that I would have that problem...is it possible that you have a different hitch than I do??? On mine...if you are standing in the back of the X..the hitch length actually goes beyond the shackles..I mean...if you look from the side..It almost looks like the Stock shackles come really close to rubbing on the hitch....if I picture it right...and visually extend the stock shackles down 3"...It does not look like it will fit...are the War153's skinnier???

 

[CBoug76]

I just did a quick drawing of how I remember it was.

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Does this help?

 

[Robert]

CBoug76 - that is exactly how it went with my longer shackles and round tube hidden hitch. My hitch does not go underneith my shackles. I did have to lower the hitch the to remove the bolt and put it back in like you are suggesting. I think only the passenger side bolt was a problem, but since it was over a year ago since I put the shackles on it might have been both. My longer shackles do not come any closer to my hitch than my stock shackles.

 

[Lifted95X]

Is your drawing representing driver side or passenger side??? Because per my hitch....it looks like passenger side.

 

[CBoug76]

That is the drivers side, looking at it from the back of the truck.

 

[Lifted95X]

Mine Goes beyond the shackle Look at my picstures...i drew one of how it looks from the side...........................that is what im worried about. Look at the third picture from the left too...does that hitch look like yours???

 

[CBoug76]

yes and no.
Yes your hitch looks like mine but mine does not stick out as much as yours does. Below is a photo of the Passengar side of the truck with the stock shackles. Is that what your's looks like? from what you say it does not.

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[Lifted95X]

My tube hitch looks like twice the diameter of that one.

 

[CBoug76]

then my guess is either you have the wrong hitch for your truck & someone made it fit, or you have a different model hitch.