Switching Trailer Hitches

[chris8428]

HI All,

I have a 2005 Explorer with the 4litre, a 1.25 inch trailer hitch receiver and, of course no tow package. I am looking at bike racks and the rack I like is for a 2 inch receiver not my 1.25. I know I can buy an adaptor on line but I am concerned about how far out the bike rack will stick from the rear of the car at that point and how stable it will be. If I am understanding a couple of threads I have read here I can remove the plastic bumper and unbolt the 1.25 receiver. If I was to pull a 2 inch receiver from a salvage yard for the same generation Explorer would it be a direct bolt on? Would the plastic bumper still fit the same way or would the larger receiver cause issues?

I am not looking to tow anything, I just want the larger receiver for a bike rack.

Here are the threads I was referring to:

Towing questions

First of all, thanks for the terrific forums. As you can see, I'm a brand spankin' newbie. I've searched and searched this site for previous threads about my specific questions, but I haven't found any threads devoted to my questions. So... We're just about ready to pull the trigger on a deal...

www.explorerforum.com

Ummm... Trailer Hitches... 2" Can't Fit?

So I called my trailer parts rep today and asked about a hitch for my truck (note: It has one, it's got a 1 1/4" receiver) so I wanted to upgrade to a 2" and a heavier hitch. It's a class 2 now. I wanted class 3. He tells me something along the lines that the Class three won't fit and it's...

www.explorerforum.com

Chris

 

[TechGuru]

Yes it's just a swap IF you can find one. I could not find one so I added a aftermarket hitch.

More Information for CURT 13550

 

[Number4]

For the cleanest look, go to a wrecking yard (I’m in Atlanta and there’s plenty with tons of Explorers) and unbolt a 2” and swap them out.

 

[chris8428]

Thank you both for the reply. Am I correct in assuming I will have to find an Explorer with a V8 to find one with a tow package and a 2 inch receiver? A local u-pull it yard has a bunch of Explorers with the six cylinder but only a few V8 models.

Chris

 

[Number4]

Thank you both for the reply. Am I correct in assuming I will have to find an Explorer with a V8 to find one with a tow package and a 2 inch receiver? A local u-pull it yard has a bunch of Explorers with the six cylinder but only a few V8 models.

Chris

No, any Explorer with the 3.73 rear end will probably have one, V6 or V8.

 

[chris8428]

So after a trip to a salvage yard here is the final result. Thank you guys for your help.

 

[mountaineer2004]

Nice!