Upgrading to 2" hitch receiver (solution)

[lgmagone]

I have been hunting around trying to upgrade to the 2" hitch receiver on the 2004 ford explorer.

All of the aftermarket hitches install beneath the factory 1.25" hitch receiver, which is not what I wanted.

The upgrade from the dealer costs $600 in parts alone. I believe this is because they want to upgrade the oil cooler and other stuff, which I don't need as I'm not pulling trailers. I have a small rack, bicycle rack, and a 2" hitch that I need to use and none will put a significant load on my car.

The required part is called a rear bumper reinforcement with 2" hitch receiver. I found one online (from a junkyard), and they sold it to me for $110 shipped to my house. Just received it today and will try to install later this week.

$110 is not bad for 2 inch hitch receiver.

Note that the bumper reinforcement is part of your frame. You'll want to take care that the junked car was not involved in a rear end accident that may have compromised the integrity of the bumper reinforcement.

 

[IZwack]

?
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-1-4-...-782A-E011-B31E-001B2163195C&mr:referralID=NA

 

[skysthelymyt]

?
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-1-4-...-782A-E011-B31E-001B2163195C&mr:referralID=NA

That won't work for any kind of towing. Those only have like a 500 lbs capacity. Btw all 3rd gens have an oil cooler even if they don't have the factory tow package. So if you change to the class 3 and change to 3.73 with ls rear end then you actually will have the tow package.

 

[lgmagone]

I looked into the converters, but I don't like them. I don't trust that they will securely allow me to put several hundred pounds of gear in my rack, carry 4 bicycles without swaying on my bicycle rack, or other things that I'm looking for.

The primary concern I had was wobble. All of my things wobble a bit in the 2" receiver, and I was concerned they'd wobble a lot more using a converter.

But if you're happy with it, go for it.

 

[IZwack]

That won't work for any kind of towing. Those only have like a 500 lbs capacity.

Read the original post:

...I'm not pulling trailers. I have a small rack, bicycle rack, and a 2" hitch that I need to use and none will put a significant load on my car.

The primary concern I had was wobble. All of my things wobble a bit in the 2" receiver, and I was concerned they'd wobble a lot more using a converter.

I've built a few bike racks from scratch before and the key to removing sway is to use a bolt which pulls the rack snug against one side of the receiver. A few companies have started incorporating such systems in their bike racks - Swagman being one of them.


Below is a 2" bike rack I built for my Civic with the bolt coming through. The nut is inside the rack tube on the driver's side so that the nut squeezes the receiver towards the driver's side as the bolt is tightened. No sway what so ever with two downhill bikes loaded.

 

[neilether]

I looked into the converters, but I don't like them. I don't trust that they will securely allow me to put several hundred pounds of gear in my rack, carry 4 bicycles without swaying on my bicycle rack, or other things that I'm looking for.

The primary concern I had was wobble. All of my things wobble a bit in the 2" receiver, and I was concerned they'd wobble a lot more using a converter.

But if you're happy with it, go for it.

Any luck with the rear bumper reinforcement?? I am noodling over this same exact problem. I was hoping I could just find a V8 explorer in a junkyard and steal the hitch receiver and put it on my V6. Perhaps this is not the case??

 

[lgmagone]

Yes, (as I said above), I bought the rear bumper reinforcement that has the 2" receiver for my Ford Explorer. I bought mine online for $110 including shipping. Haven't installed it yet, but am planning to soon.

 

[snoranger]

We did it the wrong way.

My buddy picked up his brand new 2004 Ex in the morning before work. When he got in, we pulled the bumper cover, and dropped the spare tire. We chopped the class 2 stub off, cut the cross beam open for the 2" receiver, leveled it, and welded it in.

 

[neilether]

Yes, (as I said above), I bought the rear bumper reinforcement that has the 2" receiver for my Ford Explorer. I bought mine online for $110 including shipping. Haven't installed it yet, but am planning to soon.

Where did you get it from? I would love to pick one up also. Do you have an exploded diagram of how to get the bumper and old reinforcement apart and then successfully back together? It's likely not to hard, but it would be good to see how everything is supposed to come apart.

 

[Hdale85]

So if I have a 2" receiver then I have the tow package?