Installing a Hitch 1999 QX4

[lanceman]

Installing a hitch, does anyone know if there is a wiring harness already in the trunk somewhere? or do I have remove the tail lights and install a Y splitter? I watched a video and in the end they just leave the wire hanging out in the trunk? Looks Ghetto...

[2 Coupes]

You are going to have to purchase a harness. I installed a hitch and harness less then two months ago. Very easy process. The only difficult thing was loosening two of the tow hook bolts (what you will use to attach the hitch). I found there was not enough room to squeeze a Socket Wrench in. I am sure there are cheaper harnesses out there but here is the one that I used. It has been working great and it is nice quality. http://www.amazon.com/Hopkins-43565-Con ... 410&sr=8-1 Let us know how it goes.

[Chuck Tribolet]

Get one of the plug and play wiring harnesses. You unplug the tail lights and plug the harness in between. You'll spend far more time figuring out how to route the
harness than hooking it up. On my '01, I ran it through a drain tube under the tail lights.

If you do a lot of towing (I tow 70 days a year, and unplug the trailer at the launch ramp (electricity and salt water don't mix)), you can find a cable with a flat fours at each end,
that's a sort of extension cord. Put that on the harness, and when the connectors give up (they will, I figure about 500 connections life), you can put another in. Or as
as band-aid, just run the harness out to the hitch for the weekend.

If you want to REALLY do it right, Google up Jet-Connex. They make some really industrial grade stuff.


Chuck

[lanceman]

thanks guys I'll check it out. Uhaul only wanted 185 hitch included for install, so I figured I'd let them do that, I'll but the wiring from the site and hook it up this weekend. I pick up my 2010 185sport on Monday, so needless to say I want this to go off without a hitch...

[Densetsu]

I bought a second Pathy a few months ago and installed a hitch on it.

The biggest pain is lining up the bolt holes on both side simultaneously -- the hitch is a tight fit, so when you fit it on and try to line up the bolt holes, there's not much room for error. After a half-hour by myself, I gave up trying to do it myself and called a friend over. With a second body to hold up one side of the hitch, it's a piece of cake. I didn't need anything special to do it, aside from a torque wrench. I have an '04, but my hitch was for a 96-04, so I assume it's an identical install to what you have to do.

You might have to take off a charcoal canister on the driver's side to get at one of the hitch's bolts, but it's easy to take off and put back on.

I think the install cost Uhaul quoted me was only $30 more than what they sold me the hitch for. Very tempting, but if they did it I'd torque the bolts myself just to make sure they're tight enough.

You can pick up a wiring kit for cheap -- $30 or so -- with harnesses that pop onto your taillight harnesses. I do the exact same thing as Chuck... I keep my trailer light plug in the cargo area's floor storage, and just use a 6', 4-prong extension cord when I need to plug something in. If the harness ever gets damaged, then all I have to do is go down and buy another extension cord for $5.

[Chuck Tribolet]

Actually, my trailer light plug is not in the cargo area. I dropped it through a rubber drain under the left taillight. The harness ends right there, and I run a Jet-Connex
"extension cord" to the hitch. The end is tie-wrapped to where the safety chains hook up.

[donald]

In regards to the hitch wiring kits... what type of connector did you guys opt for? There are 4-pin, 5-pin, 6-pin, and 7-pin options.

I figured to get the "big" pin connects, then at least I can pull the "big" trailers, and use a converter for the smaller 4-pin having trailers.

[donald]

You are going to have to purchase a harness. I installed a hitch and harness less then two months ago. Very easy process. The only difficult thing was loosening two of the tow hook bolts (what you will use to attach the hitch). I found there was not enough room to squeeze a Socket Wrench in. I am sure there are cheaper harnesses out there but here is the one that I used. It has been working great and it is nice quality. http://www.amazon.com/Hopkins-43565-Con ... 410&sr=8-1 Let us know how it goes.

ok, well I just purchased the hitch wiring kit that 2Coupes linked to, which is a 4-pin connector. I figured that I won't be towing any large trailer homes or anything that would require trailer-brake system or anything like that, so 4-pin would suffice.
Luckily it was still available at Amazon.com since the post! At $28, you can't beat that, especially when it's a "no-splice" kit!

Wiring was okay. I had to take the rear-cargo side-panels off to gain access to the rear-lamp connectors, which again, isn't difficult. You just need to be careful while removing the side-panels to avoid breaking any clips or cracking the side-panels themselves.
The wiring kit provide just enough length of wire to get everything done.

Thanks.

[rydebynite]

well i just purchased one myself finally. Ive had my path for over 6yrs and have never towed anything but I will be moving from VA to TX so I am renting a trailer from Uhaul. Any tips for someone that hasn't towed anything before? Other than the obvious check brakes, transmission fluid, tire pressure!

[Chuck Tribolet]

Check coolant levels.

When going around corners, the trailer will run inside the truck, so leave a little extra clearance, esp.
in parking lots.

Research trailer speed limits in each state you will pass through. In California, it's 55, even if the freeway is posted 70.
In Arizona, it's whatever's posted (typically 75 on rural freeways). The rules vary a bunch from state to state.

Check hub temps. If they are more than a smidge warmer than ambient, you have a bearing problem coming.

Never ever forget the trailer is back there.

Be patient. You'll get there.

If you have 4WD, use compound low to back up the trailer. Everything will happpen in slow motion then. Also, grab
the steering wheel at the bottom when backing. Push the bottom of the wheel in the direction you wan the trailer to
go. When backing, watch the trailer in the left side mirror. When it starts to drift one way or the other, it's first
visible there.


I've got about 100,000 miles towing a trailer.


Chuck

[rydebynite]

thanks guys I'll check it out. Uhaul only wanted 185 hitch included for install, so I figured I'd let them do that, I'll but the wiring from the site and hook it up this weekend. I pick up my 2010 185sport on Monday, so needless to say I want this to go off without a hitch...

Funny thing i went in last week and got a quote for 180.I went home and ordered it online and got the $10coupon for install discount.so tell me why when i call the place to see when i can go in to get it put on the woman tells me its going to be $110.00 I was like you got to be kidding me. she said there is a charge for the hitch install and a seperate charge for wiring kit intall.

@CHUCK well unfortunately its only a 2WD.I've maintained it very well since day one only thing i was thinking about was a transmission cooler but I think that might be a bit over board I guess.

[Chuck Tribolet]

Hitch and wiring install is no big deal.

Hitch is bolt-on. I've done a couple single-handed, but it would be a lot easier with a buddy to hold things in place.

Wiring is plug and play.

[donald]

+1!!!

here's a picture I posted on Amazon.com of the hitch I installed on my Qx4:

site: Amazon.com link
To the left of the picture is towards the front, to the right of picture is towards the rear. You can see the spare tire there too for reference.

The picture is just one side... but it's a pretty straightforward install. Like others have said, I do believe that a 2nd person does make it a little easier, but 1 can do it with some sliding back-and-forth between sides. If you do it yourself, you just have to get at least 1 bolt threaded a little bit, support the hitch while sliding to the other side to get 1 bolt threaded in a bit.

here are the steps I took to do this:
1. On driverside, there is a airbox of some type, doesn't look critical to the overal function of the car anyhow so don't worry too much about small damage to it. There are 3x 12mm(IIRC) screws that hold this box in. Remove those 3 screws and let the box hang down.
2. clipped into this box is a plastic cannister I believe is a water drain outlet, The tube that runs down to it can be unplugged to allow the box to hang lower. The reason for lowering the box is to gain easy access the bolts.
2a. be careful lowering that box, there will be a lot of sand, dirt, dust, debris that will fall down. So wear some eye protection so it doesn't get into your eyes, and close your mouth so you're not having a dirt-y lunch
3. remove the tie-down plates, 3x bolts on each side (driver & passenger). I believe these are 19mm IIRC
4. brush away any dust at the frame and get ready to install hitch.
5. if you're doing this yourself, most likely the easy way is to use your a leg to hold up one end of the hitch, while you screw in the the other end. 1 bolt should hold it in temporarily. No need to tighten down, just get it in where it won't fall out when you move to the other end
5a. while still supporting the hitch, shimmy your way to the other side, and thread a bolt in. Since the other side is being held in by 1bolt, you may or may not have to support it with your legs, but you may need to adjust the angle a bit to get your bolt threaded.
5b. You might consider using some anti-seize grease on the bolts to make the bolts tighten down a little easier, else you might get the metal-to-metal "scream" when they start getting tight
6. now the hitch should be able to hang along your frame without you holding it there.
6a. it'd be my suggestion to shimmy back and forth between sides threading 1 bolt at a time, or you can finish bolting the remaing 3-bolts on one side and move to the other and finish that side's 3-bolts
7. hand-tigthen or use a ratchet to snug up the bolts
7a. get the torque bar, and set to "68 ft-lbs". Again, i would suggest you torque them down 1 bolt per-side at a time... meaning torque 1 bolt on driver side, then go to passenger side and torque the same bolt. The reason for this is that the hitch is not an exact fit to the frame, so the bolts will squeeze the hitch to the frame. To make all the pressures on the hitch somewhat equal and help a little with alignment, I'd do 1-bolt per side at a time.
8. re-install that box you lowered and re-connect that drainage-hose and you're set!

Next up.... hitch wiring kit!!!
again, I bought from Amazon.com: Amazon.com Hopkins Plug & Play 43565 T Connector Wiring Kit For Nissan Pathfinder '96-03
You'll have to remove the side-panels from the cargo side-panels to get to the wiring behind the brake lamp.
When I get more time, i'll post up a mini-step-by-step if you need it, but it's not all too bad.

[rydebynite]

Well lucky for me I had to leave town so my hitch made it to the house while i was gone. My wife takes it upon herself to call and ask how much it would be to have it installed ($50hr) and took it to Uhaul for them to install it.After an hour the manager comes in and tells her the wrong instructions got sent in the box but it was the correct hitch!They finally get back outside w/ some instructions they printed out and 1/2hr later im getting a phone call asking how to remove spare tire and that it needs to be dropped so the hitch can mount on.Another 1/2 hr and the car is finally done.
Then I was put on speaker phone while i tore some a$$ cause they were trying to charge her for two hrs labor!