sleeper_dave

I recently upgraded my 02 Navigator with a Putnam class IV hitch. Why they sell a truck rated to tow 8000 lbs with a 5000 lb hitch, i don't know.

Install was easy. Total cake. 8 bolts, no problem. New hitch fits perfectly. I used a hose clamp to reattach the trailer light connector, it worked out well. I didn't want to drill into the new hitch to bolt it on like on the old one.

There's some weld slag on the hitch under the paint that i wish wasn't there, but the paint and all the welds look good. It looks a little more beefy than the stock hitch, but not that much. Overall it looks like a nice piece.

One complaint. The factory 5000 lb hitch was held on with (metric) property class 10.9 bolts. The nuts were welded to backing plates, so you don't even need a wrench, just an impact. The new 8000 lb hitch comes with standard grade 5 bolts, in a smaller size, with washers. Regular cheapo hardware, not even grade 8 stuff. Why are we attaching an 8000 lb hitch with grade 5 bolts when the factory used larger, higher strength bolts to attach a weaker hitch? Needless to say i reused the factory hardware, with a little loctite.

Sean H

class 10.9 and grade 8 are the same thing... 150k tensile strength

grade 5 is 120k tensile strength...