'98 T4R Factory Hitch Install Question (2 Viewers)

[NMC_EXP]

Bought a used '98 4-Runner. It had a factory hitch which was removed before I bought the vehicle.

Picked up a salvage yard factory hitch off a '98 T4R to install. Looks like the hitch bolts to the bottom of the frame in 4 places on each side.

There are 2 weldnuts inside the box frame on each side. There are 2 more holes in the frame and inside the frame box I found strips of loose strap iron with 2 weldnuts for the front 2 frame holes. So far so good.

From the witness marks / rust lines on the frame and used hitch it looks like there was a bracket or maybe a spacer of some kind between the rear two bolt holes on the hitch and the frame. This is what has me stumped

QUESTION: Does anyone have a schematic or photo showing the details of how the factory hitch was mounted? In particular was there a side bracket of some sort or a spacer between the hitch and frame? Can anyone describe how it was mounted?

The local Tojo dealer has zero info on a 1998 antique.

I poked around in the online factory TM's and found nothing on the hitch.

Thanks and best regards.

Jim

 

[raydouble]

The local Tojo dealer has zero info on a 1998 antique.

That isn't true at all. Anyone with access to the TIS system could look it up, though it might not have a decent picture of it.

This do anything for you?

 

[NMC_EXP]

I guess the parts guy had better things to do.

That is the hitch.

Is there a side bracket or spacer between the rear 2 holes where the hitch bolts to the frame? Or is it just 4 bolts per side with the hitch right up against the frame?

Both the frame on the truck and the used hitch show rust line witness marks like there was something between the top of the hitch and bottom of the frame. Kind of a rectangle of rust about 3/4" longer front to back than the outside of the 2 rear mount holes.

Maybe it was just tight enough there to trap water and salt.

Thanks

Jim

 

[raydouble]

I guess the parts guy had better things to do.

That is the hitch.

Is there a side bracket or spacer between the rear 2 holes where the hitch bolts to the frame? Or is it just 4 bolts per side with the hitch right up against the frame?

Both the frame on the truck and the used hitch show rust line witness marks like there was something between the top of the hitch and bottom of the frame. Kind of a rectangle of rust about 3/4" longer front to back than the outside of the 2 rear mount holes.

Maybe it was just tight enough there to trap water and salt.

Thanks

Jim

I can check mine when I get home. It's an 01' but should be the same. Pics are just from the interwebs.

 

[Duane]

My guess would be that it should bolt directly to the frame without spacers. I have an aftermarket Hidden Hitch brand on my 96 and it actually needs spacers between the hitch and the frame so the back bumper doesn't rub on the hitch.
My 99 also has an aftermarket hitch on it with no spacers and has plenty of clearance between it and the bumper.
My 96 drives me a little crazy and I haven't installed spacers yet but when hitting good enough bumps the body(yes the bumper is bolted to the body) will move enough to where the bumper contacts the hitch bolted onto the frame rails.

2 pics of my 99. say at least 3/4 inch clearance between bumper and hitch.

 

[raydouble]

No spacer on mine.

 

[NMC_EXP]

Duane & raydouble

Thanks for the info & pics guys.

I suppose they may have added shims / spacers only if required to keep the hitch and bumper from rubbing.

I'll bolt it on, check the bumper clearance and add shims if needed.

Thanks again.

Jim

 

[SteveH]

I just replaced my rusted-out (in Colo., no less!) '98 OEM Toyota hitch with an all-welded '99 Toyota hitch. The bolt-together hitch is an incredibly bad design - water gets in, but can't really get out. If you have this style hitch, I would drill a hole in each end plate, and pour some used oil in the hitch tube to prevenr rust out.

Anyway - on to the matter at hand.....

On top of the OEM hitch were the two 'tow loops' of the sort used to tie down a truck to a car carrier. These loops are held on the truck by the rear-most two hitch bolts. They could have left and imprint on the hitch. I suspect on your old hitch, they 'sandwiched' these plates between the hitch and the frame, which in my opinion, is incorrect. My hitch was untouched from the factory, AFAIK.

The '98 hitch was held on with 8 bolts, and the '99 with only 6. Having said that, the 6 bolts appear to be more than enough to hold on the hitch.

 

[NMC_EXP]

I just replaced my rusted-out (in Colo., no less!) '98 OEM Toyota hitch with an all-welded '99 Toyota hitch. The bolt-together hitch is an incredibly bad design - water gets in, but can't really get out. If you have this style hitch, I would drill a hole in each end plate, and pour some used oil in the hitch tube to prevenr rust out.

Anyway - on to the matter at hand.....

On top of the OEM hitch were the two 'tow loops' of the sort used to tie down a truck to a car carrier. These loops are held on the truck by the rear-most two hitch bolts. They could have left and imprint on the hitch. I suspect on your old hitch, they 'sandwiched' these plates between the hitch and the frame, which in my opinion, is incorrect. My hitch was untouched from the factory, AFAIK.

The '98 hitch was held on with 8 bolts, and the '99 with only 6. Having said that, the 6 bolts appear to be more than enough to hold on the hitch.

Thanks for the tip on the '98 bolt together hitch rust out. Been spending some time with your hitch under water eh?

I have seen the tie down loops mentioned in a couple of other places. That would explain the witness marks on the frame and used hitch.

Now I need to find out if I can reach far enough into the frame to get the front bolts installed in the holes. Maybe if I grease my arm?

Plan to be moving to Canon City CO in three years or so. I tell folks its a nice "gated" (prison) community.

Good info - thanks.

Jim

 

[SteveH]

Sadly, the poor design of the hitch means that even road spray is all it takes to rust out the bolted-style OEM hitch. IF you own one, I would drill a hole in the top and pour it full of used motor oil, while parked over a pile of newspapers. The only more pathetic hitches are the various domestic hitches with lousy external corrosion protection - these rust even faster than Toyota.

For the front most hitch nuts that live inside the frame, you should have gotten nuts welded to a long steel tab - they are part of the hitch setup. I can post a pix if you have no idea what I'm talking about.