Trailer Hitch

October 30, 2022, 12:28:29 AM

This is walking one somewhat trough fitting a trailer hitch.
Since there are no pictures, it probably won't get the best love,
but maybe it could help someone.

While being at fitting the 3rd one, I thought I could write a little about it.
It's a little adventure, but after all, not a big deal
and, especially with rust and a good fit,
the shop wouldn't care as much as you, sometimes.

I assume a small bumper here.

There is a VW Golf/Jetta 2 specific trailer hitch needed.
Else there could be extra efforts.
Especially with the electronics like the wires and stuff.

First you take off the rear Bumper.

You take a wrench
with a about 30 cm extension and a opening of maybe 17 mm,
and take the 4 screws behind holes in the underbody, out.
Maybe you need to extend the lever with a pipe to crack the nuts.

After you have got the 4 screws out,
you just pull the bumper away from the car.

You are happy now, aren't you ?

Then you screw off the two holders on the bumper.
You'll need a 13mm wrench for the 4 screws.

Now you have to screws sticking out.
you just need the ones sticking from the top.
The others are in the way.

You can have fun with them now,
and I don't recommend it,
or you take out the sheet metal bar.

The later will hurt the plastic, but see it's rusting,
so sooner or later you would have to do it anyway.
And since the plastic isn't getting more flexible with age,
you probably better do it now.
Don't screw up, and rip something off, by the way ;-)

So, ready for the fight ?

As described in Haynes you work it out from one side.

I've put a wedge under on one side,
squeezed the lasches of the rectangular frame,
so the lashes go to the outside.

Then levered of the entire side.
On the ends I helped a little
by levering a bit with a flat screwdriver trough the slit,
so I don't rip the holders from the outer plane.

When the downside was free,
I squeezed the row of rectangulars,
so they would fit through the hole.
If they have little of an offset,
one could help a little with a lever,
instead of squeezing them to oblivion,
and maybe even ripping them.

In the end it probably loosens rather quick.

If nothing bad happened, you have a reason to celebrate ;-)
Regarding the mechanics, it goes downhill from now.

I there are bumps who do not belong there,
you hammer them out.
Then you take a rotary wirebrush and brush off the rust.
If you scratch the hole sheet metal bar with it,
you can see if there is rust under plus the paint is holding better.
Now you take a wire, hang the bar somewhere,
put old newspapers unter it,
and paint it in black with a good old brush
and a smaller one for the grooves.
You take alkyd resin varnish or something rustpreventing.
Make some thick layers, so there is good protection against rust.
Nobody will see eventual paint droplets.

Now after drying, with just the screws from the top
(you could also put new or stainless),
you put it back in. "Snap" ;-)

Now you screw the clunky stuff on.
Maybe you have some new washers and nuts,
preferably stainless, around for it.

You could threat some rust, hidden by the bumper on your car now,
and finally put it, together with the trailer hitch, back on.

The hole for the wiring in your MK2 could be on the left or the right side,
and you could mount the power plug holder accordingly.

Sidenote: If you forgot the original keys in your trunk and it is locking,
you could take a hook and they will barely fit through the hole.
VW thought about everything, there ;-)

My trailer hitches wasn't coming with fitting plugs.
You could 3D-Print a plug, or you buy something
or you put a hole in yours, which is rather meant
for merely closing the hole, if there are no wires
going through it, but it could work.

The most fun I had with those VW
power bars on the rear lights.
You'll love it ;-)

For pulling a lug out,
you take two little flat watchmaker screwdrivers,
stick them in from the front above and below the cable lug,
point them vertical to the power bar,
and pull them away from each other while pulling the power bar out.
For having this working you have to be very desperate and equally rough.

There must be a special tool, for making this easier.

My post about confusing some plugs
could probably serve as a clue. At least for now.
Else just trust the manual ;-)

Edits for preventing data loss on this long post.