Everything you wanted to know about a hitch install...

[LittleBlueGT]

Alright, so I'm not nuts.

 

 

Guess I'm gonna take out the ohmmeter and test the leads for a hack wiring job.

 

*sigh*

 

 

(Why did someone at Subaru actively decide sedans wouldn't need a connector? The design is the same (or almost) for the Wagon! Why not use the same freaking wiring? Cost my ass! What, a whole 20 bucks on a 35K (CDN) car? Stupid, stupid design choice. Really. *shakes head*)

 

Trust me I feel for ya! I completely gutted my interior for dynamat install and some people swore the connector was there. NO it isn't!

[drummerman2028]

I just want to make sure - the OEM Subaru hitch I'm planning on picking up from my dealer will be a draw-tite hitch??

 

Here ya go. Sorry it's dirty, live in the country. That yellow dust you see all over the car is pollen, couldn't even SEE through the windows this morning.

 

Will grab better shots in daylight. (The towel is there because the license plate was screwing with the flash).

[dseg]

I just want to make sure - the OEM Subaru hitch I'm planning on picking up from my dealer will be a draw-tite hitch??

 

 

Yep. I asked for the Legacy GT hitch (sedan) and that's what I got. It is a class II. One thing, though, it doesn't come with an end cap. I'm still trying to locate one of those that will fit.

 

Cheers.

[o1legacygt]

Why in the world do they discontinue the best looking hitch (90756) for our cars and replace it with an obnoxious looking square? So I have been calling around trying to get my hands on a drawtite OEM hitch and the dealers around here say they dont order them and they refer all there customers to this place called masterhitch. Well, master hitch carries the obnoxious looking hitch and wants 350 bucks for it! Unless I over looked something, I couldn't find the OEM part number... Does anyone know if we can get the OEM hitch online for a descent price?

 

Thanks

Raini

[o1legacygt]

Alright so I have called nearly every dealer in the IL area. Here are the responses I have gotten to my question, "do you have or can you order the OEM trailer hitch for an 07 subaru legacy sedan"

Dealer 1- They dont make them. What about subaru legacy wagon: a:no

Dealer 2- They have only a hitch for legacy wagon. What is the part number? A:Not sure......

Dealer 3- They only make hitches for the outbacks.

Dealer 4- Dont make them for any legacys...

 

What in the world is going on? Man, do I hate when they discontinue aftermarket parts. Does anyone know if the drawtite 36334 or hiddenhitch 90138 goes above or below the hook. I am quite skeptical on buying another hidden hitch since the one on my 01 lgt scraped the ground cause it hung so low. To my understanding the 90138 goes below the hook; does this leave a tremendous gap between the bumper and the unit?

 

Thanks in advance for your prompt input

Raini

[jazzymt]

I think (at least the Hidden Hitch) is intended to install below the tow hook, but can be installed above the tow hook for slightly better clearance. Mine is installed (tubular style) below the hook & is spaced not as close as I'd like to the bumper.

 

http://www.subaruoutback.org/gallery//500/9849installed_side.jpg

 

Also - AFAIK - both drawtite & hidden hitch only make one class II hitch for all 4 vehicles: Legacy sedan, Legacy wagon, Outback sedan & Outback wagon...

 

FWIW - JC Whitney seems to be the most popular place most Subaru owners I know are getting their hitches from: http://www.jcwhitney.com They only have the square version I'm pretty sure (the tubular one has been discontinued for quite awhile), but it won't cost $350! The Hidden Hitch receiver ( the square one - part# ZX525725UF) is $139.

[o1legacygt]

Thank you for your response. Im thinking I dont have many other options then the square one at this point. =(

[baj]

Does anyone know if the drawtite 36334 or hiddenhitch 90138 goes above or below the hook. I am quite skeptical on buying another hidden hitch since the one on my 01 lgt scraped the ground cause it hung so low. To my understanding the 90138 goes below the hook; does this leave a tremendous gap between the bumper and the unit?

 

The 90138 is supposed to go below the hook, at least according to the instructions I have seen. Somebody here mounted it above the hook (search for "hidden hitch mod").

 

I first installed my 90756 below the hook (according to the revision 1 instructions) and I didn't like how low it was, there was a significant gap between the hitch and the bumper.

 

With the 90756 above the hook, the hitch and bike rack just barely clear when pulling into my inlaws' steep (but not outrageously steep) driveway. Given that the Legacy doesn't have a huge amount of ground clearance and has pretty big overhangs I personally think that the difference between mounting above and below the hitch is worth worrying about.

 

I recently saw a current-generation Legacy with a U-Haul hitch that looked like it was mounted close to the bumper and was a different design than the Draw-Tite, Hidden Hitch, and Subaru models. I just saw it on the road so I didn't have a chance to get a good look. I can't find pictures or instructions for U-Haul hitches online but it might be worth checking out.

[o1legacygt]

Thanks for the advice about uhaul, I was thinking about checking out their hitches. i just really wish hidden hitch would start making the 90756 again...

[dseg]

Ok, wired the harness tonight and everything seems to work.

 

I had to splice in the harness to the tail lamp connector, since on the LGT sedan, there is no trailer connector.

 

Here are the pinouts (with the open end of the connector facing you):

 

1 2 3

4 5 x

clip

 

1 - Turn (this is the same on the driver's side or the passenger's side)

2 - tail/runner light

3 - ?

4 - ?

5 - Stop lamp

x - no pin at this post

 

3 or 4 is reverse (didn't bother testing). Whichever isn't the reverse, is a ground presumably. I connected the harness ground (which came with a ring terminal attached) to one of the bolts of the taillight assembly.

 

Happy pulling.

[rporter]

Ok, wired the harness tonight and everything seems to work.

 

I had to splice in the harness to the tail lamp connector, since on the LGT sedan, there is no trailer connector.

 

Here are the pinouts (with the open end of the connector facing you):

 

1 2 3

4 5 x

clip

 

1 - Turn (this is the same on the driver's side or the passenger's side)

2 - tail/runner light

3 - ?

4 - ?

5 - Stop lamp

x - no pin at this post

 

3 or 4 is reverse (didn't bother testing). Whichever isn't the reverse, is a ground presumably. I connected the harness ground (which came with a ring terminal attached) to one of the bolts of the taillight assembly.

 

Happy pulling.

 

Back in post 18, I had the wiring for the car-side connector in the wagon:

 

http://legacygt.com/forums/showpost.php?p=308883&postcount=18

 

This should ould be the mirror-image of the trailer wiring connector. I used it to do my own trailer wiring until I got the factory harness & relay a year later.

 

Yours doesn't seem to jive, as (if I use the mirror-image analogy) this is how it would match up.

 

Car-side (my diagram) Trailer-side (your diagram)

1 = Ground --------------------3 ?

2 = Tail Lights -----------------2 tail/runner

3 = Left Turn ------------------1 turn

4 = Brake ----------------------6 no pin

5 = Right Turn -----------------5 stop

6 = Hot (12.5v) ---------------4 ??

 

Unless I'm missing something here.

[dseg]

Back in post 18, I had the wiring for the car-side connector in the wagon:

 

http://legacygt.com/forums/showpost.php?p=308883&postcount=18

 

This should ould be the mirror-image of the trailer wiring connector. I used it to do my own trailer wiring until I got the factory harness & relay a year later.

 

Yours doesn't seem to jive, as (if I use the mirror-image analogy) this is how it would match up.

 

Car-side (my diagram) Trailer-side (your diagram)

1 = Ground --------------------3 ?

2 = Tail Lights -----------------2 tail/runner

3 = Left Turn ------------------1 turn

4 = Brake ----------------------6 no pin

5 = Right Turn -----------------5 stop

6 = Hot (12.5v) ---------------4 ??

 

Unless I'm missing something here.

 

The diagram I put up WASN'T the trailer side, it was the tail lamp connector for the car.

[alanhsu]

Just installed a subaru factory hitch kit on my 2005 Legacy

 

Comes with wiring harness, its plug-n-play, I spent 5 min for wiring, well thought out with double sided mounting tape and zip-ties.

 

The hitch itself is another story. It took my quite a while to install.

The hitch looked very strong and comes with a cap with "subaru" on it, nice touch!.

It looks pretty hidden and discrete.

It sits pretty high, its is as low as the mufflers, I think it won't hit the bumps.

like everyone else, I also didn't disassemble the muffler, the factory kit can be mounted with the mufflers simply hanging down.

 

All in all I am very happy with it.

 

Problem:

Factory hitch comes with 2 upper attachment arms. I cannot find any place to bolt it to on the car, so I cannot use them. However, I don't think I need them since the hitch is already bolted to the car with 6 bolts, not sure what 2 more bolts at similar location are going to do? probably nothing.

I believe other models like Outback might have the required points of attachments.

 

Subaru hitch does not attach to the tow loop, after looking at pictures of other hitch, I think that 3rd point of attachment does make sense, don't know why factory hitch don't have that. I simply run a tie-down belt through the loop so I can at least enjoy some benefit of that 3rd attachment point (increase tongue weight support).

 

Furthermore, depend on your model, my installation did not require heat shield removal which the manual says you need, which is a good thing! I did remove them though just to see, lets just say all the rocks and sand accumulated on top of the heat shield can give you a nice "rock bath".

[alanhsu]

By the way, I video taped my installation of the subaru factory hitch kit.

 

If there are people interested in a video "step-by-step" instruction+tips, I can edit my tape and send it to you via internet at a small fee (since I do need to import and edit the video).

 

send me an email at alanhsu3338@hotmail.com if you re interested.

[Kargurra]

Thanks. I think that's the hitch I was looking for Pics of. Do you have the wagon or sedan? Do you have finished pics?

[alanhsu]

I have a wagon, I can go take a picture, don't know where to upload it though?

 

I saw two legacy wagon with drawtite and hiddenhitch at the airport yesterday (weird, since that's 3 legacy wagon with a hitch installed in the same parking lot at the same time), I think my sits higher then both of them (same level as the mufflers); the other two sits about 1.5-2cm below the muffler.

 

Also, the factory one looks more hidden than the other two I saw.

 

The only downside to the factory one is that it doesn't connect to the tow loop, however, I am no engineer, so I don't know if that really is important at all. I did run a strap through the tow hook.

 

I just finish a camping trip towing a tent trailer without brakes; the trailer weighs a bit over 1000 pounds and has a 220 pound tongue weight; so I am a tiny bit overweight. However, everything worked fine and I had no problem at all.

[seesaw]

if you could post pics of the hitch on your wagon that would be great. Going to get one installed so i can use a 4 bike hitch mount from Yakima. They can install a Class II at the rack place but not sure what brand.

[ur a bus]

I have the Subaru hitch on my sedan. One of the main reasons that it has better ground clearance than the other hitches it that it is made of smaller tubing than the drawbar tube. That is good and bad. Because of the different size tubes, there is a curved gusset on the top of the drawbar tube. Yakima's attachment bolt cannot be tightened without modifying SOMETHING. Either cut the gusset or modify the rack's attaching bolt.

 

I contacted Yakima about it. I guess nobody with a Subaru hitch ever bought a Yakima rack, so they were less than no help. I contacted Subaru, and Samir chastized me for not buying a Subaru rack. Their manufacturer uses an allen-head bolt for attachment, so it fits.

 

Good luck.

 

-- Steve

[Aldebaran]

I am having trouble bottoming out my hitch on big road dips...had a custom installation done by a towing place here in Seattle. Wondering how you did with changing your springs?

[rporter]

I am having trouble bottoming out my hitch on big road dips...had a custom installation done by a towing place here in Seattle. Wondering how you did with changing your springs?

 

I bottomed out my hitch with the stock suspension many times (destroying a few receiver covers).

 

It's worse now with the KSport coilovers that have lowered the car. It's just something you have to deal with.

[bradb555]

I called Subaru dealer (Irvine) to find a eom hitch for my 06 gt sedan. The guy said his book doesn't show one for the sedan.

 

I've read and searched extensively and I cannot find a part no. for the sedan.

 

?1. Does the hitch for the wagon fit the sedan??

 

?2. What is the part no. for the sedan??

 

thanks for the help

[rporter]

There is no part numer for the sedan (or wagon IIRC), it's the Outback hitch.

 

Go back to post #88 & 89. That guy installed one, you might ask him for the number. If you do a search, I know that p/n has been posted before, but it's been a couple of years since I did mine as was following the hitch threads.

[rubberman]

Here's the Outback hitch part number from thekingofparts website:

 

L101SAG100

 

Scan through the pdf and you'll see the trailer hitch part number for verification (pg 3, about 3/4 way down):

http://www.thekingofparts.com/catalog/leg_accs_price07.pdf

 

They have a good price on the hitch as well, that's where I just ordered mine.

[samsam]

I had already ordered a L101SAG100 and will be install to my 08 Sedan Spec B this week . Cross my fingers hope this fit . Will keep you folks update.

 

Sam - Vancouver

[Kargurra]

Great! Post pics when after you get it on. I'm dying to see it on a sedan. I need to be able to carry my bike around on this thing!