I took my 96 grand Cherokee Laredo in to get the hitch installed and they failed it for rust on frame. I knew the bumper was kinda loose on the drivers side because the bracket that bolts on the frame was rusted. Well, were the bolt goes through to it was actually rusted. The rest of the frame except that hole is nice but they said they had to use that hole. What could I do? I haven't ever put a hitch on, are there hitches that don't use that hole or could be welded. I mean, its not much rust at all, kinda made me mad.

 

So you are not really worried about miscellaneous jazz falling off your ride when you are driving it down the road?
That kinda makes me mad.

 

This whole hitch thing is to satisfy the NTSB that steps were taken to provide collision compliance on their vehicles that needed it. The note I got with my notification stated that if the frame needed repair, that was your responsibility to have it done before they could mount a hitch. The only hitch they have is a factory one and that requires the original mounting holes be used. You don't HAVE to have it done, but they HAVE to have made the effort to install one. You will not be fined for not having a hitch. An effort on Chrysler's part to install fuel tank protection was the settlement the NTSB required. That is all, have a nice day.

 

That rusty frame rail has no structural rigidly and will eventually be the cause of a catastrophic failure in the event of a rear end collusion.

 

I went in and they looked at my factory installed Class IV hitch, then I received a $100 thought that was a good deal....But still waiting on my Air Bags that are on recall to come in.

 

On later models, the only authorized trailer hitches are the ones that go thru the bumper. The ones that are lower don't provide adaquate fuel tank protection in a collision, according to Chrysler. The authorized hitch has about 4" between the hitch and the fuel tank shield. My U-Haul hitch only has 1 and 3/4".

There is a long story about what happened next, but I'll refrain form telling it unless asked.

 

Nothing is going to fall off. The hole that the bolt goes through to hold the bumper has some rust which makes the hole bigger so the bumper can wiggle if you pull and push on it. Its almost like a wollered out hole. It must have not been rusted for long because its not much rust at all. So, there is no jazz on my vehicle, but if there was, it definitely wouldn't fall off. I thought about just plating it but if I do it on one side, I need to do both, I think anyway so the hitch would set flush/level. The frame is strong, the hole is just a little bigger is all. It must be the salt here in wv because the jeep is in very good condion, no rust anywere else, just the bolt hole.

 

There are weldnuts inside the frame that those bolts thread into. Chances are the nut rusted out the hole where it was welded to the metal. Talk to a body shop, there are repair sections available to fix that section of frame. They have to be welded in after chopping out the old sections.

 

That's cool, I will have to check on that. Its so weird how that spot is the only bad spot on the frame. I definitely want to fix it so I can put a hitch on there myself after I get my front end problems fixed.