A tow hitch allows your Jeep Wrangler to tow various things. Learn how to install one below. Show
This article applies to the Jeep Wrangler JK (2007-Present). The Jeep Wrangler is a powerful car, and even though it has the capability to tow, some come out of the factory without a tow hitch. When buying a tow hitch, be sure to research the tow hitch's capabilities and maximum towing capacity, then compare it to what you plan on towing. Installing a tow hitch is not a hard job, and since your Jeep is designed for such tasks, the frame is drilled and ready for you to install the hitch. If you can ask a friend for help, that would make your life easier, as you will need to remove the rear bumper and a helping hand can prevent bumper damage. Read on to learn how you can install a tow hitch in your Jeep Wrangler and start towing whatever it is you need to tow.  Materials Needed
Step 1 – Remove rear bumperThe rear bumper is held in place by a sequence of bolts. You'll find two on each side and four in the middle. Remove them all and pull the bumper off. (Related Article: How to Install Olympic Smuggler Rear Bumper - JK-Forum.com) Step 2 – Install tow hitchThe tow hitch will bolt onto the frame, so align it and install all four bolts straight in; don't forget the nuts and washers. Lock the nut in the rear with a wrench, and use a torque wrench to torque each bolt to 80 ft/lbs. Step 3 – Install bumperWith the tow hitch in place, install the bumper the same way you removed it. Align it in place, then hand-tighten the side bolts. After hand-tightening all bolts, tighten them all to make sure it's nice and sturdy. Featured Video: Jeep Wrangler Tow HitchRelated Discussions
5.0 out of 5 stars Overall, pretty good addition to the Jeep! I bought this for my girlfriend’s 2012 Jeep Wrangler, I have a Class IV hitch on my Nissan Frontier and she wanted the ability to pull some of our other trailers so I decided to give this hitch a try especially for the price and the included wire harness. I ordered it around 6 PM one night and it was delivered at 6:51 AM the next morning. I’ve installed several hitches over the years for myself, family members and friends and this was probably one of the easiest I’ve done so far. It’s good and sturdy and has all the features I was looking for for the Jeep. Below are some tips on your install, it took me about 40 minutes including running the wiring harness.TIPS: I HATE removing parts to add something to a vehicle and most instructions you will find for the Wrangler will say either remove the bumper cover or drop the exhaust or both. I took a small wooden wedge and pushed it between the bumper cover and frame and it gave me enough clearance to work with. Put your wedge in and hold the hitch with one and put 2 bolts in to hold the hitch in place while you work. Push the bolts from the engine side towards the bumper, even with the wedge there isn’t a ton of clearance but depending on the size of your hands you can hold the nut in place on the backside to thread them on then use your tools to tighten them down. If your fingers are too large, use a pair of pliers or channel locks or something similar to hold the nut in place to threat it then finish it off with the tools. I wanted to use my impact wrench but that mean I would have to drop the exhaust or remove the bumper cover so on the nuts I used a 19mm open ended wrench and on the bolt heads I used a 18mm socket and ratchet and worked like a charm. When removing the screws to install the wire harness use an electric screwdriver or a drill with a Phillips bit just remember to go slow, the screws are close to 2 inches long and you will wear your wrist out removing them and re-installing them when your done. The harness is pretty good because it has plastic rivets along it that push into holes in the frame to hide it away so no more zip tying all over the place! The hitch also has a slot for the 4 pin connected to mount into it to tidy it away for a clean finished look.Hope this helps someone a little. If you’re looking for a hitch, this isn’t a bad option. Reviews with imagesTop reviews from the United StatesThere was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 27, 2022 The media could not be loaded. Hey Jeepers I have a 2022 Jeep Wrangler Sahara 4xe. Dealer wanted 1200$ for a factory hitch install. So I decided to get this instead. Instructions were pretty good. Quality feels good. The only thing that tripped me out for a solid 40min was the 15amp fuse that came with the kit. At first I couldn’t figure out my my trailer lights weren’t working. I went back and double/triple checked all my wiring. And I swear everything was wired up properly. I then watched a few YouTube videos and they installed the wiring harness just like me. And then I occurred to me the fuse! The fuse isn’t exactly transparent. So I couldn’t tell at first, but upon closer inspection it was blown. I went to my nearest auto parts store and replaced it. And tada, everything works well now! 5.0 out of 5 stars Was given a blown fuse? Hey Jeepers I have a 2022 Jeep Wrangler Sahara 4xe. Dealer wanted 1200$ for a factory hitch install. So I decided to get this instead. Instructions were pretty good. Quality feels good. The only thing that tripped me out for a solid 40min was the 15amp fuse that came with the kit. At first I couldn’t figure out my my trailer lights weren’t working. I went back and double/triple checked all my wiring. And I swear everything was wired up properly. I then watched a few YouTube videos and they installed the wiring harness just like me. And then I occurred to me the fuse! The fuse isn’t exactly transparent. So I couldn’t tell at first, but upon closer inspection it was blown. I went to my nearest auto parts store and replaced it. And tada, everything works well now! Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 10, 2022 Dealer wanted $2000 to install. Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 16, 2022 wiring harness set for US needs changes for NZ fittment Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 19, 2022 I was able to install this myself in about 15 minutes. I would recommend that if you don't know how to install watch one of the many videos online first. I Received11580.10, but I Ordered 11580.51 either way it fit and works perfect. 4.0 out of 5 stars Easy Fit and Install I was able to install this myself in about 15 minutes. I would recommend that if you don't know how to install watch one of the many videos online first. I Received11580.10, but I Ordered 11580.51 either way it fit and works perfect. Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 5, 2021 I have a 2021 Wrangler JL, 4XE (hybrid) model. The hitch fit quite tight on the frame. Made it tough to get it on the frame. Getting the little metal piece to hold the trailer wires plug was quite difficult. They don't give good instructions on how to put this little piece in place. Their electrical plug doesn't fit their provided metal bracket so you'll have to rig something to accommodate your wire and plug. Routing the 12vdc+ power wire through the frame tube from rear to front is the best protected place but you'll need something long and stiff to get it through the whole frame from rear to front. Maybe use a "fish tape". I used a piece of 1/4" dia. coaxial cable. It was stiff enough to push. The curved frame over the rear axle is the worst area to push the cable through. They did not include a means to secure the 12v+ wire to the battery. Mopar provides a 6mm metric nut to fit the already present post but this kit offers nothing so plan a trip to the hardware store to buy a 6 mm nut. Note: It is a 6mm stud on the battery connector, NOT a 1/4"-20 SAE as it appears to be. Don't use an SAE nut. You'll strip the stud. The manufacturer's video seems nice but its not adequate to do the job. They leave out important steps. Still, it is MUCH simpler than the MOPAR package which has many more parts and demands you take out all kinds of interior things to route that 12vdc power wire to the battery. The Jeep plug was very hard to remove even though I did unlock it. I had to also use a very small screw driver to push the red tang up inside the cavity, enough and this let me pull the plugs apart. Thats a Jeep problem, not a Rugged Ridge problem. The job took me about 4 hours to complete. Rewarding though. Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 16, 2020 I bought this for my girlfriend’s 2012 Jeep Wrangler, I have a Class IV hitch on my Nissan Frontier and she wanted the ability to pull some of our other trailers so I decided to give this hitch a try especially for the price and the included wire harness. I ordered it around 6 PM one night and it was delivered at 6:51 AM the next morning. I’ve installed several hitches over the years for myself, family members and friends and this was probably one of the easiest I’ve done so far. It’s good and sturdy and has all the features I was looking for for the Jeep. Below are some tips on your install, it took me about 40 minutes including running the wiring harness. TIPS: I HATE removing parts to add something to a vehicle and most instructions you will find for the Wrangler will say either remove the bumper cover or drop the exhaust or both. I took a small wooden wedge and pushed it between the bumper cover and frame and it gave me enough clearance to work with. Put your wedge in and hold the hitch with one and put 2 bolts in to hold the hitch in place while you work. Push the bolts from the engine side towards the bumper, even with the wedge there isn’t a ton of clearance but depending on the size of your hands you can hold the nut in place on the backside to thread them on then use your tools to tighten them down. If your fingers are too large, use a pair of pliers or channel locks or something similar to hold the nut in place to threat it then finish it off with the tools. I wanted to use my impact wrench but that mean I would have to drop the exhaust or remove the bumper cover so on the nuts I used a 19mm open ended wrench and on the bolt heads I used a 18mm socket and ratchet and worked like a charm. When removing the screws to install the wire harness use an electric screwdriver or a drill with a Phillips bit just remember to go slow, the screws are close to 2 inches long and you will wear your wrist out removing them and re-installing them when your done. The harness is pretty good because it has plastic rivets along it that push into holes in the frame to hide it away so no more zip tying all over the place! The hitch also has a slot for the 4 pin connected to mount into it to tidy it away for a clean finished look. Hope this helps someone a little. If you’re looking for a hitch, this isn’t a bad option. 5.0 out of 5 stars Overall, pretty good addition to the Jeep! I bought this for my girlfriend’s 2012 Jeep Wrangler, I have a Class IV hitch on my Nissan Frontier and she wanted the ability to pull some of our other trailers so I decided to give this hitch a try especially for the price and the included wire harness. I ordered it around 6 PM one night and it was delivered at 6:51 AM the next morning. I’ve installed several hitches over the years for myself, family members and friends and this was probably one of the easiest I’ve done so far. It’s good and sturdy and has all the features I was looking for for the Jeep. Below are some tips on your install, it took me about 40 minutes including running the wiring harness. TIPS: I HATE removing parts to add something to a vehicle and most instructions you will find for the Wrangler will say either remove the bumper cover or drop the exhaust or both. I took a small wooden wedge and pushed it between the bumper cover and frame and it gave me enough clearance to work with. Put your wedge in and hold the hitch with one and put 2 bolts in to hold the hitch in place while you work. Push the bolts from the engine side towards the bumper, even with the wedge there isn’t a ton of clearance but depending on the size of your hands you can hold the nut in place on the backside to thread them on then use your tools to tighten them down. If your fingers are too large, use a pair of pliers or channel locks or something similar to hold the nut in place to threat it then finish it off with the tools. I wanted to use my impact wrench but that mean I would have to drop the exhaust or remove the bumper cover so on the nuts I used a 19mm open ended wrench and on the bolt heads I used a 18mm socket and ratchet and worked like a charm. When removing the screws to install the wire harness use an electric screwdriver or a drill with a Phillips bit just remember to go slow, the screws are close to 2 inches long and you will wear your wrist out removing them and re-installing them when your done. The harness is pretty good because it has plastic rivets along it that push into holes in the frame to hide it away so no more zip tying all over the place! The hitch also has a slot for the 4 pin connected to mount into it to tidy it away for a clean finished look. Hope this helps someone a little. If you’re looking for a hitch, this isn’t a bad option. Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 6, 2022 Works very well. Install was very easy no need to remove rear bumper. Easiest wire job I've ever done and everything works as it should. About 30 minutes to install hitch and wiring. Only negative is the 4 way plug mount on the hitch is questionable. I put some zip ties around it incase it does come loose it will not fall to low and be drug. Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 21, 2022 Top reviews from other countries5.0 out of 5 stars Beats regular towing "stores" or dealerships wanting $250+ Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on July 13, 2019 The whole package for under $100, including wiring harness is insane. Product is most likely made in the same overseas plant that make for Smittybilt, Reese, Hurt and others... for which retail of the harness alone is around $100, and the hitch $150+... and some places even say they can install for free. Now I worked as a mechanic, but you don't need to be one to install this. The best part is you really don't need to remove the rear bumper for the install, it just makes it easier, but it does take more time doing so. All in all, took me about 25 minutes to install the hitch and wiring harness. You also get the benefit & pride of working on your own vehicle. Do yourself a favor, buy one, install it, and reap the rewards of having a hitch to tow things around, including that nice off-road trailer you've been eye-balling. 5.0 out of 5 stars Works, solid, easy install Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on July 3, 2022 You don’t need instructions as it’s all pretty straightforward to install. There is the driver side bolt/nut up under the frame that is tricky to get through the space but a bit of patience and finesse and you’re set. About an hour to install from start to finish and wiggling that bolt and nut around to get tight and wrap up the wires underneath to look clean, and test the blinkers and signal lights. Ta-da! Easy peasy for light towing. No squeaks, noises or anything. 4.0 out of 5 stars No install instructions but works well! Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on October 22, 2020 The media could not be loaded. Ok this was near impossible to attach without loosening the bumper on my Jeep Wrangler which gave me the extra wiggle room required then it was a breeze. I have it 4 stars as there weren’t any installation instructions!!! I had to YouTube a different company’s installation of their product to learn I could even loosen my bumper but once I did I was incredibly happy. Also, on Rugged Ridges YouTube installation video, their demonstrating on a hitch that has two of the nuts welded on. Been using it a few times now and I’m incredibly happy with it and how neat and tidy the wiring assembly is. 5.0 out of 5 stars Super easy installation Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on June 11, 2020 Very well designed product....I know a lot of people have struggled getting the washers and nuts in place and have went as far as taking off the rear bumper....NOT REQUIRED Needle nose pliers and or vice grips work wonders in the tight space trying to get the washers and nuts on. The included wiring harness is plug and play and even has clips to mount the harness to keep it up tight out of the way Literally took me 15 minutes to install without ANY headaches 5.0 out of 5 stars AMAZING! Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on May 27, 2021 This thing seems to be pretty solid! Was tad delayed to get here, but worth the wait. Matched my 2012 Jeep Wrangler Sport, Unlimited, 4 Door. All holes lined up nice and easy. I used a small pair of needle nose vise grips plus a socket. Only trick was getting washers in place while dealing with Jeeps bumper being a tight space. Nothing to do with the product. It took me less than 30 minutes from box to bumper. You could say it went on without a hitch! How much does it cost to install a hitch on a Jeep?You can expect hitch installation to start around $100 and go up to $800. Keep in mind, that you'll also have to buy the tow hitch and other parts separately (which can easily run you another $150–$200).
How much does it cost to get a hitch mount installed?For the service, expect to pay around $100 to $150 for a typical hitch installation. Particularly complicated and time consuming hitch installations may cost more. Keep in mind that hitch parts aren't cheap either and can cost anywhere from $25 to $200.
How long does it take to install a hitch and wiring?How long does a hitch installation take? Hitch installation can take anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours or more, depending on the level of expertise of the installer, the tools being used, the condition of the vehicle and so on. For a helpful guideline, check the installation instructions for your specific hitch.
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How to install a tow hitch on a jeep wrangler
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