[California]

Where you using a 1 1/4" to 2" adapter to 2" ball or where you using a straight Class 2 hitch with a square 1 1/4"?

Using a hitch expander has alwasy been considered a no no. Again, can it be done? Sure. Should it. No.


If you have a straight hitch, with a 1 1/4 square with a 2 in ball, then that is fine. I am speaking of adapters that convert the 1 1/4 square to 2"

I mean, I can get a 2" ball to a 1 1/4 adapter, but would rather have a straight 2" hitch. Main reason I am looking at the torklift vs the others.

I added a link to the hitch with 1-1/4" receiver that I have used for almost 20 years. And here's the 'ball mount'. Also rated 3500 lbs. As is the 2" ball.

I don't think towing with similar rated towing equipment on a Bolt could harm the hitch. But we've seen in prior threads there isn't much solid material at the back of the Bolt to hang the hitch on. When the time comes I will choose that hitch that has a brace going diagonally upward and forward to resist the twisting force of a heavy trailer tongue.


Added: Here's what U-Haul offers with that diagonal brace. I see it's rated 2000/200 lbs. Draw-Tite also lists the identical hitch.

 

[Fr0stByte]

I added a link to the hitch I have used for almost 20 years. And here's the 'ball mount'. Also rated 3500 lbs. As is the 2" ball.

I don't think towing with similar rated towing equipment on a Bolt could harm the hitch. But we've seen in prior threads there isn't much solid material at the back of the Bolt to hang the hitch on. When the time comes I will choose that hitch that has a brace going diagonally upward and forward to resist the twisting force of a heavy trailer tongue.


Added: Here's what U-Haul offers with that diagonal brace. I see it's rated 2000/200 lbs. Draw-Tite also lists the identical hitch.

This will be the one I will be getting for the bolt, hoping they will have a sale in the next few weeks. I wont need it until maybe April of next year when track season starts for me.


https://torkliftcentral.com/2017-chevy-bolt-ecohitch

So far, all the hitches are rated for 200/2000 except for the OEM, curt?, that is like 100/1000.

 

[redpoint5]

Hitches have a huge safety margin built in, and that's designed to account for all sorts of unforseen problems and user abuse.

A 1 1/4" hitch will easily handle a 4' x 8' trailer with a motorcycle, but I'd still go for a 2" because they are more common and that gives you extra headroom and safety should you want to pull something heavier.

My dad pulled 20k lbs with a class 3 receiver, and the trailer went into a fishtail because the excavator wasn't weight distributed properly. It slightly bent the solid steel pin, but the receiver held up.

I put a 2" on my Prius so that I could pull all the 2" things that were previously only pulled with my truck. Standardizing allows me to reduce the number of pins and balls I have to keep track of.

 

[Sean Nelson]

The hitches come with a 1 1/4", the tongue weight capacity is pulled from using the hitch as it is designed. Once you add on an extension adapter to go from 1 1/4" to 2" you are basically extending the ball further than it was designed. You are adding additional torque those hitches were not meant for and reducing the actual effective tongue weight capacity.

That's a nontrivial issue because the receiver only extends a few inches aft of the point where the hitch is mounted to the frame. Extending that a few more inches aft and putting a load onto it can add a significant amount of torque to the hitch.

 

[PhilR]

Those of you that installed a hitch that was not the TorkLift.. are you towing / attaching anything besides a bike carrier?

I installed the 1-1/4" Draw-Tite hitch to tow my Yamaha Waverunner. It weighs 835lb dry. No problems whatsoever.

 

[California]

I just noticed an interesting article on new federal standards for tow rating. It's mostly about light trucks but includes autos, SUV's, anything with a tow rating.

http://www.trucktrend.com/how-to/towing/1502-sae-j2807-tow-tests-the-standard/

 

[GregBrew]

The hitches come with a 1 1/4", the tongue weight capacity is pulled from using the hitch as it is designed. Once you add on an extension adapter to go from 1 1/4" to 2" you are basically extending the ball further than it was designed. You are adding additional torque those hitches were not meant for and reducing the actual effective tongue weight capacity. Instead of relying on the hitch and mounts, you are relying on an adapter for the weight.

Will it be OK? I guess it really depends on what you are hauling. If you are just doing a bike rack, probably no problems, unless you are hauling more than 1 or 2 bikes. Will it be OK towing a small trailer? I dont know and I wouldn't want to be the guinea pig on that.

I need to haul about 1000lbs including the trailer. 1 motorcycle at about 400-450lbs and some gear along with the weight of the trailer. Maybe even 2 motorcycles, but that will still put me under or real close to 1000lbs.

Ah! Good point. I hadn't considered the extended lever arm.:nerd:

 

[California]

Ah! Good point. I hadn't considered the extended lever arm.:nerd:

You wouldn't want an extender for a trailer ball, just the appropriate 'stinger' that puts the ball the same distance back. For a bike rack? I like the idea of shortening it and welding a 1-1/4" front on it that results in the same distance from the bumper.

 

[GregBrew]

You wouldn't want an extender for a trailer ball, just the appropriate 'stinger' that puts the ball the same distance back. For a bike rack? I like the idea of shortening it and welding a 1-1/4" front on it that results in the same distance from the bumper.

I bought a two-bike tray style rack recently, and loaded it to 110% of it's rating. E-Bikes bounced more than I like, so I bolted a home-made loop attachment to the roof rails with 6mm bolts. I string two ropes from the rails to the top of the single main vertical member on the rack, where I added a beefy eye bolt. The ropes go through some rubber plumbing insulation tubes to protect the spoiler and paint.


No more bounce or rotation of the rack.

 

[California]

I bought a two-bike tray style rack recently, and loaded it to 110% of it's rating. E-Bikes bounced more than I like, so I bolted a home-made loop attachment to the roof rails with 6mm bolts. I string two ropes from the rails to the top of the single main vertical member on the rack, where I added a beefy eye bolt. The ropes go through some rubber plumbing insulation tubes to protect the spoiler and paint.

No more bounce or rotation of the rack.

That convinces me I need the roof rail option when I finally buy a Bolt. (or preferably a mini-SUV derived from Bolt).

 

[Jenifer Kitchen]

Stealth Hitches also offers a great hitch for the Bolt. It is detachable and required no drilling or welding to the vehicle.
You can get 2" receiver or 1 1/4" receiver.

https://stealthhitches.com/products/chevy-bolt-2017-present

 

[GregBrew]

Stealth Hitches also offers a great hitch for the Bolt. It is detachable and required no drilling or welding to the vehicle.
You can get 2" receiver or 1 1/4" receiver.

https://stealthhitches.com/products/chevy-bolt-2017-present

Four times the price of a Draw-Tite (~$125), which also requires no drilling or welding and has the same 200# tongue weight capacity on a 1.25" receiver. I installed mine in an hour.

For the extra $370, the Stealth offers the option of 1.25" or 2".

 

[hillridge]

Bumping this to say that the Ecohitch option installed very well, other than being $300.


My only complaint is that there is no information on how tight to torque the 6 nuts that sandwich the hitch between the body and the bumper. I asked the manufacturer about this, and got this response:

Thank you for asking the following question:
What torque should the 6 nuts that hold the bumper and hitch to the main body of the car be tightened to? This is not given in the install video or the written instructions.

Answer:
We aren't supposed to give that spec out as only Chevy is an authority for that figure and it is subject to change. Best option would be to contact a Chevy dealer.

Has anyone done this and received an official answer? For now, I have them set to something I consider reasonable, but I'm surprised this is such sensitive information.

 

[redpoint5]

Maybe snug plus 1/4 turn, that seems pretty standard.

If you know the bolt class and size, you can look up the torque specs online. If you're very concerned, you can use Locktite on the threads.

 

[pfrost]

My only complaint is that there is no information on how tight to torque the 6 nuts that sandwich the hitch between the body and the bumper. I asked the manufacturer about this, and got this response:

Has anyone done this and received an official answer?

Just installed it myself and wondered the same thing. (Here's the video of my install if interested) Also found it interesting that in the etrailer install video, they also don't mention the torque value when they tighten the nuts. Here's that section. Wonder if it differs between model years. I'd be surprised, but there must be some reason they don't want numbers floating around.