Navigator hitch upgrade

sleeper

Former LOD President
My 02 Navigator is rated to tow 8000 lbs, yet it comes with a 5000 lb hitch. Thanks, Lincoln.

So, I had to upgrade. I ordered a Putnam Class IV hitch, made in the USA, rated for 8000 lbs dead weight (12,000 lbs weight distributing). Fit was excellent, finish was good. Some weld slag under the paint, but all the welds looked good. Certainly a beefy hitch.

Install was cake. 8 bolts. Then i attached the trailer light connector to the new hitch using a hose clamp, i didn't want to drill into the new hitch to bolt it on like it was on the factory hitch. There is a locating tab on the bracket for the connector that makes it fit easily. The tab locates it on the edge of the hitch bar, and the hose clamp went through right at the tab and holds it in place very well.

Only complaint i have is the hardware included with the new hitch. Lincoln used metric, class 10.9 (approx. grade 8 equivalent) hardware to install the factory hitch. The new hitch came with smaller, grade 5 bolts. The nuts from the factory were welded to plates, meaning you don't need a second wrench to install, or any washers. The new hardware included washers and lockwashers. Needless to say, i reused the old hardware.

The new hitch cost about $150, and i got it online somewhere. I believe it was "southwest wheel company" or something like that, www.etrailerpart.com or something. I did a search and found a good price on it.

If your truck is a tow vehicle, like mine, make sure all the towing hardware is rated for what you need to tow. You don't want to lose a trailer and have an insurance claim denied or get sued because you used inadequate parts. I just upgraded the hitch, and bought a 10,000 lb ball mount and an 8,000 lb ball. I also have an 8,000 lb trailer brake actuator ready to go on my trailer. I figure my trailer w/ boat and everything, loaded for use and full of gas, weighs about 7200 lbs.
 
RE: Navigator hitch upgrade

Thanks for the post Dave. I had no idea that the hitch was not rated to tow the max tow rating. I am lucky that my boat weighs much less than yours. I may have found out the hard way.

If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests?
 
RE: Navigator hitch upgrade

The stock hitch is rated for 5000 lbs with a normal (weight carrying) hitch, and 8000 lbs with a weight distributing hitch. Problem is, nobody uses a weight distributing hitch. They're $250+, and a pain for something like a boat that you're only towing a few miles to the water. The class IV hitch is rated for 8000 lbs weight carrying, and it was only about $150.

Some people do find out the hard way, but there's a fairly large safety margin. My suburban had a similar or weaker hitch on it, and the truck was only rated for 5000 or 5500 lbs, but i towed the boat on it anyway. The brake actuator was underrated as well. My boat/trailer setup probably weighs close to 7200 full of gas, although i've never weighed it.
 
RE: Navigator hitch upgrade

Before I forget, change the upper and lower radiator hose clamps if you intend to tow alot. I am not sure if there were any changes from '01 to '02. I have had the clamps on my truck give way a couple of times. Lucky for me I was in the city and help was not too far away. For some reason the clamps would not hold the hose on the radiator. No blow out to the hose. It would just come off and keep coming off until I replaced it with the style that has a bolt head that you can use a screw driver to tighten. Since replacing them I have not had a single problem with hoses coming off.

If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests?
 
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