Hey guys -
I'm installing the Hidden Hitch right now and everything is pretty easy. The hardest part is keeping it in place while you screw the bolts in. That being said one of the bolts that goes into the pre-existing weldnut on the frames is really have a tough time going in. The other just screws on no problem. I'm afraid I might be forcing the screw and therefore it won't be that secure. Do anyone else have this issue or do I just need to find the sweet spot so it screws in nice and easy?

Your responses are greatly appreciated ASAP.

Thanks.

 

One of mine went in a little tight - just sprayed some WD-40 on it, rotated it in and backed it out a few times to make sure it wasn't cross-threaded - check the end of the bolt thread.

 

Good idea on the WD-40. I will try that. I did check the bolt and it's nice and clean. It's just a bit$^ to screw in. It'll get in about 1/3 of the way and then just be stubborn.

 

The more and more I try the more I think the existing weld nut in my frame is stripped or not perfectly set to except the nut. It's just going in a 1/3 of the way and that's it. Not sure what else I can do. I don't want to force it in there. Any suggestions?

 

Other than muscling it in, here's what I can think of:

1. If this is the last bolt going in, make sure the others are loose so the hitch can move around - sometimes tightening as you go along can cause binding in the final bolts.
2. Remove the hitch and run the bolts in alone.
3. Swap the bolts - make sure you are using the 19mm bolt because the threads are metric.
4. Check the bolt hole for obstruction - could be paint, tar, weld bead.

If all else fails, you have 2 choices:

1. Run a metric tap through the bolt hole.
2. Take your RDX to the dealer.

 

BleuM&M thanks for all your help on this. I'm going to attempt again tomorrow. My arms just got too tired and I got frustrated which caused me to just be sloppy. So I will start over fresh tomorrow and just put the bolts in by themselves to see what happens. If not I'll try a metric tap through the hole and see if that works. Worse comes to worse I have a good friend that works at a Midas that I'm sure can help me.

 

So the thread within the existing weld is definitely the culprit. Both bolts go into the other existing weld and neither of them go into the bad one. So I guess my next step is to get the metric tap. I've never used one of these before. I've found one that's the right size but I do I attach it to another tool or just screw it into the hole using my hands? Can I use a drill to get it through?

What are the chances of screwing this up so the threads are useless?

Thanks.

 

Usually a tap comes with a t-bar handle. It should only be used by hand. If you're sure it's the right size and thread pitch, it should go into the other bolt hole easily and not create any shavings. If it works, try it on the bad bolt hole. Just be careful not to cross-thread it. It shouldn't take that much turning effort to clean out those threads.

Since there's always a possibility things can go from bad to worse, again the option is to have the dealer take care of it.

Question - have you gotten a look into that bolt hole? Is there anything obvious you can see? If there's a big honking weld bead on the threads, best bet is to have the dealer fix it.

 

I did look into the hole a little more detail and tried to stick my pinky in there a bit but couldn't see anything obvious.

I actually have to take it to the bodyshop tomorrow which is attached to the dealer. I will ask them if they can do the tap for me and explain what's going on. Hopefully they can do it. I'd rather have someone know what they're doing.

 

Well my car is at the bodyshop for repairs and I asked them to look at the existing weld nut. Turns out that the technician thinks the thread used is the wrong one. They were going to charge me $70 for them to tap it but I told them wait a minute. If that's the way the car was built and it's 3 weeks old that it should be under warranty because it has nothing to do with what I did. They called back and agreed and said that for $50 total they would tap it and install the hitch for me. What a deal! Saves at least 30 mins of my time and it's probably nothing for them.

BTW, the body shop attached to Herb Connolly Framingham has the nicest people and greatest service. I'm probably speaking too soon as I pick up the car on Wednesday but I was happy that they were 1.) courteous from the minute I stepped in the front door and 2.) willing to step up when they knew I was not at fault.