Reese Towpower 51032 Class III Custom-Fit Hitch with 2" Square Receiver opening

This is a quality product. I have purchased Reese brand for many years and have never been disappointed. The worst thing I can say is the Reese name was hap-hazzardly placed crooked. I peeled it off and straightened it. I will probably fall off becsuse it didn't stick well. Oh well, Reeese won't get free advertising because a careless employee didn't bother a little attention to detail. I got a great hitch out of this transaction.The only installation challenge, was two corners didn't fit easily because the bumper brackets were in the way. I ended up grinding off about 1/2" pieces on both sides. I am sure loosening the bumper brackets would have solved the problem, but the bolts were ackward to reach and rusted, so I didn't pursue that option. After that it went into place. It was easier to install if you remove the spare before starting, then put it back after you finish the installation.

This was a better price than the competition while still sticking with a name brand. Install went well - you don't need to remove the bumper, which is nice. My truck had all the hole locations pre-drilled. It doesnt hang as low as I expected, a definite plus. Just wish it had a bracket for the factory 4 pin to slide into

Very nice hitch, pretty easy to install. A couple of tips for the first timers. Remove your spare tire for more access to work and check the tire pressure while its down, mine was flat from ten years of doing nothing but riding around. loosen the forward bumper bolts, don't take them all the way out, just enough to help pry out the J nuts that need to be removed from the rear bumper bolts so you can install the new bolts and nuts that come with the hitch. Other wise you really have to pry hard to get the J nuts out of the frame. Retighten the forward bolts once the rear J nuts are out. Other than that just tighten the four mounting bolts evenly and put you refilled spare tire back up in place. I did not have to drill the mounting holes that some years need, but if you do, start with a smaller than 1/2" drill bit and work your way up to 1/2", it's much easier to get the smaller holes drilled and progress up to a bigger size, also keeps you from wearing out your arms trying to drill a 1/2" hole all at once. One other thing, if you have some body seam filler or something tacky to hold the square shoulder of the mounting bolts into the square hole on the frame spacers, it will make it easier to get the nuts and bolts started as the bolts are on the short side, it will also keep the bolts from spinning as they tend to want to pop up and out of the spacers.

Received the Reese Towpower 51032 very timely and installed it on a 1999 Ford Ranger XLT 2-wheel drive. Removed the full size spare tire to make more room for installation- highly recommended. Ended up fitting great.Took longer to install than other reviewers because the old bumper bracket bolts gave us trouble; a j-clip broke so the bolt would not un-thread. Had to get access to the top of the bolt so a vice-grips could be applied to the top portion of the J-clip while the bolt was then un-threaded. (Alternatively we probably could have cut the bolt off.) Once bolts were out, had to jimmy the receiver a bit to get the holes in it to line up with the holes in the frame. Start to finish installation took almost two hours. But that does not include time spent the weekend before cutting the spare tire lock cylinder out of the rear end because lock was seized.Only 4 star because the receiver arrived with the powder coating chipped, which exposed metal (see photos) so this will quickly rust with all the salt on Wisconsin roads.

Review for a Reese Towpower 51032 (since Amazon likes to group reviews).Was going to take a star off for the packaging - the box was twice the size of the hitch with no padding and was falling apart. But - no damage and not missing anything.Easy install on a 2001 Ford Ranger 4x4 Off-road with a stepside bed. No holes to drill. Only difficult part, which doesn't really need to be part of this, is removing the existing bumper ball. The hitch sits just below the bumper ball bolt which means you can't get a wrench on it when the hitch is installed. Mine was so corroded I had to cut it off. But the hitch seems to be quality and very easy install.This hitch does not affect the spare tire - easy to raise and drop it with hitch installed.

Looks good fits right five stars

This hitch required drilling on my 97 2.3 ranger. It took me several hours to install but Im working on dirt. The horizontal bumper brackets bolts held it perfectly in place. How i did it was thus. took out the two front bolts that use u-nuts that has holes that do match. place the hitch - like i said the it rests on the bumper bolts!. Bolt the hitch two two front bolts that use u-nuts. Drilled the rear holes using a pilot hole then a dewalt 1/2 " titanium carbide unibit. Installed the reese bolts and spacers (which were perfect) in the drilled holes without torquing . Removed the factor front bolts and u-nuts. Dont be tempted to just use these bolts and u-nuts , the unuts are not even in the same league as the reese nuts.Pry out the u-nuts with a flat blade screwdriver. Installed these with red loctite in adition to the lock washer. Applied red loctite to the rear bolts and nuts and reinstalled. torqued the crap out of everthing.So why 5 stars. this unit is a sturdy as they come. I cant imagine a better hitch for the money. wether by design or chance the fact that bumper bracket bolts hold it in place while installing out weigh the fact that holes had to be drilled. I dont see how you get out of drilling holes. 4 bolts hold on the bumper. If those holes are used to mount the hitch the bumper falls off when they are removed then has to has to be held as well as the hitch when installed The way this hitch has a hole that goes around the second bumper bolt is the only workable way. That second bolt holds the bumper up while the hitch bolts on to the front two holes and then the drilled holes. i know a good unit when i install one. This is a good unit.