Hitch Install - weekend project gone awry

I ordered and thought I would quickly install a Reese hitch (supposedly just for this truck) this weekend. Well, wonder of wonders, I ran into a problem. :banghead: It seems the distance between my frame rails is 38 1/2", while the outside measurements of the hitch is 38 9/16-5/8. So that raised several questions:

1) Do I indeed have the right hitch? Everything else looks like it matches and lines up perfectly.

2) Is that the correct distance between the frame rails or is something bent?somehow. I get no indication (shaking, swerve, etc.) when I drive it that the frame is bent.

3) Grinding down the hitch doesn't seem to be the best idea, for strength/integrety of the metal. So, I was thinking that the frame has to have a little "give" or flex to it and was wondering if I put one of the rear wheels up on an incline, would that "flex" it enough to get the hitch between the rails?

4) Has anyone else had this problem or any other ideas for a fix?

Thanks for any suggestions!

Oh, and I found a quick and fairly easy way to clean out those nasty rusted bolt/nut welds. WD40 (obviously) and the short metal brush from a battery cable cleaner makes fast work knocking off the rust and dressing up the threads. Took about half an hour and I could hand tighten the bolts without much problem.

Could you 'adjust' the hitch slightly with a vise/big hammer? I've had to do that before with *direct fit* hitches. The hidden hitch (brand) hitch I put on a 2003 rodeo was a snap aside from the washers you had to fish to the correct position thru the hollow frame rail. :banghead:

G/luck
Joel

My Curt Mfg hitch was slightly narrower then the frame rails. Had to use supplied washer between it and the recovery point mount on the left side. Even fishing the nut and washer through the frame rail went pretty easy.

The hard part for me was cutting off the modified reciever the previous owner had welded to the frame :banghead: If I didnt need to put my spare tire under there I would have left it.

Thanks for the suggestions. I was trying to avoid using the brute force method on the hitch. With my luck a weld would break. Though it may come to that.

Any thoughts on flexing the truck? Is there enough give in the frame or is that just a stupid idea?

The frame is pretty stiff so I dont know that flexing it would work. You could try taking just a small amount of metal off the frame and the ends of the hitch. You are only talking 1/8 - 1/16" overall so you wouldnt need to take very much off any one peice. You might be able to pound it into place then.

I installed a DrawTite hitch on my Rodeo and it was a tight fit just like yours.

I used a block of wood and a 4 pound hammer to drive it into place. An extra set of hands will help a lot when you are doing this.

There should be enough give for it to slide between the frame rails. You may want to try rubbing some bar soap on the frame rails and the hitch where it makes contact before you drive it into place. It should pop into place just fine.