Quick question, is there anything particularly difficult about dropping the facory hitch receiver? Looks just like 8 bolts and that's all. I need to pick up a 21mm deep well socket, and a wrench to back it up, but other than that it doesn't look like there is anything to it.

I did the shackle swap a few years ago on my '01 Silvy, and that seemed pretty easy, but I didn't have a hitch on that one.

 

its pretty much straight forward. i believe on a couple you dont have to use a wrench to hold the nut up top but a couple you do. not 100% though. its easy though. good luck with it

 

Yeah, I felt around, and I think that the bolts that go up into the bumper thread directly in to the bumper itself with no nut to back up. I think the others should have plenty of clearance to get a wrench up there.

 

yea theres enough clearance. have fun with it and take some pictures

 

No digital camera, so I'll have to wait and/or borrow one for the "after" shots. Not much to look at now anyway, just bone stock.

 

My truck is a 1500HD so a little different than yours maybe but I was able to get the shackle bolts out without removing the hitch. Take a look at it and give it a try. Might save you some work. I also read a post that they notched the hitch frame a little to get the shackle bolts out. Not sure if either of these methods will work for you.

Other than that changing the shackles is not too bad a job. Good luck with it.

 

also put the bolts back in the opposite way that way if you ever change them again you wont have to take the hitch back off.

 

That's a good idea, the kind of thing that you would hope that the factory would do in the first place.

 

yea i know what you mean. i dont see why they put those long *** bolts in there in the first place. im sure they could have made them a little shorter so you could get them out easier

 

Like mentioned above, its fairly straightfoward. The bumper bolts and the rear most bolts don't need a wrench on them, but the other 4 (front 4) do. Its not hard at all. I would think that as much time as you would spend notching the hitch that you could just unbolt it and be done with it.

I actually left the front two bolts in and just loosen them enough to let the hitch come down some. When you are laying on your back, that hitch get heavy fast. And also I put a jack stand under the back of the hitch so all the weight wasn't on the 2 bolts.