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EA/ER hitches


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I suspect there is just NOT going to be a vehicle specific hitch for those cars. At least, when I went looking a couple years back I couldn't find one. I did find that I was able to buy the steel and weld one up myself for about the same money as the kits I was able to find.

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right on, good point. i have a nicely built one, i should just beef it up a little, that makes more sense.

 

Was that one of the ones that Huck made?

I still have one, but it hasnt been "fixed" yet.

 

N/M, I just read your post over on the XT board.

All the EA hitches I've seen dont bolt to the frame rails. They go thru the storage pan and bumper.

Edited by Turbone
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I've seen several GLs with *bolt on* hithces. In fact I have one on my 89 Wagon. They all seem to be of the same type. I think they were available as dealer option. Might have a hard time finding one anymore though.

 

This type bolts into the holes the recovery hooks are mounted to from the factory. There is also an extra bolt further forward on the frame rail. Seems like the nut for that *extra* bolt has to be inserted from the opening were the bumper mounts, so the bumper needs to come out for installation of this type of hitch.

 

If you can find one I recommend it, as it has been very tough. Saves the back end from alot of hammering and scraping when offroading.

Edited by Gloyale
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I have a 86 GL wagon with a hitch that bolts up where the towhooks go as well as to the floor of the storage hatch... I built a tow hitch for a GL Coupe that bolts up using a bracket that slides in between the bumper mounts and the body and then wraps down to the towhooks, but Coupe bumpers mount totally different than the wagon bumpers....

 

-Bill

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I just bought a piece of steel that would sleeve up over a piece of receiver stock (3" square stock, I think), a piece of receiver stock, some 1" square stock and some 3" x 3/16" (?) angle stock.

 

I used the angle stock as end caps and bored holes through one side of them so that they would bolt to the factory recovery hook locations. Cut a hole all the way through the middle of the 3" square stock. Sleeve the receiver stock through that hole and seam weld both sides. Weld the angle stock to the ends of the 3" square stock. Then I used the 1" square stock to build a runner that went up to the mustache bar. Build a little flange to grab the mustache bar and bolt the whole thing up. I think it took about 4 hours to do including paint (POR15).

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Then I used the 1" square stock to build a runner that went up to the mustache bar. Build a little flange to grab the mustache bar and bolt the whole thing up. .

 

So you're mustache bar now has no Flex? I mean it is now solidly connected to the unibody? I am not sure that is good. Not sure it's bad either but.....hmmm.....

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Hasn't been a problem. Can't really come up with a way for it to be much of a problem either. Its essentially just a single-bolt closure on a flange that grabs the bar. The first one I built had a bolt that went directly THROUGH the mustache bar. Didn't have a problem there, either.

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there's always a bunch on ebay. they seem specific to EA82s and XTs, I don't think they list any other application.

 

FYI, if you look at the installation instructions, the ones that say specifically '87+ bolt to the bumper, and the ones that are good from '85-'94 don't.

 

Here's the XT version. says it's good for 2000lbs and 200lbs tongue weight:

11035.jpg

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Subaru-XT-Coupe-X-T-6-87-91-trailer-towing-hitch_W0QQitemZ120468335602QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item1c0c78ebf2&_trksid=p4506.m20.l1116

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there's always a bunch on ebay. they seem specific to EA82s and XTs, I don't think they list any other application.

 

FYI, if you look at the installation instructions, the ones that say specifically '87+ bolt to the bumper, and the ones that are good from '85-'94 don't.

 

Here's the XT version. says it's good for 2000lbs and 200lbs tongue weight:

11035.jpg

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Subaru-XT-Coupe-X-T-6-87-91-trailer-towing-hitch_W0QQitemZ120468335602QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item1c0c78ebf2&_trksid=p4506.m20.l1116

 

I've seen the bumper mount style ones bend and sag pretty drasticly

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