I have read on here that they do not make an upgraded receiver hitch for the ex. That you have to replace the bolts to the larger ones. Www.etrailer.com has one that's says it fits the 01 ex with with a 17k capacity and a 1700tw. Anybody had experience with these? I am pushing the TW for the hitch specs on my 01. It's says 10k and 1k, I was looking for options

 

Your 2001 hitch is rated 10000 and 1000.
Our 2002 hitch is rated 12500 and 1250 with WDH.
Was there a running change? Anyone know what changed?

 

So I need to find at least a 2002 hitch

 

NO, You need to go to Autoanything.com and wait a week or so if you can ( 20% off sale) so you can get a Curt 12K complete for around $175 delivered. If you can not wait (if their not at 20% today) they will match any price you can find !! You do have to drop the fuel tank to get to all the bolts as well as drill/grind one off on each side.
CURT - 14011 , 244.00 and today they are at 15% off so comes in at $200.

The difference in the 2 stock receivers is only the hardware holding it on. On one of my 2000s I welded it to the frame & pull 12K straight off the ball mount.

 

SEE ABOVE POST

 

So the only difference is the bolts ("hardware") are larger?
The receivers are identical?

 

Thanks for the info, I will look into that Curt hitch. I am also interested in the torklift that etrailer has. Overkill but nice and they said it would fit.

 

I installed the Curt hitch a few months ago. The only thing you have to do is swap over the 7-way connector bracket.

And yes the only difference between the 2 factory hitch ratings is the hardware.

 

Or you can get a custom one made at a hitch shop for a couple hundred. built to last forever





That ways when you get rear ended by a teenage girl texting, this is what happens to her car



While a couple scratches is all that happened to my car

 

Wow, what's that rated at? What kind of hitch shop? Never heard of those around here

 

Shop is Corbin's in North Charleston, SC They do a lot of awesome custom hitch work. When I asked him about a rating, he told me that it would support anything that I could hook to it. He used 5/16 steel I believe. Also I used the upgraded Ford bolts so it is probable limited by those and the hitch.

Give them a call, they may know someone near you that does this type of custom work (843) 747-3400. They even put a hitch on my buddy's Lambo so he could compete in the One Lap of America competition.