S2000 Stealth Hitch installed!
06-03-2012, 05:59 PM
#1
Thread Starter
S2000 Stealth Hitch installed!
Recently I picked up a Gladman Performance Fabrication "S2000 Stealth Hitch". For those not familiar this is a 1.25 (1 1/4) hitch that hides behind the license plate when not in use. I think Millions was the original genius behind this design, his original post is here: S-Tow-Thousand!.
The Gladman version is slightly different, first off it's not a bar that goes into the existing bumper support. Here it is installed:
As you can see, it comes as a single piece which replaces the entire original bumper support. It's coated with a nice rugged black coating. It maintains the original location for the tow hook, but what it adds is a square receiver hitch and two other threaded holes for eye bolts. It is heavier than the original support. I could tell it's a pretty solidly made piece (sorry, I didn't weigh it vs. the original)
Installation: Remove rear bumper, a few screws in each wheel well, 6 plastic tab/clips, and umm, pull gently and try not to break the bumper tabs. Unclip the license plate light. I recommend having a friend help out because it's nice to have another set of hands to 1) handle and help prevent scratching the bumper, and 2) have someone to hold the bumper while you pop the clip on the license plate light. Remove the foam and you have access to the original support.
At this point having a set of sockets with a 4" extentsion will make your life easier. Remove the original bolts. Three on one side and two on the other. Oddly, yes, there are only two on the right side vs three on the drivers side. Pull off the original support and have your helper hold the new one up while you bolt it up. The install kit includes 5 new bolts of 10.9 hardware which is a nice touch.
Now comes a bit of surgery. Here's what it will look like if you use Gladman's template (note: mine didn't come with a template, contacted Jordan @ Gladman and he indicates he will be including it for future kits).
Hard to see on a Berlina black car, but basically you'll be making a square cut for the receiver (I used a Dremel) and two circle cuts for the eye bolts (I used a standard 2" hole saw attachment on a drill) . The circular cuts are completely hidden by the plate when it's in its normal position. In the center of the plate you will have some black space above the plate which isn't very noticeable. Now, this is fine if you plan on using something that has just a pin. You can get your hand up there with minimal contortion and get the pin in. What I noticed is that in general, a pin sucks. I use a bolt to hold down my bike hitch because with a pin there's a lot more play and sway. The bolt that came with my hitch needs to be torqued down and eliminates the play between the receiver and the rack. The problem is, there was no good way to get a set of hand tools or a ratchet in there so I opened mine up a lot:
Now I can get a ratchet in there on either side to torque down my rack. However, if you have something other than a black car keep in mind that if you open this up, the space above your plate will no longer be the same color as your car, there will be a larger more noticeable gap. Since my car is black it's not really noticeable at all. Get the bumper back on the car and the work is done.
Okay, so with everything back on, including my bike carrier:
This is a frankenstein'd Allen hitch. I picked this one from Amazon: link here. based on how it bolts together. I didn't want my bikes sitting super high. You have to remember that the hitch is at plate height which is a tad high. So when I saw the Allen hitch I noticed it had bolts. When I got it in, I removed a wire holder for one of the pins from the frame. After that was removed I jammed the top piece way down in the bottom piece. So now it was much further than it should go and utilized a single bolt in the the second to bottom location to hold it in place. The other problem was that the triangular support would have hit the bumper. Normally this is on the top-side. I unbolted it and flipped it upside down. Even better, it made the hitch the perfect height for the S. I replaced the removable pin with a nut and bolt to eliminate rattle (after these pics were taken). While the bike carrier was not designed to be used this way I'm alright with my frankenstein carrier. I'll be keeping an eye on the triangular support, but I think it will be fine.
I picked a 3 bike model just for the extra mount options, like if I wanted to keep the bikes in positions further from the S's bumper. I also only travel with two bikes and both are relatively light. When picking bike carriers you might want to consider the kind that hold bikes by the wheels. They'll sit really high but you probably wont have mounting issues. Additionally you wont have to bungie the thing up to avoid turning of the front fork or sway. If using the kind like I am using watch out for designs that have a triangular added support. Pick a carrier that should have proper clearance. Get some bungies as well unless the rack you pick also has anti-sway devices (like an expensive Thule one). You don't want a wheel hitting the S2000.
Overall I like the design. It's stealthy and fairly easy to use. Basically:
- Remove rear plate.
- Screw in eye bolts. (I use these behind the plate as insurance to prevent rubbing to the bottom of the bumper)
- Re-attach plate in lower location using brackets (included in purchase)
- Install carrier. (For me this requires a ratchet)
Start to finish, not rushing and having to go in my house to get my carrier from the basement I am ready to go in less than 10 minutes.
Anyone else running this hitch? Thoughts?
The Gladman version is slightly different, first off it's not a bar that goes into the existing bumper support. Here it is installed:
As you can see, it comes as a single piece which replaces the entire original bumper support. It's coated with a nice rugged black coating. It maintains the original location for the tow hook, but what it adds is a square receiver hitch and two other threaded holes for eye bolts. It is heavier than the original support. I could tell it's a pretty solidly made piece (sorry, I didn't weigh it vs. the original)
Installation: Remove rear bumper, a few screws in each wheel well, 6 plastic tab/clips, and umm, pull gently and try not to break the bumper tabs. Unclip the license plate light. I recommend having a friend help out because it's nice to have another set of hands to 1) handle and help prevent scratching the bumper, and 2) have someone to hold the bumper while you pop the clip on the license plate light. Remove the foam and you have access to the original support.
At this point having a set of sockets with a 4" extentsion will make your life easier. Remove the original bolts. Three on one side and two on the other. Oddly, yes, there are only two on the right side vs three on the drivers side. Pull off the original support and have your helper hold the new one up while you bolt it up. The install kit includes 5 new bolts of 10.9 hardware which is a nice touch.
Now comes a bit of surgery. Here's what it will look like if you use Gladman's template (note: mine didn't come with a template, contacted Jordan @ Gladman and he indicates he will be including it for future kits).
Hard to see on a Berlina black car, but basically you'll be making a square cut for the receiver (I used a Dremel) and two circle cuts for the eye bolts (I used a standard 2" hole saw attachment on a drill) . The circular cuts are completely hidden by the plate when it's in its normal position. In the center of the plate you will have some black space above the plate which isn't very noticeable. Now, this is fine if you plan on using something that has just a pin. You can get your hand up there with minimal contortion and get the pin in. What I noticed is that in general, a pin sucks. I use a bolt to hold down my bike hitch because with a pin there's a lot more play and sway. The bolt that came with my hitch needs to be torqued down and eliminates the play between the receiver and the rack. The problem is, there was no good way to get a set of hand tools or a ratchet in there so I opened mine up a lot:
Now I can get a ratchet in there on either side to torque down my rack. However, if you have something other than a black car keep in mind that if you open this up, the space above your plate will no longer be the same color as your car, there will be a larger more noticeable gap. Since my car is black it's not really noticeable at all. Get the bumper back on the car and the work is done.
Okay, so with everything back on, including my bike carrier:
This is a frankenstein'd Allen hitch. I picked this one from Amazon: link here. based on how it bolts together. I didn't want my bikes sitting super high. You have to remember that the hitch is at plate height which is a tad high. So when I saw the Allen hitch I noticed it had bolts. When I got it in, I removed a wire holder for one of the pins from the frame. After that was removed I jammed the top piece way down in the bottom piece. So now it was much further than it should go and utilized a single bolt in the the second to bottom location to hold it in place. The other problem was that the triangular support would have hit the bumper. Normally this is on the top-side. I unbolted it and flipped it upside down. Even better, it made the hitch the perfect height for the S. I replaced the removable pin with a nut and bolt to eliminate rattle (after these pics were taken). While the bike carrier was not designed to be used this way I'm alright with my frankenstein carrier. I'll be keeping an eye on the triangular support, but I think it will be fine.
I picked a 3 bike model just for the extra mount options, like if I wanted to keep the bikes in positions further from the S's bumper. I also only travel with two bikes and both are relatively light. When picking bike carriers you might want to consider the kind that hold bikes by the wheels. They'll sit really high but you probably wont have mounting issues. Additionally you wont have to bungie the thing up to avoid turning of the front fork or sway. If using the kind like I am using watch out for designs that have a triangular added support. Pick a carrier that should have proper clearance. Get some bungies as well unless the rack you pick also has anti-sway devices (like an expensive Thule one). You don't want a wheel hitting the S2000.
Overall I like the design. It's stealthy and fairly easy to use. Basically:
- Remove rear plate.
- Screw in eye bolts. (I use these behind the plate as insurance to prevent rubbing to the bottom of the bumper)
- Re-attach plate in lower location using brackets (included in purchase)
- Install carrier. (For me this requires a ratchet)
Start to finish, not rushing and having to go in my house to get my carrier from the basement I am ready to go in less than 10 minutes.
Anyone else running this hitch? Thoughts?
06-04-2012, 01:31 PM
#4
Thread Starter
Good write-up. Thanks for your good work.
I'd need to see it hooked up with a real trailer with safety chains before I would commit to one of these. If the chains clear the body work, it's probably a good product. I'd also like to be sure that it would easily handle the wiring for a real trailer's side lighting and brake lighting.
I'd need to see it hooked up with a real trailer with safety chains before I would commit to one of these. If the chains clear the body work, it's probably a good product. I'd also like to be sure that it would easily handle the wiring for a real trailer's side lighting and brake lighting.
06-04-2012, 01:36 PM
#5
We have this hitch installed on our s2000. Sadly, the tire tail we have does not work with this hitch. The tire tail normally pass through the reciever allowing for the pin to slide thru the holes. Unfortunately, with this hitch design, the tail does not slide far enough in and hits the body of the car.
So, word to the wise, if you want to use a tire tail with this hitch, you will need to drill new holes to make it work with the hitch.
I am looking into buying a trailer to pull auto-x stuff now!
So, word to the wise, if you want to use a tire tail with this hitch, you will need to drill new holes to make it work with the hitch.
I am looking into buying a trailer to pull auto-x stuff now!
06-07-2012, 12:56 PM
#6
Originally Posted by hecash' timestamp='1338776766' post='21751312
Good write-up. Thanks for your good work.
I'd need to see it hooked up with a real trailer with safety chains before I would commit to one of these. If the chains clear the body work, it's probably a good product. I'd also like to be sure that it would easily handle the wiring for a real trailer's side lighting and brake lighting.
I'd need to see it hooked up with a real trailer with safety chains before I would commit to one of these. If the chains clear the body work, it's probably a good product. I'd also like to be sure that it would easily handle the wiring for a real trailer's side lighting and brake lighting.
Wiring ????? I have a section on THAT in my trailer/hitch thread in my siggggggggg in post 4 above .....
06-07-2012, 03:34 PM
#7
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We have this hitch installed on our s2000. Sadly, the tire tail we have does not work with this hitch. The tire tail normally pass through the reciever allowing for the pin to slide thru the holes. Unfortunately, with this hitch design, the tail does not slide far enough in and hits the body of the car.
So, word to the wise, if you want to use a tire tail with this hitch, you will need to drill new holes to make it work with the hitch.
I am looking into buying a trailer to pull auto-x stuff now!
So, word to the wise, if you want to use a tire tail with this hitch, you will need to drill new holes to make it work with the hitch.
I am looking into buying a trailer to pull auto-x stuff now!
We didn't want the receiver tube to stick out past the license plate mounting face so we had to cut them short and recess them. The easiest solution is to cut off an inch or so of the receive.
A standard 4 channel trailer wiring kit will tap into your brake light wiring and turn signals from the rear tail lights. You can pass the wiring pig tail through the bulkhead seal where the plate illumination wires pass.
This is the link to the facebook page and the S2K pulling the motorcycle trailer.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...type=1&theater
Trending Topics
06-07-2012, 05:54 PM
#8
Thread Starter
Linky for those who also don't have sigs turned on: CitadelBlue's: Expand your Luggage Carrying Ability
06-08-2012, 07:38 AM
#9
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I got one too. The cutout on the template is definitely visible with the license plate in place if your car isn't black. (I should have left a 1/2" strip above the hitch uncut)
The gladman product is sturdy. The replacement crash bar is slightly shorter side to side when compared with the OEM crash bar and has less curvature. The hitch receiver tube extends to pretty much the same location as the OEM bar would be. Personally I would have it stick out a little further to be flush with the license plate (1/4-1/2" past the bumper cover)
I didn't bother with any tow wiring since all I am planning to use the hitch for is my bike rack or occasionally a storage carrier.
Solid product overall.
The gladman product is sturdy. The replacement crash bar is slightly shorter side to side when compared with the OEM crash bar and has less curvature. The hitch receiver tube extends to pretty much the same location as the OEM bar would be. Personally I would have it stick out a little further to be flush with the license plate (1/4-1/2" past the bumper cover)
I didn't bother with any tow wiring since all I am planning to use the hitch for is my bike rack or occasionally a storage carrier.
Solid product overall.
