Ball hitch for a 2k Honda accord?

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Miramonti

Miramonti

Lifer
Aug 26, 2000
28,651
100
91
Is it possible to put a ball hitch on a 2k honda accord (2-dr), and if so is there a particular recommendation/brand to look for, and or site to buy from/look up which model I need?

TIA for any tips/direction.

UPDATE 4/8/10: I'm looking for automatic transmission advice (looks like thread is too old to update title.) I'm finally getting ready to do this towing trip to go get some stuff 1300 miles away. As some have mentioned, the transmission is a weak link in the towing situation here, and I'm thinking about getting a transmission cooler.

Is there anything to know about these, and are these easy to install? They look pretty simple, altho I have no idea where to connect them to. Etrailer.com, where I bought the trailer, offers these coolers for my car. Any thoughts or (recommendations?) which might be a good choice?

UPDATE 5/8/10: Complete!

We towed a uhaul 4x7 empty trailer 1300 miles from New Mexico to Chicago and brought it back full. We drove thru Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Illinois, and back. Its a relatively flat trip, no real mountains, altho only Illinois was truly flat. The Accord did very well, but definitely not something I'll ever do again with it. For a car that I've baby'd for 10 years, this trip made me a hypocrite. So far tho (got back 2 weeks ago), the car is doing great.

These are what I used to make it possible:

Draw-Tite Class I Trailer Hitch Receiver #24791, $107 shipped
Worked great. Mounts to the frame, only a couple pre-existing holes to enlarge, solid.

24791_1000.jpg


Plug-N-Tow Vehicle Wiring Harness with 4 Pole Flat Trailer Connector (for '00 Honda Accord)

43105_1000.jpg


B&M SuperCooler 70264, $60
Easy to mount in front of condenser (which is in front of radiator) using pre-existing holes by bending mount brackets. The performance improvement of the transmission was shocking, even when not towing anything.

send_binary.asp


Magnefine Automatic Transmission Filter, $17 (ebay)
I mounted this conveniently between the output from the stock transmission cooler (sits at the bottom of the radiator) and before the input of the newly mounted additional oil cooler.

MGNFNETRNSFLTR.JPG


Dirty car after finally arriving from our 4-day trip!

IMG_0639b.jpg


IMG_0640b.jpg
 
Last edited:
bruceb

bruceb

Diamond Member
Aug 20, 2004
8,874
111
106
It is possible and it should be a frame mount Class 1 hitch as your car is only rated for a 1000 Lb towing capacity. Note that includes both the Trailer Weight and whatever is on it.
So in reality, you can't really pull much with it. Maybe a motorcycle or small U-Haul.
 
Miramonti

Miramonti

Lifer
Aug 26, 2000
28,651
100
91
bruceb said:
It is possible and it should be a frame mount Class 1 hitch as your car is only rated for a 1000 Lb towing capacity. Note that includes both the Trailer Weight and whatever is on it.
So in reality, you can't really pull much with it. Maybe a motorcycle or small U-Haul.
Click to expand...

Great, that's a start. I'm just looking to tow one of those uhaul box-on-two-wheels, and perhaps a friend's small trailer locally for craigslist pickups etc.

I looked up a uhaul 4x8 trailer and for 1000lb tow capacity and the site says I can only put in 150 lbs. How big a deal might it be to throw in another 100-200 lbs? I'm assuming this isn't too uncommon, but is it for 1500 miles...


Now I need to find out the best place to get one and to get the right one that fits my car.
 
HannibalX

HannibalX

Diamond Member
May 12, 2000
9,359
2
0
4 banger or V6?

With the sixer I wouldn't worry too much, just be sure the trailer is loaded correctly (the majority of the weight should be set as far forward as possible and away from the axle).

With the 4 banger I wouldn't tow anything.
 
Miramonti

Miramonti

Lifer
Aug 26, 2000
28,651
100
91
I'm told I need a 4-way wiring kit installed first.

I found this on harborfreight.

96658.gif


Is these pretty easy to install?
 
bruceb

bruceb

Diamond Member
Aug 20, 2004
8,874
111
106
Not hard if you know the colors on your car wiring.
You need to know:

Right Side Stop / Turn .... This is Green from the Trailer connector

Left Side Stop / Turn .... This is the Yellow from Trailer connector

Tail or Parking Lights / License Lamp .. This is the Brown from Trailer connector

Ground ... This is the White from Trailer connector

4%20way%20wiring.jpg




More info here:

http://www.accessconnect.com/trailer_wiring_diagram.htm

Also that kit can be had at just about any auto parts store.
 
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Miramonti

Miramonti

Lifer
Aug 26, 2000
28,651
100
91
iFX said:
4 banger or V6?

With the sixer I wouldn't worry too much, just be sure the trailer is loaded correctly (the majority of the weight should be set as far forward as possible and away from the axle).

With the 4 banger I wouldn't tow anything.
Click to expand...

This is a V6, thanks.
 
Miramonti

Miramonti

Lifer
Aug 26, 2000
28,651
100
91
bruceb said:
Not hard if you know the colors on your car wiring.
You need to know:

Right Side Stop / Turn .... This is Green from the Trailer connector

Left Side Stop / Turn .... This is the Yellow from Trailer connector

Tail or Parking Lights / License Lamp .. This is the Brown from Trailer connector

Ground ... This is the White from Trailer connector

4&




More info here:

http://www.accessconnect.com/trailer_wiring_diagram.htm

Also that kit can be had at just about any auto parts store.
Click to expand...

Nice. I have a haynes book so I'm certain I can do that.

Curious, when it's hooked up, where would the bundle/connector normally exit the trunk compartment to attach to the trailer side of the wiring?
 
Miramonti

Miramonti

Lifer
Aug 26, 2000
28,651
100
91
Z

zmatt

Member
Nov 5, 2009
152
0
0
This would be interesting. My parents used to pull a boat with a 280zx back in the day. I would worry about the frame the most, the engine should be enough, and it doesn't exactly have a short wheel base either.
 
D

desy

Diamond Member
Jan 13, 2000
5,446
214
106
How hilly ?
Flat ground is dead simple to pull on, long grades can be an issue and don't forget to extend your braking distance estimate 3X
 
exar333

exar333

Diamond Member
Feb 7, 2004
8,518
8
91
Make sure your brakes are up to the task and are in good condition. You don't want to discover the pads/rotors are in disrepair when you need them the most, and have 1000lb extra weight to stop.

Edit: Sorry, I forgot the obligatory comment saying "Why would you tow with a car; you need at least a 1500 HD or F350 to tow anything..."
 
Last edited by a moderator:
J

jagec

Lifer
Apr 30, 2004
24,442
6
81
U-haul trailers are HEAVY FYI...if you plan on moving much mass you should probably get a small, light, flatbed trailer and a tarp.

<--towed a lot of stuff with my mk1 MR2...110 hp ought to be enough for anyone!:)
 
evident

evident

Lifer
Apr 5, 2005
12,090
701
126
fyi, that generations transmissions are probably the worst transmissions honda has ever made. don't push it too hard
 
Miramonti

Miramonti

Lifer
Aug 26, 2000
28,651
100
91
evident said:
fyi, that generations transmissions are probably the worst transmissions honda has ever made. don't push it too hard
Click to expand...

The more I read about them I wish I had put a cooler on it long ago...even w/o cooling. This part actually is getting me very worried about undergoing a 2500 mile towing trip.
 
Miramonti

Miramonti

Lifer
Aug 26, 2000
28,651
100
91
thedarkwolf said:
Might just want to check out http://www.harborfreight.com/ trailers. Probably not a lot more than renting one. Just get one with 12" tires on it.
Click to expand...

Thanks, they would be cheaper to buy if this was a one-way trip, but its only $14-18 a day if I rent it locally, drive to get the stuff and drive back and return it locally. A little more gas, but no flight costs for two of us and no one-way truck charges.
 
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