Hitch install-less than 2 hours!

[Lambeau]

Got a Putnam Hitch on ebay and it took less than 2 hours to install it on my 06 3.0 with Aero Pkg. I looked at the article here but didn't have to do many of the things mentioned. I didn't have to drop the exhaust at all. I have no options on my X except xenons so I didn't have to deal with park distance control or anything like that. Maybe the 06 model is easier than the past ones when installing a hitch?

[SuperGreg]

Originally Posted by Lambeau

Got a Putnam Hitch on ebay and it took less than 2 hours to install it on my 06 3.0 with Aero Pkg. I looked at the article here but didn't have to do many of the things mentioned. I didn't have to drop the exhaust at all. I have no options on my X except xenons so I didn't have to deal with park distance control or anything like that. Maybe the 06 model is easier than the past ones when installing a hitch?

Yours was easier simply because you didn't go with the much more robust BMW hitch. I hope you're not going to be towing too much weight.

[Estroil 4.8is]

I also installed the putnum hitch, very easy install even with the rear PDC. Enjoy!!

[MGRMLN]

All I want to use a hitch for is to mount a bike carrier. The BMW hitch is way overkill for my purposes. This sounds perfect.

Thanks

[ifly]

Managed to put the BMW hitch on following the great instructions on the site in about 5.5 hours not including tea breaks and tool runs

[xdiesel]

What is the difference between the OEM and the Putnum hitch?

X5 02 3.0i.

[JCL]

I haven't installed or seen a Putnam hitch, but there is a drawing of it available online. The one I lookedat is rated 3500 lbs, not the 6000 lbs of the BMW hitch.

While the receiver itself, and the crossbar, are very similar in concept, the difference is in how the crossbar attaches to the vehicle. Recall that the X5 does not have a frame, it is a unibody, so the attachment is more complicated, both from the standpoint of strength and what happens if you are ever in an accident (the area in question is part of the crush zone to absorb the impact of a collision).

At the back of the stock X5 are two 'shock absorbers' for lack of a better phrase. They run fore and aft, and transfer load from the bumper to the chassis in the event of impact. They are made out of expanded wire mesh, quite heavy, and designed for one-time use. They attach to the longitudinal sections in the unibody (running fore and aft, similar to chassis rails). At the back of the shock absorbers is a pentagon-shaped plate that the bumper attaches to with a carrier structure.

The BMW (OEM) hitch replaces the shock absorbers with solid hitch mounts, and then mounts the new drawbar to the back of the revised mounts. Loads are then carried by the chassis sections, not by the rear pan.

The Putnam hitch appears to attach to the back of the two shock absorbers. This has a few potential results. One, the hitch loads are transferred through these mounts. Second, the hitch loads are transferred to the rear pan, ie the sheetmetal behind the bumper. Third, the collapsible bumper can still collapse, but in this case it can no longer move into the space occupied by the drawbar.

Yes, the OEM hitch is more expensive. The reason that many owners decide to buy it has to do with not compromising the rear safety structure, and with wanting to ensure that the drawbar transfers load properly to the vehicle structure, so that it is designed into the vehicle.

There are various horror stories about aftermarket hitches bending parts of the X5, on various forums. I can see how it could happen. I haven't seen an X5 damaged by the hitch, but I have seen X5s after serious collisions. They are very safe vehicles, and I choose to maintain those safety features even though I have installed a hitch.

There is little difference between the actual drawbars, they are simply welded square tubes. If the welds and paint quality are good, no worries. There are some issues with various aftermarket drawbars not fitting the cutout in the plastic panel perfectly, but this can be checked easily. Finally, the BMW hitch has a bracket to mount the BMW wiring harness, which is the only way to go for electrics, IMO.

That is about it. I hear people suggest that they only need a light hitch for a bike rack, but I would ask whether anyone will someday use that hitch to tow with, and also, whether the bike rack puts any twisting moment on the receiver. The Putnam hitch is rated for 300 lbs applied at the hitch ball. With a bike rack, the bending arm (from the CoG of the rack and bikes, to the mounting point of the drawbar) is likely multiplied 3 or 4 times. Therefore, by calculating a similar bending moment the bike rack capacity is reduced by 3 or 4 times. It isn't hard to imagine putting 75 lbs of mountain bikes on a rack. More than that could potentially damage your vehicle, going by Putnam's design limits. Your mileage may vary, personally I carry my bikes on the roof ;-)

There are good photos of the OEM hitch on the home page of X5 World, in the articles.

Jeff

[Estroil 4.8is]

Nice write-up!!
Just one note the Putnum also gains extra support from using the black brackets in the cargo area that kind of wraps around the frame rails. So the hitch is not just supported by the sheet metal on the rear. But also via the squared rails.
Do you happen to have a pic of the OEM part of the hitch that replaces the "shock absorber". Curious how it differs from the putnum. Rob

[SuperGreg]

Originally Posted by Silver 5

Nice write-up!!
Just one note the Putnum also gains extra support from using the black brackets in the cargo area that kind of wraps around the frame rails. So the hitch is not just supported by the sheet metal on the rear. But also via the squared rails.
Do you happen to have a pic of the OEM part of the hitch that replaces the "shock absorber". Curious how it differs from the putnum. Rob

Here you go.

[E61Silver]

Whats in the photo on the right side?

It looks like more than mounting parts?