Mazda Trailer Hitches & Towing

First I would say that my experience with CARID and the shipment from Curt were first class. The product arrived within a week of my order. My observation of the appearance of quality of the product seems quite impressive. Thick and heavy duty metal. The video indicated it was a one and a half hour job at most. Actually, it took me closer to ten hours but that was because of one glaring omission from the list of needed tools. You will definitely need a COBALT drill bit. A regular steel drill bit will have you spending four hours trying to drill one hole. Bottom line, be sure to purchase the 17/32 Cobalt drill bit before attempting this install. It costs approximately $35 as of the time of my review. Otherwise like me, you will spend hour upon hour simply trying to drill and enlarge a single hole in the incredibly hardened steel of the rear bumper support. I eventually ended up going to the hardware store for the Cobalt drill bit. After that it went like clockwork. Fortunately all the other holes in the car are predrilled by the car manufacturer. If I had that drill bit from the jump, I actually could have finished the job in two hours. Also, if you don't own a die grinder, simply purchase a cone shape carbide die grinder bit with a 1/4 inch shank that will fit into your drill. It worked like a champ to enlarge and elongate the hole from the 17/32 drill bit to accommodate the hardware for the bumper beam attachment. Also, they don't mention it but its best to disconnect the muffler from it's rubber hanger to reach some of the hitch attachment points but that only takes about 5 minutes. If you have trouble there are several videos on YouTube about the subject. Something about WD40 and channel lock pliers. All in all the experience was positive. Make sure to wear long sleeves, gloves and safety glasses when under the car drilling and grinding. Good luck!