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There are several other threads covering the early models of the 4th Gen on this subject. And the 2 other who have made a hitch fit to use a bike carrier. Me? I've been told to buy a truck for towing, why trash your Lexus (yeah I'm rich, I have the space to store it the other 300+ days of the year i don't need it, why should I be uncomfortable in a truck when hauling, blah, blah blah...), screw that, I'm going to install a hitch, wire up a plug for trailer lights and I'm going to TOW.
Not in a big rush, have time... Oct 15, 2018 ordered the hitch and wiring module for the 2013 LS460 for my 2010 LS460 L.
CURT 121142 Class 2 Hitch w/Euro 2" Ball - $130
CURT 56182 Custom Wiring Harness - $35
M8 X 30 Stainless Socket Head Cap Screws w/Fender washers and Lockwashers (not pictured, you'll need 8 of these, stock bolts are ever so barely long enough to 'F' you if you use them)
Today went to a buddy's place, stuck it up on his lift and we installed the hitch.
Pre Install - up on the lift...
All the tools you'll need (in order of use):
2 med reg screwdrivers (to work the push pins out)
Panel Popper (again for the push pins) (bottom of pic)
10 mm socket (bumper panel screws/bolts on Fascia - small ratchet in pic)
Jeff (because 2 hands would SUCK doing this job alone...see pic above aka, get a 2nd person to help manhandle the bumper on and off)
12 mm socket (to remove the 8 bolts holding the aluminum bumper behind the fascia - larger ratchet in pic)
6" or longer extension (because if you go any shorter it ain't going to reach through the bumper)
8MM Allen (to reattach the bumper w/new bolts* I bought)
Torque Wrench (to torque-to-spec 23 ft lbs the 8 bolts holding this all together. Helps keep things from falling off 100's of miles from home)
Scribe (to mark the undertray cut - feel free to substitute, pen, chalk, blood from that still bleeding finger whenthe screwdriver slipped off the push pin removal, whatever... or just eyeball it.)
Dremel w/Cutoff wheel (to cut the undertray, not once but twice because you were too conservative the first time you cut it)
thats it, good luck...
You might need a couple extra of these.. they like to be broke or missing when you start.. if not, then they will before you are done. It's the law.. Murphy's Law. (I only needed one from a pre-existing condition).
This is where you really, really need that 6" plus socket extension... Good thing your buddy has tools too because the 4" you guesstimated would work, won't.
4x 12MM bolts on each side, all accessed through holes in the aluminum bumper after removing the hard white plastic covers.
We got the 8 bolts out, set the aluminum bumper aside, hoisted the Hitch up on the locating pins and scribed the marks where the hitch was touching the under tray in the middle...
Testing the fitment and alignment now that the first Dremel cuts were made... Check your gaps up top too...
Turns out I was a little timid on the first cut and needed to cut a little deeper by a smidge.. the hot piece of plastic shooting off the Dremel wheel, past my eyeglasses and lodging like a burning hot coal in the corner of my eyeball socket the first time also might have been a little distraction too. Kind of hard to cut when your crying like a 3 year old...
Test Fitting the Cut again, then taking it back off to put all the bolts back in
... reached for the bolts to reattach the bumper... dang it!!!
Get keys for buddys' truck, act like a monkey crawling up on the lift into the open window of your Lexus to retrieve the house key and wallet, drive 5 miles back home, 2 blocks down the road the Low Fuel Light comes on, get home, dig through spare bolts, drive 5 miles back...
Here's what it looked like AFTER we had found proper longer bolts... all torqued to spec...
White Plastic covers back on, one last fitment check to look at all the gaps and make sure all the panel pins and screws go back in...
Well that won't work, the Styrofoam cushion messes up our gaps and alignment on the push pins and screws holding the fascia on. We left it out for now and went back together without it.
There's simply no extra gap in there, has to be trimmed. I'm going to trim it later with a razor or filet knife. On the back side it touches the aluminum bumper in the center and on each end. Trim 1/4 inch off in those places and it should be perfect..
Back together... Don't that look good?
Finished, ready to go get a steak dinner in my dirty Lexus. Hey, don't judge, its been raining off an on for weeks around here... I'll get to it... And I'll get to the wiring module for the trailer lights. Need to run a power wire all the way to the front for that. (ugh)
Leftover parts, 8 bolts that are 3-5 mm too short, couple of chunks of cut off under tray, and the empty plastic bag when I robbed my spares of 8mm fasteners for longer bolts on a Sunday the good places are closed...
Looks great! Wish I had the skills to do something like this myself to carry bikes, etc when going on family vacations. You can stick one of those plastic Lexus caps on the hitch that I see on Lexus SUVs or maybe a plain black one will make it disappear more when not in use.
A Thule easy fold x2 racks fits both 1 1/4” and 2” receivers. Holds our two 65 pound electric bikes very well. More hidden under our cars. Have not looked under the Lexus. Did look at your hitch.
When you take the 4 12 mm bolts out on each side that entire aluminium bumper literally just slides straight back and off a post/locating pin on each side. Place the Curt bumper up there and then remount the aluminum bumper with the longer bolts I suggested. That's it.
That does look pretty great. Any thoughts around adding a transmission cooler?
Not really. I haven't looked, might already have one. If not and I notice the trans getting hot, I would look at one off the Tundra. The V8 and trans in the LS is not that different than a Tundra. I doubt a small trailer is really going to make it work that hard.
When you take the 4 12 mm bolts out on each side that entire aluminium bumper literally just slides straight back and off a post/locating pin on each side. Place the Curt bumper up there and then remount the aluminum bumper with the longer bolts I suggested. That's it.
12-02-18, 09:18 PM
2010 LS460 L Curt Tow Hitch
