Mopar OEM Hitch vs. Hidden Hitch for 1996 XJ

I'm seeking your opinions about which hitch to buy for my 96 XJ Cherokee Sport.

I found a dealer selling the OEM hitch, part number 82204709, for $176.00 plus $23.00 shipping, $199.00 total.

I found an individual selling a new, never-installed Hidden Hitch, part number 87591, for $100, no shipping, no tax.

I'm not concerned about price . . . I just want to get the best hitch . . . i.e., is one of these significantly better QUALITY, USABILITY, DURABILITY than the other?

Thanks for your suggestions!

Reply to
bw-fl
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That's a good price and from what Quadratec says, the correct part.

I've always been happy with the OEM hitch. Also get the harness from the OEM. Aftermarket harnesses can cause problems and the OEM one is guaranteed to work properly. The cheap ones simply suck off of the vehicle tail lights. This can put too much pull on the factory harness and cause connectors to melt.

Try these folks as well:

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use them quite often for OEM parts because they don't tryto gouge on prices. If they actually have the part, that'sanother issue.

Remember, the hitch is able to handle a lot more than your Jeep can. So don't exceed the tow capacity of your vehicle.

Reply to
DougW

My 98 XJ came with a factory installed hitch with wiring and transmission cooler. For myself I would look at it this way. If I were towing a 1962 completely restored landy any distance, I think I would want the best possible hitch designed specifically for the vehicle I would be installing it on! A hundred dollar difference is not really that much. Larry

Reply to
Larry

Reply to
L.W.(Bill) Hughes III

But...as the $4500 will be counted as income... around 30% will be returned during tax time. Larry

Reply to
Larry

But...as the $4500 will be counted as income... around 30% will be returned during tax time. Larry

Reply to
L.W.(Bill) Hughes III

From the Cash For Clunkers FAQ page:

Q: Is the value of the voucher tax-free to the consumer?

A: Yes. The CARS Act expressly provides that the credit is not income for the consumer. However, the credit will be considered as income for the dealer.

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Reply to
Frank_v7.0

Reply to
L.W.(Bill) Hughes III

I wasn't commenting for or against the program. I just posted to clarify the "taxable as income" portion of Larry's post. Personally I think it's just another government redistribution scam, but this being a Jeep Forum I try to leave politics for other forums.

Reply to
Frank_v7.0

I have a Hidden Hitch for both ends of my Jeep. It works well and I have hauled a small trailer loaded with either a garden tractor, building supplies, small cars, or a lot of my household furniture.

JCWhitney is where I bought the rear hitch and caught it on sale. Bought the front off of ebay and it was local too! The front needed a little more work to install. ;-)

Reply to
dave AKA vwdoc1

Hi Frank...You are right my comments were edged toward the political side...The information I used to make that statement was from a financial blog that I got from a google alert. I have been looking for it but gave up. It was a well written article from someone who identified him as a financial writer. How I connected the rebate program with this group is that my 98 XJ was labeled a clunker in that program. That surprised me. A well maintained 98 XJ, with only 70,000 miles on it, is to me a classic. It even gets better gas mileage than the government says it does. But bringing it up here really serves no good purpose I guess as this group already a little too political for comfort. Larry

Reply to
Larry

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