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Old 08-30-2011, 03:19 PM
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retmil46 retmil46 is offline
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Mooresville, NC
Posts: 344
Here's the one I picked up -

http://www.stowaway2.com/store/p/575-StowAway-Hitch-Rack-Swingaway-Frame.aspx

Now I'm waiting on a Curt raised hitch adapter to come in this Friday. The spare tire on the rear cargo door of the Liberty is slung so bloody low that I still need to drop the carrier at least another 2 inches for everything to clear. Adapter I'm getting will give me a 4 inch drop when inverted, and is only 5 inches long, still gives me 350 lbs tongue weight - well past the 250 lbs the carrier is rated for. At least for the time being, I can easily get to the spare if needed and reach in thru the rear window.

Fortunately, I bought this beast new without the tow package, and added an aftermarket hitch longer than the factory one and much heftier - 5000 lbs tow/500 lbs tongue. Receiver tube on the stock factory hitch is about 4 inches shorter than mine - I wouldn't even be able to have the carrier rack installed right now if I had the factory setup.

Also fortunate that back in June and July I did a major mid-life refit on the beast - new Monroe shocks and quickstrut assemblies, new rear upper suspension arm, new brake pads and rotors turned all around, front and rear alignment FINALLY done correctly, new Michelin LTX MS2's, rear diff redone with new bearings and seals due to a failed carrier bearing at 58K miles. And thankfully it's the CRD diesel version as well - on the first part of the trip to NC on the 10th, 3 hour run from SA to Hillsboro TX on I-35, after all the above work, it averaged 34.5 MPG - not bad for a 4000 lb brick.
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Just say "NO" to Ethanol - Drive Diesel

Mitchell Oates
Mooresville, NC
'87 300D 212K miles
'87 300D 151K miles - R.I.P. 12/08
'05 Jeep Liberty CRD 67K miles
Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club
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