naturist wrote:
Were you going less than 55 mph backwards when you did it? If not, worry; if so, no worry. That hitch is the strongest part of your 4runner (or any other truck, for that matter).
Several years ago, in 2005 &2006, Jeep made the Liberty and I had one. At some point, NHTSA determined the design was flawed, the gas tank, which was located behind the rear axle, was too vulnerable to rupture in a rear-end collision. The remedy: install a trailer hitch on all Liberties. Because that heavy-duty bar across the back could keep anything from crushing/rupturing the gas tank.
This lead to a certain amount of hilarity on my part, because I'd had the dealer install the hitch when I bought it new, and besides, it was a diesel, which is not a fire hazard in a crash that ruptures the tank. Diesel is nearly impossible to set on fire that way. You want proof, put a quart of diesel in a bucket. You can throw burning matches at it all day, it'll put 'em out. Sparks? Forget it.
I probably was going like 1 mph. Or less. It was more like a thud.
