[duckcanuck]

Hitch is now in place. It came down to needing an extra 1/4 inch spacer to fill the 1/2 inch gap between the PS tie-down and the hitch side plate.

Luckily the 1/4 inch spacer that comes with the kit is multi-application. It is 4 inches long, and has two holes, but on the hatchback installation, you only use one hole, and the spacer does not bear on its whole length.

So, I cut the spacer in half, and sandwiched the two halves to make one spacer, 1/2 inch thick, and 2 inches by 1.5 inches of surface. A materials expert I consulted felt that was enough area to spread the loads.

Thanks for all the help offered. It is really useful to be able to discuss stuff like this with other folks who have "been there, done that".

Bob