Design features of not every car contribute to the transportation of an impressive amount of cargo. You can solve the problem by installing a towed device. In the people, such devices are often called towbars.
Build Features
The hitch for the car can be homemade or factory. Devices of the first type can be seen installed on old models of four-wheeled vehicles. Since earlier this was not provided for in the manufacture of automobiles, drivers had to tinker their own attachment points for connecting to trailers.
It is worth noting that a home-made towing device is not always distinguished by reliable performance. Therefore, during its operation, there is a risk of disconnecting from the car body during movement.
If we talk about factory designs, such traction systems have all the necessary elements to perform quick self-installation on a car. They are made for specific brands of machines. Before going on sale, a factory tow hitch for a car undergoes a series of tests. For this reason, it is better to give preference to ready-made, tested towbars from leading manufacturers.
Nature of fixtures
The towbars can be connected to the car body with a welded seam or bolted fasteners. Let's look at the pros and cons of both connection options:
- Welded - is considered the most reliable. However, metal undergoes aging, and compounds undergo depletion as a result of regular mechanical stresses. Often there is the destruction of welds and the development of corrosion processes.
- Bolt. If there is such a connection, the trailed device needs regular maintenance and monitoring of the condition of the fasteners. However, a rusty or damaged bolt can easily be replaced while continuing to operate the towbar.
Classification
In addition to the features of production and the method of connecting to a vehicle body, the towed device is classified according to the maximum weight for which it is designed. Towbars are made with orientation on a class of the car and its mass. According to generally accepted safety requirements, the trailer should not be heavier than the transport, which acts as its traction force.
Currently, there are several classes of towing devices:
- Small - designed to service trailers weighing up to 1.5 tons. Towbars of this category are suitable for installation on cars of rather modest dimensions.
- Medium - used to secure trailers weighing about 2.5 tons. Installing a trailing device of this type seems rational for SUVs, station wagons, crossovers and minivans.
- Large - open the possibility for transporting trailers weighing up to 3.5 tons. They are mainly installed on cargo vans and SUVs with a full-fledged, reinforced frame.
Types
According to the attachment of the hook of the hitch to the platform, the following types of structures are distinguished:
- Fixed - are monolithic compounds. They are highly reliable, but do not allow to disconnect the pull hook.
- Conditionally removable - all connections are fixed with fasteners. If necessary, the towbar hook can be removed for transportation in the car trunk.
- Removable - the hook is connected to the platform of the towed structure with a special locking device. Installation and disassembly of the system does not require special skills, the availability of tools. Everything is done as quickly and simply as possible.
Trailer price
How much can the towbar hitch cost? The price of devices with a maximum carrying capacity of 1.5 tons, designed for installation on cars, averages from 3,000 to 6,000 rubles. The cost of high-strength solutions that can withstand a load of up to 2 tons starts at 15,000 rubles.
The price of removable and most functional towbars with the ability to adjust the position of the hook in automatic mode reaches about 30,000 rubles or more.
Installation
How to install a tow hitch? Installing the towbar is easy. This requires only the presence of the towbar in the complete assembly and a set of keys.
If you need to install a collapsible device, the landing of which is carried out on bolted connections, fixing on the platform occurs according to the manufacturer's instructions. In this case, it is important to pay attention to the reliability of fixing fasteners.
Progress
The installation of the tow hitch is carried out in the following order:
- Before installing the towbar, the platform must be cleaned of contaminants. The plugs that are contained in the area of the mounting holes are removed.
- The towbar platform joins the junction points. The main thing is that all the holes coincide with each other. Next, fasteners are inserted into the openings, after which they are firmly tightened.
- Upon completion of installation, the electrical equipment of the hitch is connected to the vehicle's on-board system. Then the fixing hook is installed.
At the final stage of the work, the reliability of the tightening of all bolts and fasteners is checked. For increased towbar fixation to the car body, additional nuts are installed on the bolts, which in the future will prevent loosening of the connection.
DIY tow hitch
Where to start if there is a desire to make a tow hitch with your own hands? First of all, you need to think about how rational such a decision is, how much effort, time, money and materials will have to be spent on the implementation of the plan. In some cases, it is much more profitable to install a factory assembly system.
The first thing you need to make a tow hitch with your own hands is choosing the right hook. Next, you can proceed to the preparation of the beam. The easiest way is to make a design that will connect to the car body from below. This option does not require the cost of creating a cutout in the bumper. If this is not possible, maybe you should abandon the independent manufacture of a tow bar?
The beam can be made to order. At present, the most numerous locksmith workshops are able to assemble a design for this purpose. However, if you have a welding machine and the appropriate skills, you can cope with the work on your own.
One of the most important components of a home-made tow hitch is fasteners. Often, manufacturers initially weld bolts into the car body. In this case, it remains only to statically fix the beam and hook. If there is no standard fastener, you will have to purchase embedded bolts, flash the car frame and tighten them manually using a set of keys. Before fixing on the body, it is recommended to cover the beam with powder paint. This solution will avoid metal rusting and increase the service life of the structure.
At the end, as in the case with the installation of the factory tow hitch, an electrical connection is made. It should be guided by state standards. Next, a trailer is attached to a makeshift tow bar and a brake light check is performed.
Before you start using a makeshift trailer, it’s important to check it in action. You can test the design in a remote place, for example, in a garage cooperative. If the structural elements are not amenable to deformation during the movement of the car in various directions, you can begin to operate the traction device.