Towbar - what is it? Installing a tow bar. Installing a towbar: can you do everything yourself? Features of the electrical connection of the trailer

Alexander-208

Good afternoon. And how will the traffic police inspector react to the towbar with a removable hook? There is no hook, the socket sticks out, and everything else is a bumper amplifier.

Alexander, Hello.

In this case, part of the towbar (socket) must be considered the same as a whole towbar. That is, if there are documents (for the entire set, or only for the outlet), then there will be no problems with the traffic police. If there are no documents, then the outlet is an unauthorized design change and may raise questions from the traffic police.

Good luck on the road!

Dmitry-473

Another way of taking money away from the population. All their lives everyone has been driving with towbars and no one cares, but here they figured it out. All who live in the regions have towbars on their cars and trailers - it is necessary to take out the garbage from the yard and bring building materials. Trailers are not needed in big cities. So the "richest" inhabitants of the provinces will be put under the blow of our authorities. Just figured out the sign "thorns", and how much money they ripped off from people and everything is sewn covered now for the towbars !!!

I bought a Chevrolet Niva 2123-55 in a car dealership in 2014 with additional options including a forkop (w / niva) Stupino. They just gave out an order for an outfit for installation. In 2015, the car dealership was closed. And they won't find documents there. It says they destroyed it after 3 years. How to be? A copy of OTTS IS (I copied) ..

Evgeniy-272

All their lives everyone has been driving with towbars and no one cares, but here they figured it out.

"All my life" towbars have been produced by "a couple" of manufacturers, and now, probably, only the lazy doesn't make or install them (everything is figurative). This is necessary, first of all, in order to exclude unscrupulous manufacturers and installers. This is why this "registration" of towbars is carried out, while checking the relevant documents. You don't want one trailer to drive into the oncoming lane, do you?

Anwar, and what problem do you want to solve at the moment?

If you want to get documents for a towbar, then contact the manufacturer of this towbar.

I had to take my vehicle to a car service that could install a towbar on the car. Most cars and trucks today have pre-drilled holes through which you can attach a trailer yourself. But even if there are no holes, the installation process is quick and easy. There are some limited apps that require professional installation, but they are quite rare.

Step 1. Parts and tools

Before properly installing the towbar, you need to prepare the right tools for work. Attaching the tow hitch is not a type of installation that can be achieved with just an adjustable wrench and a multi-purpose screwdriver.

Car lifting tools

Wiring

After installing the towbar correctly, you should think about the wiring. First of all, see where you can conveniently place the trailer wire connection to the outlet. Better to get a good set of wires that are suitable for every type of vehicle. This will the best way to minimize the possibility of a malfunction. Installing a towing mechanism is not the kind of work to try to save a few rubles by buying inexpensive fittings, since these connections operate in a constant vibration mode.

• The hitch must be made of flat metal and provided correct installation on the frame of the truck fit together perfectly.
• Never use welding to connect the towbar to the vehicle frame.
• Do not make any changes to the towbar.
• Be careful not to drill other components in while mounting the hitch.
• Do not drill more holes than necessary, as this could weaken the machine frame.
• Make sure the trailer hitch is symmetrically positioned to the vehicle before drilling.

The process of mounting a towbar can be done at home. With a few important safety precautions, attaching the towbar to your vehicle is a fairly quick and easy job. Nevertheless, if you are in doubt about the reliability, where you can install the trailer mechanism in a few minutes.

Hello, our dear motorists! Today we will try to figure out the purpose of such a car part as a hitch. For those who have forgotten what it is, let me remind you: - a special device designed for coupling a trailer with a car.

Its extreme part, installed on a passenger car, is a ball on a hook that protrudes beyond rear bumper and it can be easily seen. This hook is attached to a special beam installed under the bottom of the body, which can be called the second part of the towbar, hidden from prying eyes.

If the cargo that needs to be transported does not fit into the interior and trunk of your car, or it is too heavy, the presence of such a part will be very useful to you. It should be noted that not all cars are equipped with it, but if you wish, you can install it separately.

Currently, there are three types of towbars: welded, removable and flanged. Welded is considered the most reliable and relatively cheap, but it has one drawback - it cannot be removed. It will be possible to install a flange hitch only if your car is already equipped with a special platform for it.

In order not to be mistaken with the choice of a towbar - be sure to consider not only the make and model of your car, but also the year of manufacture. The ideal option would be to consult a professional. To do this, you just need to drive up to the station by car. Maintenance or the nearest service center, where a specialist, taking into account all the nuances, will be able to select a suitable towing hitch. When buying a towbar, do not forget to check the availability of its certificate, otherwise you risk getting a low-quality part that may cause problems in the future.

Recently, towbars are most popular among hunters, summer residents, tourists and fishermen. With its presence, it becomes possible to use a trailer, and this is a very valuable addition to the car, especially if you often have to transport equipment, equipment, crops or other bulky things. Let's take a closer look at all the advantages of a towbar.

Why do you need a towbar

Nowadays, when the car has become more of a necessity than a luxury item, it becomes possible to effectively use it in various spheres of human life. Modern cars are equipped with more and more new parts designed to ensure the comfort of the driver. As for the towbar, this is by no means a new device. I am sure many of you remember the inconspicuous hook that barely peeped out from under the rear bumper of grandfather's Zhiguli, which means that this device is already more than a dozen years old.

In those days, almost all towbars were welded and could not be removed, and in order to close the ball of the hook, rubber toys were often worn on them. I don't know about you, but I often paid attention to rabbits, bears and dogs sitting practically on the rear bumper of the car, and over time I even recognized all the neighbors by them. But let's not deviate from the topic. Let's see what exactly a useful hitch can be and is it needed at all?

People who travel often or simply lead an active lifestyle very often carry various things with their car. One part of them fits freely in the trunk passenger car(small things), and the second, which may include more massive structures, often has to be transported by separate transport - a truck or bus. The presence of a towbar in the car greatly facilitates this task, since it allows you to attach the trailer to the car and load everything you need onto it.

In principle, the transportation of additional cargo is one of the main functions of this device. But they use a hitch not only for attaching a cargo trailer to a car. Also, if you decide to relax with your family outside the city, you can use it to tow a caravan (a kind of "house on wheels").

Some drivers believe that the presence of a tow bar (even in the absence of a trailer) is by itself a positive addition to the car... This opinion is based on confidence in the protective function of this device in the event of an accident, supposedly in a collision (and suddenly someone enters you from behind) it will be able to take the brunt of it. But this statement is wrong.

The direction of the entire force of the impact in one place will do more harm than the distribution of this force over the entire area of ​​the bumper, so the hitch must be removable and not expose the car to unnecessary danger. This is the opinion of the inhabitants of many countries in which driving with a towbar without a trailer is prohibited by law.

Towbar mount

It is quite possible to attach a towbar to your car without the help of specialists. Perhaps it will be a little longer than in car workshops, but if certain rules are followed, as a result, you can be sure of its reliability.

First of all, take a responsible approach to the question of choosing a towing device: it must fully correspond to the model of your car and fulfill not only a practical, but also an aesthetic function.

Also, when buying a device, do not forget that all towbars can be either removable(if you want, you can easily detach the hook from the beam), or non-removable(the hook with the beam is a single unit). The first option, from the point of view of ease of use, of course, is more interesting, since if not necessary, the hook can be removed so that it does not affect the overall appearance of the car.

The carrying capacity of the towing hitch is another criterion for its selection. It is clear that stronger structures designed for the transportation of large loads are more expensive, but you should not save on this issue: the carriage of goods in excess of the permissible towbar carrying capacity threatens with the possibility of serious consequences for road users.

And so, suppose that after reading the listed recommendations for choosing a towbar, you took them into account and purchased the necessary device. Now all that remains is to install it on the car.

Like any other part, an instruction is attached to the towing device, which describes the installation process, you just need to have a set of screwdrivers and a wrench. Leading manufacturers of such devices ( BOSAL, THULE, Westfalia) cooperate with manufacturers famous brands so that when installing the towbar, you do not need to drill additional holes in the body (provided that the model is suitable for your car).

Regardless of the make and model of the machine, the procedure for installing the towing hitch can be divided into these are the main stages:

Preparatory stage including the removal of the rear bumper and the removal of the bumper reinforcement. Removing the rear bumper that is modern cars fastened with several self-tapping screws and plastic caps. On some models, before removing the bumper, you will have to unscrew rear lights, since it is under them that the screws holding the bumper are located.

Removal of the bumper reinforcement is irrevocable. In its place, in the future, there will be a towbar beam.

The stage of direct installation in each case is individual and, usually, is described in some detail in the instructions attached to the model. If we consider the moments common to all models, then the installation will look like this:

the towbar beams and its side brackets must be attached to the body side members in accordance with the installation diagram shown in the instructions;

attach the electrical outlet to the beam and push the wiring harness of the device through the hole in the rear panel of the body, before attaching it to the beam with plastic straps;

carry out electrical wiring. On most cars, the connector for it is provided for by the design, it remains only to find it guided by the vehicle diagram and connect the two pads;

Note! When attaching the machine beam to the elements of its body, all threaded connections must be tightened conscientiously.

install the parts removed from the vehicle into reverse order... Also be prepared for the need to slightly trim the rear bumper of your car in accordance with the template provided in the instructions. If you are not ready for this measure, pay attention to this when purchasing: usually this requirement is indicated in the installation manual.

Towbar reliability is the foundation of safety

Any car requires careful attention to itself, and not only because it can break down or rust, but also because it is responsible for your safety while driving. It is much easier to drive a car without a trailer than with it, and if it is also seriously loaded, then the driver's vigilance and accuracy should increase significantly.

All the subtleties and nuances of operating the towing hitch are described in the user manual, which is directly attached to each individual model. There are also general tips for all models that allow you to fundamentally reduce the risk when using a towbar and protect its mechanism from frequent breakdowns.

Tip 1

Try to keep an eye on the towbar ball, it must be constantly lubricated to ensure the correct operation of the device (the exception is the use of special clamps made of ferrode alloys).

Tip 2

Put protective caps and plugs on the ball. This will keep lubricant on the hook and protect you from stains on your clothes while using the rack.

Tip 3

The towbar ball, like any other part subject to friction, tends to wear out, so from time to time, in order to avoid the risk of the trailer jumping off, you need to check its diameter (should be 50 mm). If it decreases even by a millimeter, replace the ball.

Just imagine what can happen if the ball is worn out: the head of the trailer at high speed is disconnected from the towbar and the uncontrolled trailer, with an unpredictable trajectory of movement, for some time continues to move next to you and your car with all its passengers, and there is still the likelihood of a rollover - then other road users are also in danger.

Tip 4

For replacement, you should choose only original balls of the same manufacturer as the previously purchased hitch, since not all types are suitable for different car models. The design of the ball, depending on both the vehicle and the permissible load, is always different.

Tip 5

Every 1000 km, check that all towbar bolts are secure and tightened. This can be done both independently and with the help of employees of the nearest service center. The instructions will help you to facilitate such work (if tightening rates are indicated threaded connections) and a torque wrench.

Tip 6

Despite its apparent simplicity, the towing hitch is a rather complex mechanism, which usually has a single installation option and is designed for a narrow range of models, and sometimes even for only one model. Based on this, install the towbar strictly following the requirements of the attached instructions. Violation of the installation rules prescribed by the manufacturer threatens with the possibility of imminent breakdown not only of the towing device itself, but of the bearing elements of the machine to which it is attached.

Tip 7

Do not under any circumstances exceed the vertical load capacity of the ball! The maximum permissible limit must be indicated on the towbar identification plate and in the quality certificate.

Tip 8

Pay particular attention to the maximum load and the speed of the vehicle with the attached trailer when driving on unpaved roads. In such cases, the speed should not exceed 30 km / h, and the maximum permissible load capacity is reduced by 50%.

Tip 9

Towbars for towing trailers with two axles that are more than 1 meter apart should be used with extreme caution.

Tip 10

Wanting to increase the carrying capacity of the towbar, in no case make changes to the factory towing couplings, you can simply ruin the device. In addition, welding parts of it, making additional holes or removing parts, you are unlikely to achieve the desired result.

Calculating the maximum load, the manufacturer has laid down desired parameters beams, hook and bracket, and also determined the data on the permissible loads of the vehicle structure and proposed standard (basic) and alternative methods of its fastening.

Modern cars are packed with electronics to keep the engine running economically and efficiently. In case it is almost impossible to start and drive to the service station on your own. Therefore, a car malfunction that occurs on the road often leads to the need to transport it using car tow trucks... And if an emergency happened far from the city, then you have to deliver the car exclusively by towing.

Vehicle towing methods

Types of towing vehicles

There are several ways to tow a car according to the rules, depending on the type of vehicle used.

Flexible towing

Rigid towing

1. The most popular delivery method for a faulty vehicle is towing on a flexible hitch. For its implementation, a flexible iron or nylon cable is used. This option is applicable when the towed vehicle has brakes, chassis and steering are in working order. The driver of the faulty vehicle must be behind the wheel and safely follow the towing vehicle. At the same time, in order to avoid hitting the tug, the length of the towing cable should be at least 4 meters. Too long a cable (6 m or more) can lead to difficulties on sharp road bends, as well as in conditions of heavy traffic on multi-lane roads in megacities.
2. The next method of transporting a damaged machine is rigid towing. A rigid hitch is a connection between a towing and a towed vehicle by means of a metal towing device assembled from pipes or corners. A conventional rigid tug is a simple boom or triangular structure with lugs. When transporting with a "pencil" (tug with one rod), the driver of the faulty car must drive it while driving. The stiffer triangular tug allows transportation on a rigid hitch without placing the driver behind the wheel of the towed vehicle.
3. The rules also provide for the possibility of towing by loading a faulty vehicle onto a truck. In this case, loading can be either full or partial. When fully loaded, the vehicle is completely in the body of a tow truck, which is similar to transporting a vehicle on a tow truck. In case of partial loading, only the front or rear half of the towed vehicle is brought into the tractor body. The rest follows on its unbraked wheels.

Safety requirements for towing vehicles

Correct towing must be carried out in compliance with certain standards, which are aimed at ensuring the safety of both the personnel performing the transportation, and the vehicles themselves, as well as other machines involved in road traffic. General rule towing is a limitation maximum speed movement during transportation up to 50 km / h. must be enabled on both vehicles while driving. If it does not work on a faulty car, then an emergency stop sign should be displayed on the back of it.

Requirements for towing with a hitch

The towing rope must match the make and model of the towed vehicle in terms of carrying capacity.

• The strength of the cable must be able to withstand a load 20% greater than the weight of the vehicle. Therefore, when choosing a cable for performing a flexible hitch, first of all pay attention to its strength, and not to its beauty and cheapness. For example, if your representative Mitsubishi Lancer X weighing 1.85 tons breaks down on the road, then you need a cable that can withstand at least 2.22 tons of load.
  Branded ropes are usually designed for a load of up to 3 tons, so their use meets safety requirements. However, when choosing it, it is imperative to check the condition and quality of fastening of the carbines, which are the first to fail at maximum loads. Equally important is the convenience of its use and the quality of the termination of the twisted rope threads. A quality product, when pulled by hand, creates a feeling of shock absorption
• It is necessary to correctly fasten the cable to the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle in such a way that when following the towing vehicle, the driver of the faulty vehicle can see the vehicles following in the oncoming lane.
• Usually the cable is attached to the left lug on the front and right lugs. rear car... If the towing vehicle does not have special lugs or rings at the rear for securing the cable, then it can be attached to the trailer hitch or, in exceptional cases, to the rear axle springs. In this case, it is necessary to take measures so that the cable cannot come out of the hitch when it is weakened due to its elastic properties.
  It should be borne in mind that there are machine models that are not intended for use as a towing tractor. You will not find a place on them where you could attach a tow rope. Therefore, it is not worth stopping and trying to use them for a tug. It is also necessary to fasten the cable on the faulty machine using the lugs or hooks specially provided for this case on the frame under the bumper. Do not hook the cable to the bumper or front suspension elements, as you can easily tear off the bumper or break the suspension.

Towing on a flexible hitch, this is towing with the help of improvised means, or the need for invention is cunning

• The towing cable must always be included in the emergency technical kit. But according to the law of meanness, as always, it is absent at the right moment. In such a situation, which is often observed in practice, you have to use other available means. Slings, seat belts, ropes can serve as a replacement for the cable. They should be fastened using self-tightening knots. Carry out transportation with extreme caution, avoiding sudden braking and acceleration.

Towing a car with automatic transmission

Video: Towing Motor Vehicles

Many car owners with automatic transmission transmissions believe that towing such vehicles is prohibited. The reason for this opinion is that when idle engine the oil pump does not function and does not supply oil to the gearbox and transmission. As a result, there is no cooling and lubrication of the friction parts of the transmission, which continue to rotate during the towing process. Overheating of these parts leads to increased wear and tear and premature failure.

These considerations are quite reasonable and correspond to the operating instructions for cars with automatic gear shifting, which recommend using a tow truck for transportation. However, this does not mean that towing a car with automatic transmission is strictly prohibited. This may only apply to certain car models. In principle, it is possible to tow cars with automatic transmissions subject to certain requirements and precautionary rules.

Basic rules for the transportation of faulty machines with an automatic transmission:

1. Check transmission oil level. It must comply with the norm;
2. By turning the key in the ignition lock, release the steering column from the lock;
3. Put the gearshift knob in neutral position N;
4. When transporting, use the unwritten rule "fifty-fifty", i.e. drive without stopping no further than 50 km at a speed of 50 km / h. At stops, take measures to cool the transmission;
5. It is forbidden to start a car with an automatic transmission from a tug.

These rules should be followed in cases of emergency, when it is not possible to call a tow truck or find truck for transportation by full or partial loading.

Video: Errors when towing on a flexible hitch

You can use a car with automatic transmission as a towing vehicle if:

• the weight of the towed vehicle must not exceed the weight of the towing vehicle;
• transportation speed should not exceed 40 km / h;
• the movement should be carried out in the positions of the automatic transmission switch knob on the position "L" or "2";
• it is advisable to use a rigid hitch. When using a flexible hitch, use gentle acceleration and deceleration.

Cars with automatic transmission and four-wheel drive 4x4s are towed only by the full load method.

Sooner or later, any car owner will face the problem of transportation. The most practical type of body for such things is the "station wagon". However, loads are different and do not always fit even in a spacious minibus with folded seats. How to be in such a situation? One of the popular solutions is buying a trailer. But together with it you have to install a towbar. What is this element and what is it for? We will talk about this in our today's article.

Characteristic

So what is a towbar? This mechanism is used for towing trailers and light trailers. Consists of two mechanisms. The first is the cross member. The second is the ball joint itself. The latter is attached to the beam.

Do you need it?

As a rule, the installation of a towbar is relevant for those people who lead an active lifestyle. Thanks to this device, you can couple the "house on wheels" and go on a trip. But that is not all. Also, the installation of a towbar is relevant for summer residents who do not want to ruin their cars, carrying seedlings in the cabin or in the trunk. Those who are building houses also have to drive with a trailer. After all, constantly hiring a car will not be profitable, and the required amount of cargo will not always be collected. And the trailer allows you to transport just as much as you need.

Some car owners use a towbar as a safety feature. In their opinion, when Car accident less damage than without a hitch. However, it is not. The blow will go not to the bumper, but to the side members and other power elements of the body. Changing the bumper is much cheaper than removing the geometry of the body on the slipway. But curved spars can cause many troubles. So, there will be heavy wear of the rubber on one side. The car will constantly “look for a road”, “wag its backwards”, which will have a detrimental effect on traffic safety. Therefore, connecting the towbar for the purpose of a protective function is a very erroneous opinion.

Types by mounting method

There are several types of these mechanisms. So, according to the method of attaching the towbar to the VAZ, the following types can be installed:

• Fixed.
• Removable.
• Flanged.

The removable element has the same construction as the fixed one. However, it has one significant advantage - the driver can disconnect this hitch at any time. The Chevrolet Blazer is supplied with such a removable device as standard. By the way, in European countries it is forbidden to drive with an open hitch without a trailer. This is due to the increased accident rate of the mechanism (after all, in a collision, the shock-absorbing element of the bumper will not work).

Consider a flanged hitch. What is this device? This mechanism is attached to the rear of the body using special platforms. You can install this type of towbar with four or two bolts. The element is designed for higher loads than the removable one. However, such a powerful mechanism cannot always be installed on a passenger car. Often, frame SUVs are equipped with flange mechanisms.

By design method

Distinguish between towbars and this characteristic. Most often, you can find elements with a ball of type "A". The advantage is quick dismantling of the structure. You can remove the ball in a couple of minutes by unscrewing a few bolts and nuts. The mechanism is simple in design and reliability, but it has certain limitations. The maximum load placed on it should not exceed 150 kilograms. Thus, the total mass of the loaded trailer should not exceed one and a half tons.

The next type of construction is the H-shaped hitch. What is this mechanism? Externally, this towing hitch looks as shown in the picture above. Such a hitch has no structural differences from the previous type. However, the mechanism is less reliable. Withstands the same loads - up to 150 kilograms.

There are other types of towbars: F and G. Both types are very similar in terms of price and design. However, the first view has 2 positions relative to the base. This makes it possible to adjust the height of the level of the fastening of the structure.

Towbar G does not have this function. The exception is mechanisms in which 6 bolts are used for fastening. Where can you find such towbars? They are installed on large SUVs and light trucks, since they can withstand a trailer load of up to 3.5 tons. The less common ball is type V. It is cheaper than the two previous options, but is designed for a load of no more than 2.5 tons. Also, there is no way to adjust the height of the position.

Features of operation

Consider a few rules that will extend the life of the towbar ball mechanism:

• Watch for grease. The ball is subjected to colossal loads. To minimize wear, grease the surface. To prevent it from getting lost, use special caps and plugs. These items are sold in specialized stores. The lubricant should cover the entire area of ​​the ball.
• Remember that with active use, a development appears on the surface of the towbar. As a result, the diameter of the ball decreases. At the slightest wear, it needs to be replaced this mechanism... Reducing the diameter greatly reduces the reliability of the clutch, which affects driving safety. After all, the trailer will not be fully secured.

• After 5 thousand kilometers and before each long trip, check the reliability of the bolt connection.
• Vehicle speed at dirt road with a trailer should not exceed 30 kilometers per hour. It is also required to reduce the load on the trailer by half.
• Do not exceed the permissible vertical load on the ball. More detailed information is indicated in the instructions for the towbar.
• The design of the mechanism must not be changed. The creation of abnormal holes or other interventions will have a detrimental effect on the traction quality of the trailer.
• It is not allowed to repair cracks by applying welded seams. If the site is already deformed, it needs to be replaced. Otherwise, a new crack will form next to the repair site of the previous one.

Weight distribution features

When using a trailer, it is important not only to monitor the condition of the towbar, but also to be able to correctly distribute the load. The weight of the load at the front of the trailer must always be greater than at the rear. What is it for?

The fact is that if the weight distribution is incorrect, the center of gravity is lost. As a result, the car becomes uncontrollable when cornering. The rear tire has almost no contact patch. Therefore, always load the front of the trailer more than the rear.

Conclusion

So, we found out the features of such an element as a towbar. You now know what it is. As you can see, this is a fairly useful mechanism that allows you to hook trailers to passenger car... However, its use is advisable only with frequent use. If you use your trailer less than once a month, renting another vehicle for transporting goods is a more reasonable option.