Tow bar

[voyeur]

What's the score for a JDM recent import... does any Trooper tow bar fit... any help gratefully received as I am new to VXing

[PK]

Hi from The Colonies,
I have a JDM model in Australia.
To get a tow bar, I had to buy a Jackaroo (Trooper) one, and have it modified to fit.
All done by a specialist and it cost AU$400 all up.

Good result.

To get our other Colonial cousins to respond, ya'alll might have to call it a HITCH.
They don't speak regular English.

LOL

PK

[VX KAT]

I just got my "hitch" installed last week by LDub.
Are the JDMs structurally different in the, um, rear? Or would the same hitch work for yours?
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSC_4730.JPG

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSC_4727.JPG

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSC_4738.JPG

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSC_4740.JPG

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSC_4751.JPG

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSC_4742.JPG

Are we done out here yet? I'm cold....
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSC_4747.JPG

[voyeur]

Licked the pic of grinder sparks aimed at bollocks... Modification doesn't look much more than cosmetic but the hitch looks like a serious bit of kit


many thanks for replies tho...


As my last van was a Mitsi Delica LWB the missus is givin me serious grief about lack of space... might look into a roof crate in the mean time...

thanks again


david

[tom4bren]

The hitch is acutally a fairly simple build. I can still have them made if you're interested. I'm not sure why Ldub had to do any grinding on it. I'll find out & make sure the design changes are encorporated in the next build.

Tom

[crotchrocket]

Hi David,

Good to see a new UK member. Im in London.

The JDM does have a different rear cross member than the US version. We dont have that additional piece of plate on the back of the dross member. Will see if i can find a pic.

[crotchrocket]

Found it,

This is our rear cross member, see the piece on the back missing?!?!
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j31/crotchrocket3000/IMG_1244.jpg


you need to fit an extra C section of steel
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j31/crotchrocket3000/IMG_1275.jpg



Then put the tone style hitch on
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j31/crotchrocket3000/IMG_1273.jpg

[voyeur]

Yes ... I've noticed you posting on here... and have watched your vidz too... no worries I'm not a stalker despite my sig...

I had hopped a Trooper bar might be an easy answer but i guess not... not keen on messing with my cladding as it is very clean right now... and I "sadly" hope to keep it that way...

will see it a roof rack is an easier option


Cheers...

[voyeur]

thanks for the pics.... so you did a tow bar yourself... where did you get it from?

[crotchrocket]

Its actually another member that was in New Zealand. He sent me a load of pics of his install because i wanted to make one.

I dont see why a Trooper one wont fit. Try and PM alanbradley as he has a tow bar like the trooper ones with no cuts to the cladding

[crotchrocket]

OH,

and Dub, if you get a free saturday you can come over and fit one for me too??? Only take a few hours to get here..........honest!

[vt_maverick]

Another downside to the hitch you see in KAT's pics above is that it doesn't have the greatest tongue weight capacity. Doesn't seem to be a big deal for towing, but hitch-mounted cargo platforms and spare tire carriers might give you trouble (as they did for me).

[VX KAT]

The hitch is acutally a fairly simple build. I can still have them made if you're interested. I'm not sure why Ldub had to do any grinding on it. I'll find out & make sure the design changes are encorporated in the next build.

Tom

Dub can give better details but it was something like this:

We couldn't get the hitch to mate up flush with the rear cross member. The forward edge of the angle iron was hitting the gas tank skid plate (or that area). So he was grinding down that edge. That was successful.

But after we got it flush and bolted down, we couldn't get the bottom portion of the rear cladding back in far enough to line up with the bottom bolts. So he was grinding down that front edge hoping to allow the cladding to tuck in and match up with the bolt holes. He didn't want to compromise the integrity of the angle iron by grinding too much off, so he ended up having to leave the bottom bolts off. It's not going anywhere since he got all the others lined up and reinstalled. It's just those 3 or 4 on the bottom that aren't installed.
The cladding looks completely flush, despite missing those few bolts.

[tom4bren]

OK, I noticed on my install that it was very close to the gas tank shroud too but mine didn't hit. Rekin there's enough variations in VX's that I need to provide more clearance.

I couldn't get 1 of my cladding bolts in either. Keep meaning to go back & 'lean' on it a little to see if I can get it to fit.

If I ever quit procrastinating and get busy with the re-design to provide more tongue weight capacity, that problem will go away. The tube bumper that has the mounts for those bolts will go away & I'll have to replicate them into the hitch.

Thanks for the info.

It looks like he also bored out the hole for the locking pin. True?

[Luna X]

Seems like an easier solution would be a Curt hitch... it bolts directly to the frame rails which makes it a little stronger.

You have to take the rear cladding off for installation, but there is no trimming of the cladding at all. You do have to drill 4 new holes while using one existing hole as a line-up.

I had mine shipped to the house for $166US.

[tom4bren]

Moon Unit,

Absolutely true, but ...

It really depends on your druthers. The hidden design of the Tone hitch was absolutely the selling point for me & I've never had an issue with the tongue weight. If I can work out the re-design and keep the price down = Gravey!!!

IMHO, the Curt hitch just looks like a tottler wearing a disposable diaper getting out of a pool.

[crotchrocket]

Also depends what you do with your VX, for me i'd use this style of hitch as i dont want to compromise the amazing approach / departure angles the VX has. For those tricky stuck-in-a-bomb-hole situations :D

If i had a different type i'd easily get humg up on it.

[Luna X]

true... I didn't think about approach angles for wheelin' since I'm one of the rare ones that doesn't go on anything rougher than dirt roads... ;)
Just tryin' to offer suggestion since he didn't like the idea of cutting the cladding...


tom4bren... that baby diaper wearin' analogy is funny stuff though :)

[VX KAT]

It looks like he also bored out the hole for the locking pin. True?
No, the hole was there as is. I used a locking pin I already had.

And yes, LUNA, this was all about aesthetics for me. Don't care for the Curt style...and I might add it looks like the diaper was full too! :laugho:

[VX KAT]

OH,

and Dub, if you get a free saturday you can come over and fit one for me too??? Only take a few hours to get here..........honest!

Hey you're right, it's actually quicker to fly over to you than it was for me to drive to N.D. :bgwb: But my visit/tour of America was multi-purpose so it all was justified, at least to me!

[crotchrocket]

Hey,

do you have any pics of yours by the way??



true... I didn't think about approach angles for wheelin' since I'm one of the rare ones that doesn't go on anything rougher than dirt roads... ;)
Just tryin' to offer suggestion since he didn't like the idea of cutting the cladding...


tom4bren... that baby diaper wearin' analogy is funny stuff though :)

[crotchrocket]

i cant find a pic of alans with the hitch on, this is it with just the brackets in place which make great recovery points

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j31/crotchrocket3000/hogmore%202/100_5264.jpg

[tom4bren]

No, the hole was there as is. I used a locking pin I already had.

HMMM. In the pic it looked like the powder coating was gone from the inside of the hole.

[tom4bren]

Hey,

do you have any pics of yours by the way??

Check out SilverBullet's gallery. It should be same-o.

[Luna X]

Hey,

do you have any pics of yours by the way??

yep... look in my gallery. There are a couple pics that half-show the hitch. (main subject was the repairs I did on the rear cladding)