Tow bar on bumper brackets? (and new bar build..)

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danielbeek
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Tow bar on bumper brackets? (and new bar build..)

Postby danielbeek » Mon Jan 16, 2017 11:19 pm

IMG_20170107_162059053_HDR.jpg
Taking back bumper off my Wd21 Terrano the other day I noticed the main mounts each end of the towbar beam are attached to the bottom of brackets that the factory bumper mounts to. These in turn mount to chassis rails ends, but those are perforated with big holes, I guess to be the first thing to crumple when bumper is hit. Seems dodgy mounting to this relatively weak part. Does this sound legit? Bar also has two small diagonal flat bars that go further forward and bolted through chassis rail vertically, with single bolt each. Dogleg one can just be seen partly behind tow point. Other one is straight though still angled.
Last edited by danielbeek on Thu Jun 07, 2018 10:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
1995 LBYD21, 31" ATs, 2" lift, 2.5" exhaust

BlakeNZ
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Re: Tow bar on bumper brackets?

Postby BlakeNZ » Tue Jan 17, 2017 12:24 pm

more common to see them bolted to that bit of steel that hangs down (seen in the photo between the dogleg mounting point and the place where the tow bar is mounted to the chassis with two bolts) with the angled slot in it, suitable for recovery shackle.
How much weight are you towing? Or are you concerned about ripping it off during a recovery?

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danielbeek
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Re: Tow bar on bumper brackets?

Postby danielbeek » Tue Jan 17, 2017 10:41 pm

thanks Blake, yeah the tow points definitely look like the strongest accessible mounting point. Just not much to mount to for second bolt, assuming the first goes in the oval hole. Similar deal for other side.
Yeah, was worried about it's suitability for recoveries. The end of chassis shown is actually a bit bowed on the vertical part that the bumper brackets bolt through. Must've come down hard on the tow bar at some point...

Wonder how other terrano's bar construction looks? Anyone got some photos to share?

Interested in all this as I have a 75mm hilux towbar beam I want to get adapted to fit. Has Hayman Reese style hitch box. And much, much stronger than my current little 50mm bar.
1995 LBYD21, 31" ATs, 2" lift, 2.5" exhaust

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Re: Tow bar on bumper brackets?

Postby BlakeNZ » Wed Jan 18, 2017 4:24 pm

pm me your cell phone number, if you have a smart phone that you can see the pictures on, and I'll send you through photos of mine ( R20 has same chassis as terrano wd21.)

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Re: Tow bar on bumper brackets?

Postby BlakeNZ » Wed Jan 18, 2017 6:31 pm

go to this thread(below), scroll down to the image of Crash doing his rear bumper, and you will see my current towbar , and how it is mounted. or I can send you my previous tow bar, which mounts in the same place, and you can weld the hayman reece hitch onto that one, perhaps?
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=43065&hilit=r20

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danielbeek
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Re: Tow bar on bumper brackets?

Postby danielbeek » Fri Jan 27, 2017 7:47 am

Thanks Blake. The bar I have has the hitch box inline with the main bar, not tacked on underneath like many are. I think removing mounting it on another bar like this is possibly more work than fitting new brackets on the one I have. But still be interested in a photo of your old bar if you can take one? Glad you raised the point about tow point mounting though. I talked to the wof man and he said using these as mounts and making them unusable as tow points won't be a problem. BTW It looks like the R20 mounts are a little different to WD21 ones. The angled gusset on the right hand Terrano tow point covers the whole back of the thing, meaning you can't bolt through next to it, only lower down around the oval hole. Think I'll fill in the ovals with steel to stiffen them up, and re-drill at each end of where the ovals were.
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tow point with full width gusset.jpg
1995 LBYD21, 31" ATs, 2" lift, 2.5" exhaust

BlakeNZ
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Re: Tow bar on bumper brackets?

Postby BlakeNZ » Fri Jan 27, 2017 8:15 pm

i don't know how to resize and post photos, sorry, so will need to pixt.

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danielbeek
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Re: Tow bar on bumper brackets?

Postby danielbeek » Fri Feb 03, 2017 12:16 pm

Hey Blake, pm'd with cell number. thanks. Will put photo(s) up here in case of help to someone else.
1995 LBYD21, 31" ATs, 2" lift, 2.5" exhaust

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danielbeek
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Re: Tow bar on bumper brackets?

Postby danielbeek » Wed Mar 15, 2017 12:36 pm

image of another method of attachment, using no rear bumper, custom mounts to chassis rail (with some sort of tubular bar above towbar?), and brace going forward to tow hook.
courtesy of BlakeNZ.
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other towbar arrangement.jpg
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danielbeek
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Re: Tow bar on bumper brackets? (and new bar build..)

Postby danielbeek » Thu Jun 07, 2018 11:52 pm

Thought I'd post up some details of what I did in the end, after a lot of thought and trial fitting bits.

Really wanted something similar to a 'class 3 hitch' with a removable 50mm draw bar, without spending several hundred getting something custom built.
Key criteria was to:
- have the bar tucked up high, behind bumper, improving descent angle
- be able to use it for snatch recoveries, so have it inline or close to, with the chassis, and well attached
Started off with a Hilux/Surf towbar I bought for $100, as could not build the box section receiver part myself. Including the plates on end of bar its almost the outside width of the chassis rails. 16mm short on each side, to be precise.
20180519_131406.jpg

Cut the long diagonal brackets off after settling on the right height. The right height to my mind was to have the underside of bar at same (or just a tad above) the underside of the factory fuel tank skid plate. This still lets me squeeze the licence plate in it's normal location with a little massaging.

20180519_131401.jpg

Cut away the diagnoal bracing from factory tow point, to allow bar and new brackets to sit snug against chassis rail.

20180520_195209.jpg

bought some offcuts of large angle iron (6mm, but very wide, about 125mm) and made up some brackets which will allow attachment to chassis rails where they can be accessed via the back end of the wheel arches. This makes it easy to bolt up, and there's pre-existing holes I can have crush tubes welded in to without too much difficulty. The unintentional benefit is that they protect the fuel tank somewhat, and give a place to mount a bash plate later.

20180526_163919.jpg

This is the side brackets assembled and attached to main bar. Notched the horizontal section of new bracket to give clearance to the welded strap of the left factory tow point.
The brackets will be bolted to the chassis rail vertically and horizontally.
The angle iron brackets rest up under the rails, and two 12mm bolts on each side go vertically up through the chassis near the bumper. Two of these bolts (one each side) will be forward of the tubular cross beam, and will also have crush tubes fitted. There will also be horizontal bolts with solid round bar packers tying it all to the two factory tow points. The diagonal sections of the bracket as mentioned before will attach further forward with two horizontal 12mm bolts each side.
All up this will spread loads over a large amount of the (re-inforced) chassis, via 6 contact points, and 10 or 12 bolts.
Might still add plates to tie it to the chassis horizontally, immediately forward of the bumper brackets.

20180607_210817.jpg

Hacked up the plate surround to clear the hitch receiver (4" drop type, 3.5T, with a 1" shank 1/7/8" ball).

Next is finish off a couple of 10mm packers to adjust bracket width, and make up either angle iron mounts for recovery hooks, or some 16mm thick flat bar for tow eyes for 4.75T shackles. Then whole lot will get a lick of KBS moisture cure paint.
1995 LBYD21, 31" ATs, 2" lift, 2.5" exhaust

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danielbeek
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Re: Tow bar on bumper brackets? (and new bar build..)

Postby danielbeek » Fri Jun 08, 2018 12:08 am

Any thoughts on tow eyes with shackles, vs hooks with little retainer thingy?

I know the con with eyes and shackles being extra weight for the missile, should things go pear shaped...

But how do the 4.5T hooks cut it when they are basically breaking load rated, and many snatch straps are much stronger?
Why are there no higher load hooks around? Surely they should always exceed the straps breaking load?
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Re: Tow bar on bumper brackets? (and new bar build..)

Postby wjw » Fri Jun 08, 2018 12:35 pm

danielbeek wrote:Any thoughts on tow eyes with shackles, vs hooks with little retainer thingy?

I know the con with eyes and shackles being extra weight for the missile, should things go pear shaped...

But how do the 4.5T hooks cut it when they are basically breaking load rated, and many snatch straps are much stronger?
Why are there no higher load hooks around? Surely they should always exceed the straps breaking load?


If you have the proper hooks they straighten out instead of breaking. Have a photo somewhere of what they look like after, but cant find it.
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