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Re: (strange) trailer hitch

To: road <datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: (strange) trailer hitch
From: Thomas Walter <twalter@austin.rr.com>
Date: Thu, 27 Dec 2001 11:28:51 -0600
Lou,

Gary commented on adding a hitch to the roadster.
Pretty much had the same thing, but used a big
3/8" x 1" steel bar across the bottom inside of
the bumper for reinforcements. Big flat 1/16"
(about 3" x 6") steel plate on both sides of the
trunk floor to  help distribute the load.

Typical use for the hitch was to rent an engine
hoist for weekend jobs!

If you mean flat towing the roadster, behind
a tow bar: yes quite easily done.

WIth the front bumper off, I bolted up a 2" angle
iron, with the tow bar bolted up to it.

CAUTION: The tow bar will put all its weight into
the bumper bracket mounts. Thin 3/32" metal that
are meant to only hold up the bumper. While I have
flat towed the roadster using them, I am extremely
cautious with those mounts, as they will fail if
rusty or a poor welding job. Best to have a 1/4"
plate welded to the frame and the bumper plate to
reinforce that area.

Sigh, a few folks have "lost" their roadsters from
having the mounts fail!

Thankfully we didn't loose a roadster, but a friends
RX-3 as we bolts up the tow bar with a combination of
metric & SAE hardware. Yes, 3/8" nuts with 10mm bolts.
It held for 1200 miles (up and down I-5 from CA to WA).
On the way home (after a rally), The windblast from
a passing semi started the towed rally car to weave
back and forth on a down hill section. Pulled the bolts
off one side, then broke the other. Watched that car
PASS US down hill, tracking straight. Across the
median, across on coming lanes (5 am -- thankfully
no traffic) coming to stop on a hill opposite of
us. Just about relieved, when it ROLLED over landing
back on the freeway on its roof! Vivid image of that
one, and the first time a rally buddy had NOT rolled
his car but actually placed really well on the
Olympus event.  I've always been a little more
cautious since).

Cheers,

Tom Walter



lou daly wrote:

> merry xmas all
> 
> has anybody put a trailer hitch on a roadster?
> 
> how can i do this?
> 
> what would work?
> 
> (plan is to use a tow bar for short local moves
> e.g. to the mot office and back to storage)
> 
> thanks
> lou
> 
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