Mud-club

Vehicle & Technical => Discovery => Topic started by: JimP on November 02, 2009, 11:40:59

Title: Movement in adjustable tow hitch?
Post by: JimP on November 02, 2009, 11:40:59: Had a good look over my new Disco this weekend, found a few problems but nothing major :dance:

Got a query though, it's fitted with an adjustable tow bar. there seem to be a hell of a lot of movement in it, should this be so? there is probably around 10mm play if not more in the acutal tow ball?

I've bought this Disco as a tow car, and it's going to be moving a large trailer awith a range rover on it! would i be best taking off the adjustable and replacing with a fixed towbar? or is there a way of rectifying the play in the adjustable one?

Cheers

Jim
Title: Re: Movement in adjustable tow hitch?
Post by: rover51 on November 02, 2009, 17:39:34: Hi JimP
Having learnt from bitter experience I personally would go for a fixed tow bar if you going to be towing that sort of weight.
I lost a car transporting trailer of the back of my disco with the adjustable on (lucky the 110 wasnt on it at the time)
Better safe than sorry in my opinion

Also don't forget that the towing gets checked out on the MOT now and i think that 10 mm wouldn't get through.

As I say safety first - not only for yourself and your property but also for other road users

Cheers

Simon
Title: Re: Movement in adjustable tow hitch?
Post by: Range Rover Blues on November 04, 2009, 00:27:45: Take out the pins in the adjustable and fit high-tensile bolts with nylock or Binks locking nuts.

Or, do away witht he adjuster as the towball wants to be as close to the axle as possible with a big trailer.
Title: Re: Movement in adjustable tow hitch?
Post by: muddyjames on November 09, 2009, 10:37:57: I am guessing you mean a dixon bate style one?

There will always be a littlebit of play in the pin that holds on the slider (the bit with the tow ball on). Do you have a ball and pin hitch or just a tow ball?

I have towed hundreds and hundreds of miles with my adjustable hitch on and no problem what so ever. For extra security though I only use the sliders with 2 pins holding them on just in case 1 pin fails.

I used adjustable hitches o the disco and now the ranger. Love it to bits.
Title: Re: Movement in adjustable tow hitch?
Post by: JimP on November 11, 2009, 13:54:53: Yeah the dixon type one, with a ball & pin type hitch.

I had one on a Range Rover I used to have that was very solid, this one moves way more than that, the range one was a single pin and this one is a dobule, just seems too much play to me....

Need to move my caravan out of storage soon, will give it a try and see how it tows
Title: Re: Movement in adjustable tow hitch?
Post by: muddyjames on November 14, 2009, 20:23:12: maybe the pins have worn thinner or maybe not the real pins? I very much doubt the holes would have opened up though.