The Toyota Landcruiser Owners Club

Landcrusher · Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 19:17 Post subject: 50mm rear receiver

'Ahh, another DIY job' I hear you say. Well why not. I wanted to change my rear towbar so that I wasn't always dragging my *ss everywhere I went. I need it to be there and low enough given the lift I have done, so that I can pull my quad trailer on the level. ARB make a very nice 50mm hitch (A 1080) but as you can imagine, it's not cheap. So I got my local guy - the one who made my sliders, to weld a section around the towbar for me. I used a std drop plate to make the adapter. He welded the box on. In all £80. Now all I need is a winch tray and my new TDS winch and I'm away. It's pretty robust engineering I have to say. Look out anyone who runs into me from behind.

Little Blue is never going to win any prizes for style, but it's certainly functional.

LC

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HDJ 80 but still a 90 owner at heart (yeah right!)

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The Lovely Boyo · ** Joined: 20 Aug 2008 Posts: 84 Location: South Wales

And what's wrong with DIY? Its looking good - have you got any pics of it mounted on the back?

I'm a real big fan of receiver mounts, especially when it comes to winches. There are a few comanies that sell those trays. I like the way you mount your winch to the tray and only connect it to the receiver when needed. They are also available for the front bumper. So you can leave your heavy old winch in the house and only take it with you when off roading. And you get a front or rear mounted winch to suit your need.

a couple of examples here......

http://www.realtruck.com/winch_mounts/R110B251CD.html
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97 4.5 Amazon VX, locked and loaded, OME shocks and springs, Courser MT's on steel rims

wildsmith · Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 0:07 Post subject:

Looks good chris. I think I'll be going the demountable reciever winch route on mine so it's useful to see other peoples solutions Wink

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Jon m0zxj

01 UZJ100 lifted (AHC & 40mm BL), ARB locked f&r, cryo'd 4.88's, TJM front bumper, 12k goldfish, sliders, rack, snorkel, 35's, storage, aux power etc.
93 HDJ80 sold
94 HDJ80 RIP

Landcrusher · Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 7:42 Post subject:

Thanks Guys. Pitch black and pouring last night once mounted. Will take daylight pics. It looks terrific! Well out of the way and very purposeful. Drop plates slides in a treat. I have to drill out the locking pin hole yet. As I don't have a commercial attachment yet, such as a shackle or winch tray, I've no idea where the hole needs to be. The one from Scrapiron Racing looks good - If I can just get them to answer the phone!

LC
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HDJ 80 but still a 90 owner at heart (yeah right!)

wildsmith · Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 9:21 Post subject:

jvoelcker · Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 9:23 Post subject:

I've been toying around with doing the same on my 80.

I spoke to a towbar company the other day about it and allegedly you don't need approval for modified towbars on pre-'98 vehicles, however post '98 models the towbars need to go through an approval process which by all accounts isn't cheap.... so, if you go hacking your towbar on a post '98 model it will invalidate your insurance - something worth bearing mind.
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Cheers,

Julian
1994 HDJ80, with loads of mods without looking too obscene Smile

1997 KZJ95 - Gilly's - plain black and muddy on BFG ATs.

wildsmith · Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 9:36 Post subject:

It is worth bearing in mind but it should only invalidate your insurance if you don't tell them about your modification but could still be an offense. It also depends what you're going to use it for e.g. for winching type approval won't be needed but for towing it might. I've not read the legislation but it may be that only commercialy supplied tow bars are subject to type approval.

Because I will tow 1800Kg on a semi regular basis and anything up to the 3500Kg limit occasionaly chances are for the rear of mine I'd import a receiver style hitch if a UK company can't supply one for legal reasons for my 01. My other option is 2 bars and swap them according to use.

Anyone got a link to the legislation to check for details?
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Jon m0zxj

01 UZJ100 lifted (AHC & 40mm BL), ARB locked f&r, cryo'd 4.88's, TJM front bumper, 12k goldfish, sliders, rack, snorkel, 35's, storage, aux power etc.
93 HDJ80 sold
94 HDJ80 RIP

Brett · **** Joined: 16 Jan 2008 Posts: 354 Location: Norfolk (UK)

Landcrusher,

could you post some bigger pictures please?

TIA
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Brett

20011 VDJ 200
1995 HDJ80 GS, 1HD-FT

jvoelcker · Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 18:12 Post subject:

wildsmith · Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 18:37 Post subject:

Great minds must think alike Wink

I also contacted watling because I know as well as front bars they can do custom rears and he did say that about an import to me as well. I also spoke to OEC about TJM rear bumpers and they don't do them with the receiver style hitch for this reason so you may find a similar problem with ARB and Kaymar when looking at them for post 98 vehicles. So far I've not read anything that suggests there's a loop hole and I'm reading that it's the fitting of the bar, not actually using it that means it has to be type approved so even having one just for mounting a winch and not towing with it is in theory an offense Crying or Very sad

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Jon m0zxj

01 UZJ100 lifted (AHC & 40mm BL), ARB locked f&r, cryo'd 4.88's, TJM front bumper, 12k goldfish, sliders, rack, snorkel, 35's, storage, aux power etc.
93 HDJ80 sold
94 HDJ80 RIP

Landcrusher · Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 21:20 Post subject:

Sorry Officer It was like that when I bought it... Oh I know, ignorance is no excuse. I have not cut into the bar by the way. The bar is exactly as it was when it left the factory. I have simply over-welded a receiver onto it. I though about cutting the bar and letting a section in and then decided against it. Some of this legislation is a minefield. But you can have one professionally fitted, then buy a drop plate (like the one I have used) and bolt it on yourself. You can buy towbars on the high street and fit them with no qualifications or checks. I have to admit that I'm not going to get too upset about this. The One fitted to my mate's SWB is almost exactly the same, made by ARB and suppled by Frog's. We'll have to see what we can turn up on this. But as I say, the 'bar' is commercial. Sorry about the tiny pics earlier. My app was set to different settings for making an avatar.

LC

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HDJ 80 but still a 90 owner at heart (yeah right!)

ChrisC · Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 21:54 Post subject: Receiver type tow bars

Julian, Jon et al

do you know what the towing capacity of say a Kaymar or Arb 2" reci=eiver hitch is?

I suspected that on an 80 it wuld be 3000KG or 3 Tonne, but someone told me they are only rated to 1500kg??

Anyone have an answer?

THanks

Chris

wildsmith · Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 23:53 Post subject:

The change in the way the load will act on your bar means the origional load calculations and testing are meaningless so I don't think the fact it started life as a tested bar helps at all from a legal PoV although it may make you more confident of its real world strength. Of course if you have a pre 98 truck the type approval stuff doesn't apply.

No idea what Kaymar or ARB rate their EU bars for or even if they have EU type approval. Did I read that a type approved bar must be capable of the vehicles rated tow, can't remember now I've read so much stuff! It's quite possible that bar your mate has shouldn't be fitted if he has a type approved vehicle. From what I've read the legal responsibility lies with the driver not the supplier.

Nearly forgot - even adding a drop plate will invalidate the type approval unless the bar testing allowed for one being fitted which apparently some 4x4 ones do and other don't.
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Jon m0zxj

01 UZJ100 lifted (AHC & 40mm BL), ARB locked f&r, cryo'd 4.88's, TJM front bumper, 12k goldfish, sliders, rack, snorkel, 35's, storage, aux power etc.
93 HDJ80 sold
94 HDJ80 RIP

Landcrusher · Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 8:40 Post subject:

Mine's a '87 - 98. So's my mate's.

In practical terms, my quad and trailer are only 500kgs all in, so I'm happy that it's not going to come apart. Has anyone EVER heard of being taken to task over their towbar?

In terms of the calculations - I appreciate that. The old bar was essentially being twisted under load as the tow plate was lower than the bar itself. With the winch attached, there will be a much straighter pull on the bar and chassis.

LC
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HDJ 80 but still a 90 owner at heart (yeah right!)

wildsmith · Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 8:45 Post subject: