Irish Mini Owners Club

Has anyone ever fitted a towbar to their Mini? This looks interesting.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... SS:GB:1123

Billy

The angles look a bit odd, where do the middle bolts attach to ?

There is an article on fitting them in this months Mini-world iirc !

Looks like it bolts to the rear subframe and the bottem of the sparewheel well bypassing the rubber mounts on the subframe.

It's probably bolted to the spare wheel well just to stop the vibrations

Paul Coughlan had a towbar on one of his Minis at one stage. He had one of those Eriba Puch caravans for a while

I think pauls towbar attached to the bumber lip as well. Was at a caravan show in NEC last week ,Eriba have a new Puck the same size as the old ones used with Minis. £11,000 sterling!!!

There is a guy selling 2 different types on The Mini Forum at the mom, one is similar to the Ebay offering. Not 100% convinced re the fitting arrangements.

Towbars used be available from a UK manufacturer - Witter, I think, in the old days. If one of those could be located (or even a photo) would be a good template to have a batch made up.

We could always ask Tom Kost from Mini Clique Wesermarsche who made his tow bar or if he has photos of it .

Here's another one for sale on Ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... SS:GB:1123

Billy

Billy, I have an original Witter towbar. I can measure it and post some photos if you are interested
Eamonn.

Fatman wrote:Billy, I have an original Witter towbar. I can measure it and post some photos if you are interested
Eamonn.

Yes please.


Nice to see you back on the forum Uncle Eamonn.

Tahnks Neil. I will dig it out of my tidy garage tomorrow and do the necessary.

Howya stranger,

I'm toying with the idea of a traile so I'd need a towbar do photos woud be great.

Has anyone here ever fitted a towbar?

Billy

Tow Bar details for all you budding welders. This is a genuine Witter tow bar. I have attached a NON TECHNICAL drawing and photos of the tow bar. The last two photos are of a home made tow bar removed from a Hornet or Elf. It was mounted to the bumper lip and the back of the subframe. Do not mount a tow bar to modern rubber mounted subframe for obvious reasons.

Looks a handy towbar to make, probally no more than €20 worth of steel there, but it is missing 1 measurement from what I can see

a measurement from the mounting plate to the ball hitch plate.

Sorry about that. Its 120mm on the underside. I will correct the drawing.

Eamonn.

And another measurement would be the height of the ball hitch plate but judging by the measurements you gave it looks to be about 70-75mm height but it wouldn't be that important.

This thread is becoming relative again due to recent additions to the club fleet. Did anyone try making up towbars from Eamonn's drawings?

Billy

I'll have a look over the next day or 2 and see what metal I have out side, I would have most of the metal but I know I dont have the 50mm x 30mm box, would many people be interested in one ???

Woody and I could be interested. I need one for the Hornet and Woody needs one that will allow him open the estate doors. Both would need to have a longer neck that the saloon version.

Billy

Steeo,

Did you ever make up a towbar from Eamonn's drawings?

Billy

Never got around to it. 50mmx30mm box iron is not readily available
anymore and I dont have a mini to see if 40mmx40mm or 50mmx50mm box is a suitable replacement.

Another thing is that I have no way of testing the towbars first and if there was a fault with one of the
welds, etc and the trailer detatched from the car and god forbid killed someone it would be me up s**t
creek without a paddle.

Don't know about here but in the Uk there is a law coming (if not in already) ruling out homemade towbars
and trailers.

Eamonn's towbar shown above is a Witter B1A and Darran uses something very similar for his trailer.

I'm waiting on responses from a few Witter suppliers to get pricing and delivery. I'll post the details when I get them.

Billy

must try later see what i can do, i've a few old bars lyin around and i like to weld!! ha, i need one for my bike rack!