Can tow bolt holes be used for trailer hitch

mweaver · 10-23-2008, 01:16 PM

Can the tow bolt holes in a 451 be used for a trailer hitch? Since their purpose is to be able to tow the car backwards, it only seems reasonable that bolts screwed into them would be strong enough to pull a trailer that would be substantially lighter than the car itself. Has anyone tried this? Does anyone manufacture such a product? It just seems it would be a simpler solution than the expensive hitches that bolt to the frame and require drilling holes in it. I've seen various ss bolts that fit the holes for sale. One had a hex top on it that if the hitch was cut to fit it, the bolt would not be able to unscrew itself.

Smartfor2guy · 10-23-2008, 01:19 PM

Expensive?, You calll $149 expensive to not have to worry about some homemade junk coming off and killing the oncoming motorcyle guy or other car head-on?
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mweaver · 10-23-2008, 01:56 PM

I looked at your hitch - sorry I didn't mention your reasonable price. I was just curious about using the tow bolt holes as it would make the hitch easy to remove and reinstall and it would not require drilling any holes in the unibody frame. As to parts falling off, yes, a poorly designed hitch could shed pieces. But so can well designed ones - hitch pins can break and chains can fail (especially if the user lets them drag on the ground), mounting hardware can loosen and drop off...It's all in the design, construction, and installation.

saras · 10-23-2008, 04:23 PM

try smartmadness.com ---it looks like a cool bike rack from the tow points

Old smart · 10-23-2008, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mweaver

Can the tow bolt holes in a 451 be used for a trailer hitch? Since their purpose is to be able to tow the car backwards, it only seems reasonable that bolts screwed into them would be strong enough to pull a trailer that would be substantially lighter than the car itself. Has anyone tried this? Does anyone manufacture such a product? It just seems it would be a simpler solution than the expensive hitches that bolt to the frame and require drilling holes in it. I've seen various ss bolts that fit the holes for sale. One had a hex top on it that if the hitch was cut to fit it, the bolt would not be able to unscrew itself.

First-off, dig out your towing eye under the passenger footwell. You will see that the threading is an ISO-metric, round-shouldered, "Acme" thread. You will have to look around to find a machinist who can duplicate primary fasteners with that thread pattern at a reasonable cost; you won't find it OTS at Lowe's or Home Depot.

jetfuel · 10-23-2008, 05:02 PM

yeah.but house of bolts probably got'em.....I believe that a tow bar, for towing trailers, will be better and safer way to go, with a good tongue weight and good materials.
from owners book..
..never attach tow cables, tow ropes or tow rods to the vehicle chassis, frame or suspension parts....
the tow hooks were design to pull the weight of the car.
...yeah I know is just a book of recommendations from the manufacturer ...

...but.what does MB knows about that...
..I guess it all comes down to people skills with tools or wallet thickness..

jetfuel

fastlane · 10-23-2008, 05:58 PM

I think the question proposed was an excellent one. I too am considering such for pulling a lightweight, 200lb, motorcycle type trailer. I don't want a conventional hitch for multiple reasons, such as looks, closeness to ground, the trouble to install and remove, and so on. Seems as though one can't never ask a question on most forums without getting blasted by someone that automatically assumes your either stupid, broke, or are just trying to light a fire under everyone.

Back to the question, I think it can be done. One tow hook/will hold 1800 pounds with at least some resistance - simply because of what it's designed for. Using 2 would certainly permit strength for pulling a small/light trailer with the appropriate mounting and configuration. I have also considered buying the mentioned bike rack and modifying it, but I bet someone will come out with what your wanting fairly soon. However, I am not confident that it will be less expensive than the conventional hitch mentioned?? I do think that the tow hitch will be made available at a rated 500 to 1000lbs. Is anyone really towing more than that anyway?

Good day!

xcrew229x · 10-23-2008, 06:18 PM

Good thinking Fastlane. The backyard engineers of the world salute you. My "homemade junk" hitch works just fine.

jetfuel · 10-23-2008, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xcrew229x

Good thinking Fastlane. The backyard engineers of the world salute you. My "homemade junk" hitch works just fine.

...I like to call it "south of the border engineering"...lol
..hey xcrew...got a pic of "your junk"...love to see it...

jetfuel

mendo · 10-23-2008, 08:25 PM

Keep in mind that the tow hooks are designed to pull straight out.

the hitch will carry some load straight down.

the farther you get away from the connection point the more leverage is on the mounting holes. pretty soon they will fail.

There are a couple of hitch designs that have been made for hanging bikes, if you like one and trust it then go with it.

someone made a comment about a failure.

with the lawyers just waiting for someone to get hurt I encourage you to be careful and make it much stronger than you think and factor in some redundency, the more the better.