Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: markspark on 12 June 2013, 17:53:15
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Hi all i have a car to tow home which is about 60 miles away so im thinking of buying a towing bar now there are many types the ones which are a solid bar and the ones with the damper spring
My question is have you ever used one and which type is the best to buy/use ?
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I us an A frame.Just a rigid contraption from my towbar which has chains that go up through the holes in the wishbones of the one being towed (or some other suitable attachment point.Does a good enough job,but when towing anther Omega it doesnt do to go much over 50mph,as it starts to do the dance of defiance.
Its the only way to do it as a one man job without reverting to a trailer,and theres no way an Omega could pull a trailer with another Omega on it.
If your towing an auto you need to remove the propshaft before towing that kind of distance.If it was only a few miles you might be ok leaving it attached and having the engine running to keep the transmission pump ticking over. ;)
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im towing a vectra dont really want to go to the expense of an a frame so was looking at the bars that machine mart sell, i do have a mate who will sit i the car being towed the car being towed can't be started as the timing belt has snapped
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The bars without a damper are more jittery, but more rigid.
The damped bars are a bit smoother to tow with, but more fragile, as Mr Pine Fresh will tell you ::)
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A well stocked one of course! ;D
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I wouldn't want to be the driver of either car when towing for 60 miles tbh.Particularily if the car being towed normally utilises PAS. ;)
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Be advised that the screw in 'towing eye' on a Vectra is not suitable for actually towing the car, especially as a rigid tow. At best you'll bend it. Breaking it or tearing the mount off are other possibilities.
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True :-\
It screws into the crash bar behind the bumper rather than the chassis :y
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Have used both bars and found the solid one the best,have towed omega,and jags with the solid one,
just remember let the towing car brake first then you brake,
Towed omega from mk back home no problems,so vectra be a brezze :)
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cheers for the replies i will get the solid one cant see us having many problems if we take it easy
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Bear this in mind...
True :-\
It screws into the crash bar behind the bumper rather than the chassis :y
The crash bar is only aluminium :y
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I bought a rigid bar one, made out of box section steel so really strong, never used it yet.... ::) ::) Bought it off ebay...... ;)
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The crash bar being the part of the VectraC that you attach the nice strong steel towbar to...
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The damped ones aren't much good for Mrs TB.
In fairness, she did pay for a replacement ;D
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Be advised that the screw in 'towing eye' on a Vectra is not suitable for actually towing the car, especially as a rigid tow. At best you'll bend it. Breaking it or tearing the mount off are other possibilities.
:o What's the point of it then? Surely it has to be fit for purpose... :-\
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Designed for pulling the car out of ditches and onto low loaders, not cross country jollies :y
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Designed for pulling the car out of ditches and onto low loaders, not cross country jollies :y
Fair doos. Thanks! :y
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Designed for pulling the car out of ditches and onto low loaders, not cross country jollies :y
Only for moving a rolling car around.
Pulling a car out of a ditch is always a job for chain brothers. Always. Unless you want to break the eye, have the winch hook fly past your face(or rip your face off), and the car end up further in the ditch.
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Fair point, well made :y
The gist being that it isn't upto distance towing :y
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Sounds like it's not up to much at all..... :-\
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Sounds like it's not up to much at all..... :-\
It isn't ::)
Basically the towing eye screws into a four ft long aluminium extrusion held to the car by four rather piddly bolts. About £45 from Vauxhall last time I bought one :-\
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You can hire the A frames for as little as £24 :y
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Rope works fine for me. Mental note not to let the wind get under a wing next time. ::)
(http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p326/chrisgixer/th_08475B1F-7A84-4E85-B5FF-0C07F2D75CC0-7240-0000023E0D0B8AEE_zps69c75f45.jpg) (http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p326/chrisgixer/08475B1F-7A84-4E85-B5FF-0C07F2D75CC0-7240-0000023E0D0B8AEE_zps69c75f45.mp4)
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You can hire the A frames for as little as £24 :y
Bergin :y
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I wouldn't want to be the driver of either car when towing for 60 miles tbh.Particularily if the car being towed normally utilises PAS. ;)
Tell me about it. I was towed by the pink one all the way back from Peterborough. Pinky was in his escort cab towing me in an Omega at illegal speeds and going through gaps his cabbie just about got through, I could see him rocking with laughter. I must admit I did have my foot on the brake and my eyes closed for a lot of the journey ::)
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Words fail me. :o :o :o
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Words fail me. :o :o :o
My underwear failed me ;D
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Words fail me. :o :o :o
My underwear failed me ;D
;D ;D ;D
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cheers for the replies i will get the solid one cant see us having many problems if we take it easy
Remember that any car being towed in this fashion needs to be taxed, MOT'd, insured, and the person doing the steering needs a licence to cover that class of vehicle.