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Author Topic: Tow bar height  (Read 2873 times)

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Spongebobash

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Tow bar height
« on: 23 May 2016, 16:06:37 »
Hi to saloon owners with tow bars fitted, how high are your balls?
The one that came with my car covers the middle the number plate looks like it has some sort of plate in-between the bar and the ball to raise it?
Any pictures of fitted bars would be appreciated
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05omegav6

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Re: Tow bar height
« Reply #1 on: 23 May 2016, 16:09:27 »
Dimensions are in the owners manual :y
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Andy B

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Re: Tow bar height
« Reply #2 on: 23 May 2016, 18:19:18 »
Sounds like you have a drop plate being used to raise a towball which is something you should be doing
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05omegav6

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Re: Tow bar height
« Reply #3 on: 23 May 2016, 18:36:15 »
Quote from: Andy B on 23 May 2016, 18:19:18
Sounds like you have a drop plate being used to raise a towball which is something you shouldn't be doing
Fixed ;)
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Spongebobash

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Re: Tow bar height
« Reply #4 on: 23 May 2016, 19:19:13 »
Should be doing? So raised balls are good?
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Andy B

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Re: Tow bar height
« Reply #5 on: 23 May 2016, 19:20:24 »
Quote from: Harris K Telemacher on 23 May 2016, 18:36:15
Quote from: Andy B on 23 May 2016, 18:19:18
Sounds like you have a drop plate being used to raise a towball which is something you shouldn't be doing
Fixed ;)

Ooops!  ::) yes that too  ;D ;D
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Andy B

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Re: Tow bar height
« Reply #6 on: 23 May 2016, 19:21:08 »
Quote from: Spongebobash on 23 May 2016, 19:19:13
Should be doing? So raised balls are good?

As Al pointed out .... I should have said should NOT be doing. you don't want raised balls  ;)
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05omegav6

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Re: Tow bar height
« Reply #7 on: 23 May 2016, 19:43:07 »
Quote from: Andy B on 23 May 2016, 19:21:08
Quote from: Spongebobash on 23 May 2016, 19:19:13
Should be doing? So raised balls are good?

As Al pointed out .... I should have said should NOT be doing. you don't want raised balls  ;)
They get too hot...

Sorry, wrong thread :o
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Entwood

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Re: Tow bar height
« Reply #8 on: 23 May 2016, 19:55:15 »
If some numpty has fitted a drop plate to RAISE the towball height I would be checking the springs / shocks very thoroughly as it sounds like they are knackered and not holding the towball at the correct height - or the numpty was towing a unit with a VERY excessive noseweight ....

Either way that spells NOT GOOD for suspension life/wear/handling
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Andy H

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Re: Tow bar height
« Reply #9 on: 23 May 2016, 20:11:47 »
Maybe it wasn't used to tow a caravan?

Something with a bit of ground clearance perhaps?
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gbh

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Re: Tow bar height
« Reply #10 on: 23 May 2016, 21:28:42 »
When i towed my new car home recently with the Omega I was informed by the hirer that my balls were too low for the new standard height,so there should be a plate to raise your balls up!!
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Andy B

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Re: Tow bar height
« Reply #11 on: 23 May 2016, 21:34:26 »
Quote from: gbh on 23 May 2016, 21:28:42
When i towed my new car home recently with the Omega I was informed by the hirer that my balls were too low for the new standard height,so there should be a plate to raise your balls up!!

Drop plates should NOT be used to raise a towball ...... if you had a swan neck either fixed or detachable, there's no why of lifting them, if it's too low, then as Nige/Entwood says, there are other problems
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Entwood

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Re: Tow bar height
« Reply #12 on: 23 May 2016, 21:47:25 »
Towball height is controlled by an EU directive  94/20/EC and should be between 350 mm and 420 mm with the towing vehicle correctly loaded.

If it is outside those limits then there is something wrong with the suspension .. assuming the towbar has been fitted correctly......

:)
« Last Edit: 23 May 2016, 21:51:49 by Entwood »
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Entwood

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Re: Tow bar height
« Reply #13 on: 23 May 2016, 22:09:39 »
This link may help ... took a while to find it .. sorry ..

https://caravanchronicles.com/guides/understanding-all-about-tow-ball-height/

one paragraph I will quote so you don't have to search for it ...

"Can I use a drop plate up-side-down to raise my tow ball?

No. I don’t know of any vehicles or tow brackets that can use a plate to raise the height of the tow ball. Using one would add increased loading on the tow bracket and would invalidate the EC Approval. I would suspect you might have insurance issues if anything untoward were to happen."

I'll say no more ......   :(
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05omegav6

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Re: Tow bar height
« Reply #14 on: 23 May 2016, 22:46:39 »
Quote from: Entwood on 23 May 2016, 22:09:39
This link may help ... took a while to find it .. sorry ..

https://caravanchronicles.com/guides/understanding-all-about-tow-ball-height/

one paragraph I will quote so you don't have to search for it ...

"Can I use a drop plate up-side-down to raise my tow ball?

No. I don’t know of any vehicles or tow brackets that can use a plate to raise the height of the tow ball. Using one would add increased loading on the tow bracket and would invalidate the EC Approval. I would suspect you might have insurance issues if anything untoward were to happen."

I'll say no more ......   :(
Be interesting to see the state of the boot floor too ::)
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