Porsche 914 Tow Bar Brackets, Flat tow that teener Options

[dlee1967]

Tow bar brackets are now available.

More installed pictures to follow as users forward them..........


Click Here for Details.........

[dlee1967]

A few more pics.....

[dlee1967]

Two...

[dlee1967]

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[dlee1967]

Four...

[dlee1967]

Welded race eye option shown on a Reese/Drawtite style bracket. Eye can either be welded or bolted.

[Eric_Shea]

David,

Any 'valance' issues? (GT valance)

TIA

E.

[Hoss]

Eric -

David addresses this later in his thread under the section titled "Instructions for mounting the bracket to the car". Specifically he instructs that the front valance be removed if so equipped. It may also be necessary to remove the front spoiler depending on the style.

Cheers,

Hoss

[dlee1967]

Yes Eric......what Hoss said. The valance and spoiler should be removed for attachment of the tow bar prior to towing. The base bracket can be left in place when not towing if you are using a spoiler. The 916 type front bumper or stock steel valance will not fit unless notched.....and who wants to do that?

I tried to come up with a design that would work with a wide range of spoilers and valances attached, but with so many variation, it became a impossible task. To remove a spoiler should only take a few minutes and the guys that are towing their cars to autocrosses generally have quick mount spoilers anyway. For those who tow their car to events (like the WCC) a 8mm wrench and ratchet should be all that is needed to remove the stock valance if it is still attached with stock hardware.

I believe you are asking specifically about the GT valance as that is what you run on one of your cars. I am sorry to say that it must be removed prior to bar attachment and I don't believe it will fit over the base bracket. Of all the spoilers and valances that I have in my stash, that is one that I don't have in the mix. The good news is that the base bracket fits with only 6 bolts and you can mount it in about 5-8 minutes should you need to attach it to your car. After the tow, you can remove the base bracket and reattach your GT spoiler.

If anyone has an old/damaged GT spoiler that they can send to me, I would like to do some test fitting with it.
thank you....DLee

[dlee1967]

I have found that some tow bars may have pins that are too short to pass through my beefy tow bar bracket. If you have a current issure Empi Super Beetle bar or Reese/Drawtite bar, there should not be a problem. If you are exploring the use of my adapter with some other brand, model or vintage, please check with me by email prior to ordering. I will provide the dimensions needed.

The Empi style bar should have pins that have a usable length of at least 1 7/8" long. The Reese/DrawTite bar or copies should have a pin with at least 2 7/8" in usable length. Both are 1/2" in diameter.

If your pins are too short or you have lost them, I may be able to provide the pins for a small adder ($) or send you to a local vendor that has them.

Thank you Richard for your help in providing this valuable information. I want to make sure that there are no suprises when someone buys a product from me. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beerchug.gif)

[STL914]

QUOTE (dlee1967 @ Mar 7 2006, 06:37 AM)

The 916 type front bumper or stock steel valance will not fit unless notched.....and who wants to do that? I believe you are asking specifically about the GT valance as that is what you run on one of your cars. I am sorry to say that it must be removed prior to bar attachment and I don't believe it will fit over the base bracket.

David,

Since the stock valance and the GT are somewhat similar with the exception of the
oil cooler opening, I would gues that both would have the same issues. And since the
stock valance will not fit over the towing bracket without notching it, the same should
be true for the GT valance. Do you have the proper notch dimensions and locations for
anyone wishing to do this? I have a GT valance that will be going on my 72 shortly and
would like to add your towing bracket as well.

And by the way, this bracket set up is just what I was looking for and I've been told by
my wife to oder one. When's Mother's Day this year? I'll kill two birds with one stone.

[dlee1967]

Gary, my suggestion in your case would be DON'T CUT THAT VALANCE! Buy the tow bar bracket and stash it with your tow bar. When you need it, take a few minutes extra to take off the valance and then attach the bracket to the suspension points (only 6 bolts). You don't even have to jack up the car.

I have not notched a stock valance myself as I can't bare to cut the only clean steel one I have left. The one on my wife's V8 car is steel and I cut it for air flow to the radiator. I've had more comments from people that see the car and can't believe I cut up a steel unit when they have been looking for a clean one for their ride.

The GT valance also protrudes a bit further than the stock valance and will mean a little different measurement.
If someone can provide a beat up GT valance, I would be glad to mock it up and develope a template, but at this time I have not found one. If I can sell a few more brackets, I will just buy one and be done with it.

I am sorry if that is not the answer you were looking for, but we are in our infancy with these brackets. More solutions to come.

( I loved the Mother's Day gift idea. Does this mean she's had to pick you up on the side of the road on occasion?)

[STL914]

QUOTE (dlee1967 @ Mar 14 2006, 11:13 AM)

( I loved the Mother's Day gift idea. Does this mean she's had to pick you up on the side of the road on occasion?)

Not at all. We just drove back from Wisconsin to visit her folks and I mentioned that I'd like to trailer the 914 back there on our next visit.
I mentioned your tow bracket and you know the rest. Cost to rent a
trailer round trip would pay for the bracket and tow bar.

[blitZ]

Just an FYI.

I attempted to purchase the Draw Tite clone bar from ebay. The sleeze took my paypal payment, which I am currently disputing and has closed his ebay store and opened another one under a new name. Beware this scum.

old ebay username: smartinvestors
new ebay username: sliou02

Sorry, let me add, this has nothing to do with David's excellent product. I'm just trying to warn others about my mistake. I also see several of the generic type tow bars on craig list.

[dlee1967]

Just to clarify.....I do not sell the tow bars, only the interface brackets that bolt to a 914. I am not the sleeze that took blitZ money.

The Resse/Drawtite brand bars are available at many FLAPS. Most recently I have seen them at Pep Boys, but they are pricey. There is a knock off available from a few vendors on Ebay, but please take the appropritate precautions when dealing with this type of vendor. blitZ had a bad experence, but I think Paypal will come through in the end and reverse his payment.

[STL914]

I also bought a Reese type tow bar from an eBay seller, bestchoiceproducts.
He did have a few negative feed backs, but was still at 98.3% so I took the gamble. At less than $60, not too much to loose if I made a mistake, and I did PayPal so I have some protection. I'll let you all know when (if) it arrives.

David, not you need to offer a tie-down accessory piece for each type of tow bracket you sell, designed to fit between the tabs and secured by the hitch pins. One for the VW bracket should be a piece of cake to make, the Reese type would need to be a weldment.

[shoguneagle]

I am definitely interested in this partial tow package for the 914. I have what looks like the Reese type tow bar for the Jeep. The only questions I have is the width of the tow bar attachment points and where to attach the safety chains. I use two safety chains running from the pickup hitch down each side of the tow bar and attach the chains at left and right sides of the towed vehicle.

I also will have a 916 front (FG) bumper on the vehicle.

Can you tell me what the measurement is where the Reese type tow bar is attached to your tow package. This is where the pins attach to your package.

Thanks,
Steve Hurt

[dlee1967]

Steve. I will post this reply here rather than PM as others might have the same questions.

The inside tab dimensions of the Reese/Drawtite bar adapter are 17 3/8" and the outside dimension is 21". These are designed for a 2" tube coupler on the Reese type bar.

The inside tab dimensions of the SB type bar are 22 1/4" and the outside dimension is 23 1/4". The SB bar only has a small 1/4" tab coupler to contend with.

If these won't work for you, the other option is that I can weld the bar tabs where you need them for the pin attachment. I would then need the measurements of your bar, tab thickness, pin dimensions and so forth.

When in doubt, go with the design that is proven to work. If there is any question about your jeep bar, spring for a new towbar specifically for your 914.

Most people are wrapping the safety chains around the cross bar and attaching with a quick link. I could weld an extra pair of tabs but would have to fab them up. This would be at an extra expense, but not too rough. As you are using a 914 front, we would also have to discuss the location.

I do have some concern that the rigid "jeep" bar that you have will put the bar at a steep upward incline and not give the best attachment at the ball. Most "jeep" bars that I have seen are rather short. The Reese adjustable bar is long and the Empi bar is swan necked for better allignment of the coupler and ball.

I've been asked by a few owners with 916 fiberglass bumpers to provide a template for notching out for the tow bar adapter ears. I don't have such a template. There are so many variations and suppliers of this bumper, I am sure that I would get it wrong 85% of the time. My suggestion is to take your time, make measurements based on your bumper/spoiler combo and then make your own cuts. It might also be a good idea to paint the lower section of your 916 glass front black in color so that the bar adapter ears are not as noticable. This will also help hide all of those rock chips in your body colored 916 front.

I hope this reply is helpful to you. DLee

[shoguneagle]

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beer3.gif) Thanks for the info. I also will answer here in case the information will help others.

The first items of concern

1. I have an after market tow bar which can change the width for attachment purposes. The total weight towing is rated for 5000#. Length fully closed is about 42 inches with the attachment points 2 inches wide (tube where pin goes through). The pin is a tight 1/2 inch and service length about 3 1/2in. This is a universal bar, not made strickly for Jeep's.

2. There may be some concern about the angle the tow bar will attach to the tow vehicle. I use a 2 inch rated ball with the receiver bar running in the lower position (i.e. ball is mounted in the lower position rather than even or higher to the tow vehicle hitch. This places the ball about 2-3 inches lower; should approximately match the angle from the 914. If it proves to be two great an angle, then I will have to adapt. I repeat, this is not a rigid, short Jeep bar; it is adjustable on the angle width to accomodate different towed items.

3. I use two safety chains attaching to the tow vehicle next to the receiver; and, two attachments will be needed on the tow bar adaptor. I would prefer the "rings" for attachment be 3/8 inch and wrapped around the adaptor for strength. Safety chains are attached with 2000# rings/clamps.

4. Position of the attachment "rings" should be close if not in line with the pulling points of your adaptor. If the "rings" appear to interfer with the 916 front, then maybe they can be mounted downward. If I have too, I will run without the 916 front when towing.

5. My thoughts if the 916 front is used when towing, if the vehicle breaks loose it will be damaged anyway. The point is to make the towing safe as possible to prevent damage to the tow vehicle and mainly to other traffic. We must tow safely at all costs.

6. I like your suggestion that the user make his own cuts; if I have to make cuts more than minimum in the 916 front then I will tow without it.

I hope the above information helps others. Now what I need:

The modification I need is to have two 3/8 inch rings welded adjacient or in front of the attachment points of the adaptor to the 914. It looks like they should be welded on the front or adjacient to the outer edge of each hitch attachment point.

I think my hitch attachment points will fit as long as the adaptor attachment points have inner clearance of 2 inches and take a 1/2 x 3 1/2 inch pin.

Other incidentals that may affect the adaption beside the 916 front is that I am using a 911 front suspension with 17inch rims and low profile tires (could affect the tow bar angle to the tow vehicle).

I really like the way the adaptor is made and with some adaption can be made to fit differing individual needs. Dave has given us a platform that is stable and meets the needs of the 914 community.

Let me know what the price is along with the modifications for the safety change attachment rings, If you think the diameter of the safety rings needs to be bigger, then we adapt.- Each safety chain is being built to take 2000#; the hitch is rated at 5000#; Receiver is rated at 5000-6500#'s. Overkill, Yes!!! Rather be safe than sorry.

Sincerely,
Steve Hurt
Shoguneagle (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/yellowsleep[1].gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/confused24.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/rocking nana.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smash.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/aktion035.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smilie_pokal.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beer3.gif)

[dlee1967]

PM sent...thanks..DLee