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        General >> Give/Need advice to/from others >> Towbar fitting - '98 car
        
(Message started by: Pikey on Sep 18^th, 2007, 10:27am)

Title: Towbar fitting - '98 car
Post by Pikey on Sep 18^th, 2007, 10:27am

I spent 3 hours last night under the car faffing around trying to get the front bracket of a Witter towbar fitted to my '98 Scorpio. I think the website guide shows a '96 car with the alternate shape bracket - because it doesnt mention having to drop the rear diff out of the way to get access to the bolts, and even then you can only juuust reach them!

So, just a heads-up for anyone about to embark on fitting a towbar to a facelift car - its more hassle than it says on the guide on this website.

All done now anyway save for the wiring, and everything apart from that front bracket was fairly straightforward, it fits well, and at £115 delivered from www.pfjones.co.uk was also a good price :)

Title: Re: Towbar fitting - '98 car
Post by Scorpio_Mike on Sep 18^th, 2007, 4:34pm

Fitted a towbar to my '96 estate myself, and yes, the 2 bolts for the front bracket are not easy to get to - you need small hands and a 1/4" drive socket on a long extension bar to get to them - no need to drop the diff !

Title: Re: Towbar fitting - '98 car
Post by Pikey on Sep 19^th, 2007, 1:45pm

No way would a 1/4" drive socket turn those - I needed a 1/2" impact socket and a 2ft long torque wrench to shift them!

And there's a giant bracket (to which the diff bolts) directly underneath the two bolts - there's just about access for a spanner but you simply cant put an extension bar into a socket from underneath, the bracket is definitely in the way.

Wasnt 96 the year they changed? Your car must match the one on the website, ie different to mine ;)

Title: Re: Towbar fitting - '98 car
Post by Baz on Sep 19^th, 2007, 10:54pm

Pikey... if your car is an S reg or later (registered after Aug 1st 1998) then the towbar needs to be type approved. Witter bars are not type approved and the only one that is (as far as I know) is the Brink removable one like I have on mine and which took me 6 hours to fit and involves about 14 bolts, a big drill bit and the dropping of the petrol tank and rear bumper!!

If the car is a post aug 1st 98 reg car your insurance will be invalid and I think you are liable to prosecution if stopped and checked!!

Baz

Title: Re: Towbar fitting - '98 car
Post by Pikey on Sep 20^th, 2007, 10:51am

R reg :)