Prev: toyota 4x4
From: T i m on 6 Aug 2010 19:14
Hi all,

I'm trying to help my potential son_in_law sort out a tow bar on his
new_to_him 1983 2L petrol Toyota HiLux pickup but not sure if this is
the right place. If it isn't could someone kindly suggest a more
suitable n/g please.

Anyway, in case it is ... there is a fairly substantial tubular steel
bumper style bar going across the back that happens to have two 16mm
diameter and tow ball bolt spaced tubes going through it.

The problem is even with the truck fairly well loaded (a bed full of
red cedar and other gear) this bar is a good 500mm off the road and I
understand the optimum height for the ball mounting holes should be
more like 300mm? (to allow a ball to bring it back up to a nominal
380mm 'laden').

I've also compared what is there already against a scaleable diagram
of another towbar and it seems the two are pretty close re the key
dimensions. However, the drawing was for a Toyota HiLux 4x4 and I
think the crucial but missing info may be 'pickup'?

So, can anyone confirm a 1983 HiLux 4x4 Pickup would look like it had
been 'lifted' from std (large gaps over the wheels to the
wheel-arches) or has this one actually been lifted somehow (we can't
see where and don't believe it was done by the po who had it from
nearly new) please?

All the best.

T i m

From: PeterD on 7 Aug 2010 08:53
On Sat, 07 Aug 2010 00:14:46 +0100, T i m <news(a)spaced.me.uk> wrote:

>Hi all,
>
>I'm trying to help my potential son_in_law sort out a tow bar on his
>new_to_him 1983 2L petrol Toyota HiLux pickup but not sure if this is
>the right place. If it isn't could someone kindly suggest a more
>suitable n/g please.
>
>Anyway, in case it is ... there is a fairly substantial tubular steel
>bumper style bar going across the back that happens to have two 16mm
>diameter and tow ball bolt spaced tubes going through it.
>
>The problem is even with the truck fairly well loaded (a bed full of
>red cedar and other gear) this bar is a good 500mm off the road and I
>understand the optimum height for the ball mounting holes should be
>more like 300mm? (to allow a ball to bring it back up to a nominal
>380mm 'laden').
>
>I've also compared what is there already against a scaleable diagram
>of another towbar and it seems the two are pretty close re the key
>dimensions. However, the drawing was for a Toyota HiLux 4x4 and I
>think the crucial but missing info may be 'pickup'?
>
>So, can anyone confirm a 1983 HiLux 4x4 Pickup would look like it had
>been 'lifted' from std (large gaps over the wheels to the
>wheel-arches) or has this one actually been lifted somehow (we can't
>see where and don't believe it was done by the po who had it from
>nearly new) please?
>
>All the best.
>
>T i m


You are towing it backwards?

I doubt 150 MM will make much difference, but what about a drop/raise
hitch assembly?
From: T i m on 7 Aug 2010 13:58
On Sat, 07 Aug 2010 08:53:20 -0400, PeterD <peter2(a)hipson.net> wrote:


>>The problem is even with the truck fairly well loaded (a bed full of
>>red cedar and other gear) this bar is a good 500mm off the road and I
>>understand the optimum height for the ball mounting holes should be
>>more like 300mm? (to allow a ball to bring it back up to a nominal
>>380mm 'laden').
>>
>>I've also compared what is there already against a scaleable diagram
>>of another towbar and it seems the two are pretty close re the key
>>dimensions. However, the drawing was for a Toyota HiLux 4x4 and I
>>think the crucial but missing info may be 'pickup'?
>>
>>So, can anyone confirm a 1983 HiLux 4x4 Pickup would look like it had
>>been 'lifted' from std (large gaps over the wheels to the
>>wheel-arches) or has this one actually been lifted somehow (we can't
>>see where and don't believe it was done by the po who had it from
>>nearly new) please?
>>
>
>You are towing it backwards?

Not towed anything yet, not got a tow ball fitted. ;-)
>
>I doubt 150 MM will make much difference, but what about a drop/raise
>hitch assembly?

Yes, that would do but I would still have to fabricate a support for
the lower end?

I was looking at a few Hi-Li today, although they were mostly later
models and they used a different design of bar (they tended to hook
'over' the top of the rear chassis rails and had a much longer drop).

Looking at the existing design on our I might be able to drop the bar
a bit where it joins the support bracket / plates and again with a
drop plate. However I may also look to see how I could brace from the
bottom of the assembly back up to the chassis somewhere (without
impacting on access to the spare wheel etc).

Cheers, T i m
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