120 towbar fell off

[FC_Holden Member Find all posts View Profile Close FC_Holden]

Sitting here at Hawker caravan park and old boy walks up and suggests we check the bolts holding tow bar on, he was on his way here and felt a "bump" and looked in his mirror as his caravan overtook him and disappeared into a paddock, van rolled and a write off, feel sorry for old boy and his partner as they are from Qld and have a smashed up van full of gear to get back home. When he checked the bolts holding the bar on had come undone
He had a HR bar fitted he told me

[Bushbasher Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Bushbasher]

That's bad luck that they all came undone. The good thing I suppose is they are ok, and that the van didn't take out anyone coming the opposite direction.

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

With a HR bar that's a lot of bolts to come loose all at the same time! Was it recently fitted and did someone forget to tighten them all up?

Its surprising he didn't notice some banging or something before it fell off completely.

Cheers Andrew

[Anth120playdo Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Anth120playdo]

With a HR bar that's a lot of bolts to come loose all at the same time! Was it recently fitted and did someone forget to tighten them all up?

Its surprising he didn't notice some banging or something before it fell off completely.

Cheers Andrew

Crazy stuff! Bit like Steves top strut hat nuts, left loose?
Shoit!

[Sako85 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sako85]

With a HR bar that's a lot of bolts to come loose all at the same time! Was it recently fitted and did someone forget to tighten them all up?

Its surprising he didn't notice some banging or something before it fell off completely.

Cheers Andrew

They almost certainly would have come out one by one, or once all were loose they may have sheared off.

As an ex mechanic, some of the noises I heard cars make without the owners even mentioning them are scary. Any thing from completely collapsed wheel bearings, brake pads metal to metal, collapsed pinion bearing. Just three of many that i found that the owner did not mention whilst dropping the car off, that were clearly obvious something was wrong before even getting out of the car park on the initial test drive.

I still find myself diagnosing noises as cars drive past and I have been out of the trade for 6 years now!

[mumstruk Member Find all posts View Profile Close mumstruk]

I would think that there is much more to this story. How many 120s do you see towing dual axle vans? I would guess that most are way over the ball weight and allowable GTM. As said by Aj120 this would have made plenty of noise before it let go. Was it a full HR tow bar or just a HR tongue and ball ?

[D4D Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4D]

Was it a full HR tow bar or just a HR tongue and ball ?

My crystal ball says you're onto something, I suggest it was an OE Toyota hitch receiver (4 bolts) with a HR hitch and level rides and it sheared off.

Unless we have pics to confirm a HR bar, I am going with the above

[FC_Holden Member Find all posts View Profile Close FC_Holden]

OK, lots of guessing, it was a full HR towbar to suit the 120, hence the same number of bolts that the Toyota bar has only difference is the bar hangs lower ( less cut out in the BBar), old boy, in his 70's says no warnings at all and not overloaded and he has been towing for 40 odd years, so I am not arguing with him. He has left for his return back to Qld so I guess I will never know

[D4D Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4D]

HR made 2 types for the 120, similar to the OE but U shaped and 8 bolts. Later on they made a crossmember mounted bar with 12 bolts. If it had a cutout it would be the U shaped with 8 bolts. Half the bolts are hidden by the bumper and a PITA to check tension, the other 4 are easy. Even if all 8 bolts fell out, as 4 bolts are obscured by the bumper if it fell off it would have taken the bumper with it. I am still going with OE bar and HR hitch

[FC_Holden Member Find all posts View Profile Close FC_Holden]

Even if all 8 bolts fell out, as 4 bolts are obscured by the bumper if it fell off it would have taken the bumper with it. I am still going with OE bar and HR hitch

Bumper was definitely still attached and strangely did not appear to have a mark on it, cut out in bumper would not have fitted an OE hitch, which I have on mine and the bolts are a PITA to get too to check if not impossible without removing the bar.

Anyhow reason for post was not for a remote diagonis but just as a further heads up to Check Your Hitches

[Guest Close Guest]

I reckon it's one of those hr adjustable hitches on OE equip. Probably sheared the bolts on that.