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Towbar problems Landcruiser 70 series


Big Mike

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Hi all,

 

I couldn't find any previous posts on this topic, so I hope I'm not telling members something they already know all too well. 

 

We pull an 18'6" ATV behind our 78 series Landcruiser ute. While our van and ute are getting on in age, they are both still low k's and very well serviced. We don't tow our van in very rough conditions.

 

Recently, when hitching up, I found some movement in our Toyota towbar.

 

This Toyota towbar is mounted with 8 bolts, 2 bolts on each chassis rail and four bolts on the rear cross-member. The four bolts on the rear cross member screw in to four nuts welded on the inside of the rear cross member. These welds had sheered off and the bolts couldn't be tightened because they were free-spinning on the nuts inside the cross member. Without making a special tool, it's virtually impossible to get a grip on those nuts.

 

If you download and read the Toyota towing guide, you'll find this instruction:  

 

"Frequent towing or towing of heavy loads, towing off-road or in rough conditions or any other operating conditions that require the vehicle to undergo severe servicing will mean that your tow bar also needs servicing. Check all mounting bolts"

 

Our ATV is our first caravan and we've only had it for just under two years. So we're still novices and still learning. We're just glad we discovered this looseness in our towbar before the bolts sheered clean through and a catastrophe was avoided.

 

Rather than repair the Toyota towbar (which by the way, our local Toyota Dealer had absolutely no interest in doing), I replaced the Toyota towbar with a Hayman Reece towbar. The Hayman Reece bar is mounted with 12 instead of only 8 mounting bolts. So I'm hoping it will prove more reliable.

 

But I'll still be checking those 12 bolts are correctly torqued at regular intervals!

 

Hope this helps another novice.

 

Best regards

 

Mike 

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I had a 2007 ute and had the same problem, except mine was a loose fitting tow bar and the end result was a cracked rear crossmember.. No joy with Toyota as they claimed that using a Hayman Reece WDH was a non genuine item and although the book says recommend using a wdh when towing, at the time Toyota didn't have a wdh.

New Ute's mount tow bar to the side of the chassis only.

May pay to check the 4 corners of the rear cross member and  on top of the towbar where the coupling slides in.

Den

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Hi Den

Firstly, thanks very much for sharing the very helpful pictures. I’ll keep an eye on those joins between the cross member and chassis rail. Mine are all good.

I was also thinking of reinstalling these 6mm plate corner brackets.

 

They’re not needed with the Hayman Reese bar, but I thought they might just strengthen where the cross member joins the chassis rail. I’ll just have to cut a section out of them to fit around the 32 x 12 x 40 plate nuts inside the rear of the chassis rails.

Here’s a schematic of the Hayman Reese bar if you’re curious about it.

 

Thanks again Den. For a novice, once again, the assistance I’ve got on this Forum has been fantastic!

Cheers

Mike

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Hi Den

 

Sorry, for some reason the picture and schematic didn't stay pasted in to the words when I submitted my reply. I've attached the schematic and picture instead as files.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

Hayman Reese Bar.pdf

Towbar corner brackets.JPG

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  • 3 years later...

Have a similar issue with my 2017 76 series wagon and hayman reece bar. 12 bolts secure the bar to the 4x4, 5 on each side, 2 underneath and 3 to the side, and 2 attached to a bracket in the middle. Twice now the 6 side mounted bolts have sheered off both sides and the 4 others underneath on the sides have all-but shaken loose. Same problem trying to fix the issue, the welds holding the nuts in place have let go and it is impossible to get new ones in there without removing panels. Had to weld a piece of wire to the nuts to hold them in place while we put new bolts in last time. Couldn't get any spring washers in there so the nuts ended up coming loose and couldn't tighten them much.  What a rubbish design.

Tried going back to Toyota but since the bar isn't Toyota branded they wouldn't help.

So now stuck in Mt Isa waiting for a new towbar to be delivered since the old one is now cracked and broken from the stress of not having properly tighten side supporting bolts.

Not sure how the boys at TJM Mt Isa are going to fix this one but at least they are willing to have a go.

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