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Simon27

Member Since: 30 Oct 2012
Location: East Lothian
Posts: 131

Drop plate options

I've recently purchased a Dixon bate 5 tonne jaw and tow ball but it uses the 4 bolt fixing instead of 2, which I understand matches the size and spacing of a NATO hitch.

Are there any options beside a Dixon Bate sliding drop plate to fix this with? When looking at the available sliders, it was hard to find ones that definitely have the right spacing.

29th Dec 2013 8:45pm

Grouse

Member Since: 16 Apr 2012
Location: on the hill
Posts: 525

The 5 ton jaw is overkill for a defender, plus if you are towing a twin axle trailer you can run in to problems with the ball being mounted too high. The 3.5 ton ball/ jaw combination only uses the std two hole mount so the ball is lower.

Been there done that, 30 years ago

Otherwise to answer your question the 4 holes line up with most std drawbars - incl LR's std fixed plates, and I can confirm the 4 holes are exactly as per the NATO hitch. Usually most drawbar holes are for the larger std 2 bolt fixing - so they need packing out with heavy washers behind when using the smaller 4 bolt NATO mounting

29th Dec 2013 9:57pm

Simon27

Member Since: 30 Oct 2012
Location: East Lothian
Posts: 131

Thanks, so I could in theory use the current plate that's there, but I just wonder how packing behind with washers helps when the holes are still larger?

It's really more of to use it as a strong rope towing point than for serious on road use.

30th Dec 2013 6:44pm

blackwolf

Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 17610

2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey

Grouse wrote:
The 5 ton jaw is overkill for a defender...

Although if you need to tow a trailer which has a 2" ring coupling you will need a 5-ton jaw.

30th Dec 2013 8:27pm

Grouse

Member Since: 16 Apr 2012
Location: on the hill
Posts: 525

You use washers larger than the holes to spread the load and prevent the smaller bolts pulling through the large holes. If you search you can buy thick washers suitable for this purpose or even buy a military backing plate made from 1/4" steel with the correct sized and spaced holes specifically for the NATO hitch to spread the load on the LR crossmember which could also be used on the std drop plate

30th Dec 2013 8:29pm

Grouse

Member Since: 16 Apr 2012
Location: on the hill
Posts: 525

blackwolf wrote:
Grouse wrote:
rdThe 5 ton jaw is overkill for a defender...

Although if you need to tow a trailer which has a 2" ring coupling you will need a 5-ton jaw.

Why? The standard DB ball & jaw will do this

30th Dec 2013 8:34pm

Simon27

Member Since: 30 Oct 2012
Location: East Lothian
Posts: 131

Thanks for the replies everyone. The old tow balls been marinating in WD40 overnight so I should be able to get it off today.

The backing plate sounds like a possible option, so I'll have a look for that.

31st Dec 2013 10:55am

Diablo

Member Since: 26 Oct 2011
Location: Basingstoke
Posts: 335

1984 Defender 90 200 Tdi SW Keswick Green

WD40 isn't a penetrating fluid, so you may have better luck in the future using something like plusgas,

31st Dec 2013 2:33pm

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