 | Home > Technical > Towbar extender for bike rack |
 
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| salar76 Member Since: 26 Jan 2018 Location: Scotland Posts: 5   
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Hi Blakey - towball was on eBay for £45 delivered and the spacer & bolts off amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00755CLI2/ref...GAbEB1A107 .Agree, although the tow ball is rated 3.5t (without the spacer), it looks a lot of leverage for heavy duty towing...fortunately just a 5 min job to switch back.
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11th Feb 2018 6:48pm |
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| Sancho Member Since: 28 Mar 2017 Location: Winchester Posts: 24 
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I've been looking for a solution for this for a while...
I have found a Disco 2 tow ball but not sure it will be quite long enough to do the job without spacers, so maybe it's time to practice my welding and make something like @B4Lamb did... 
I do like the look of the Boom Thunderman extender (http://thundermandesign.com/product/4x4-bike-rack-boom/) for ease of taking on/off but can't seem to source one, anyone got one for sale or know where I can get one? |
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2nd May 2018 7:46am |
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| B4Lamb Member Since: 21 Mar 2015 Location: Abergavenny, Wales Posts: 233  
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Here are a few sketches with key dimensions of my design that fits the Dixon Bate adjustable tow ball
 Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge The main structure is made from 50 x 10 mm steel flat. The removable securing pins are 3/4" (19.05 mm) (not shown on the sketch refer to the pics) I made these from 316 stainless steel with stainless R clips to retain. I welded in two 16 mm dia steel stiffening pins for added rigidity as shown in the sketches. The diagonal is 49 degrees from vertical. The bracket picks up on the lowest and 4th from bottom Dixon Bate bracket holes. This positions the top of the tow ball 47 cm from the ground with my wheels and tyres. This is ideal for a modern caravan tow hitch. It can be raised to the 2nd and 5th holes from the bottom raising the ball by 2" as the Dixon Bate hole pitch is 2" As far as welding, the diagonal struts are Butt welded to the horizontal struts for maximum strength. The Tow ball mounting plate is welded to the horizontal struts using full corner welds, again for strength. I TIG welded these joints but MIG or Stick could be used. I made up a jig to hold the parts rigid before welding up. Note: I am a qualified structural welder so I know my joints would pass all inspection tests. Make sure you are a competent welder before attempting to make any towing bracket!! I've used this bracket now for nearly a year for caravan towing, trailer towing and for my 3 bike rack. I Towed a Bailey 7 m twin axle caravan to Southern Spain and a smaller two berth single axle caravan all the way back and it worked a dream. Very easy to use with the caravan Al Ko tow hitches. Its also a handy step for getting in the back. "You are never to old to learn something new" |
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2nd May 2018 4:40pm |
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| Sancho Member Since: 28 Mar 2017 Location: Winchester Posts: 24
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Thanks @B4lamb for supplying such detailed information on your solution
I'm just clicking buy on some stainless for my project... I'll report back on my progress |
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3rd May 2018 8:34am |
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| B4Lamb Member Since: 21 Mar 2015 Location: Abergavenny, Wales Posts: 233
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Good luck with your build. Are you making it all from stainless? "You are never to old to learn something new"
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8th May 2018 3:47pm |
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| Sancho Member Since: 28 Mar 2017 Location: Winchester Posts: 24
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Yeah I was planning to, why's that?
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9th May 2018 11:26am |
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| B4Lamb Member Since: 21 Mar 2015 Location: Abergavenny, Wales Posts: 233
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No problem, it will look brilliant. Stainless walks quite a bit when welding so a bit of a
 to maintain dimension and geometry but if you compensate for that then it will be a head turner. "You are never to old to learn something new" |
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9th May 2018 11:48am |
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| Stacey007 Member Since: 25 Sep 2015 Location: Cheshire Posts: 3745
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My solution a boo,bar with the thule rack
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9th May 2018 3:04pm |
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| B4Lamb Member Since: 21 Mar 2015 Location: Abergavenny, Wales Posts: 233
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Looks neat but quite pricey. I note that it is not rated for towing so just for bike racks!! These are from Thunder man designs. "You are never to old to learn something new"
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9th May 2018 4:37pm |
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| Stacey007 Member Since: 25 Sep 2015 Location: Cheshire Posts: 3745
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^ Yes you cannot tow with it
Great bit of kit and a bit pricey but I already had the thule bike rack which is ace and wanted to reuse it. So its a quick easy fix
Click image to enlarge |
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10th May 2018 8:35am |
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| B4Lamb Member Since: 21 Mar 2015 Location: Abergavenny, Wales Posts: 233
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What was the outcome. Is it finished and working?? "You are never to old to learn something new" |
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31st Dec 2018 12:18pm |
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| Sancho Member Since: 28 Mar 2017 Location: Winchester Posts: 24
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Ah well, I cheated I bought a disco 3/4 swan neck tow ball from the scrap yard, as I was running out of time before leaving on our trip... and it turned out to be just the job! It sat the bikes far enough in front of the spare and then when I tipped the bike rack forward, I could open the swing away and the fold down
Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Not the greatest of photos but you get the idea  I'm currently working on a trailer (sankey wide) which I will be moving the bikes to on trips. |
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7th Feb 2019 3:54pm |
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| B4Lamb Member Since: 21 Mar 2015 Location: Abergavenny, Wales Posts: 233
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I wouldn't call that cheating, it's a perfectly valid solution if the Swan neck is rated for the loads you are planning to apply to it. I'm not sure I'd be 100% comfortable with a second hand tow ball from a scrappy though unless you trusted the history of the vehicle it came from as it may have had a shunt. I know when someone shunted me at roundabout my insurers insisted and paid for a new ball as they say it's impossible to know if there is a hair line crack. Probably overly cautious and covering themselves for downstream events but I wasn't going to argue. "You are never to old to learn something new"
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7th Feb 2019 5:46pm |
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| Sancho Member Since: 28 Mar 2017 Location: Winchester Posts: 24
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Yeah I would be the same but I got this off a front end damaged car, so I'm pretty confident it wasn't damaged but I can't be 100%. I think they are rated up to 4 ton for towing, well I think I read that on here somewhere?
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8th Feb 2019 8:41am |
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