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tow bar help
https://auszookers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=57039		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  tanked [ Sun Aug 15, 2021 4:45 pm ]
Post subject:  tow bar help
Greetings all, I am looking for a towbar for my sierra, Does anyone know who makes or where i can get one rated to 750kgs? I would love one with the Square tube design as opposed to the Flat steel with 2 bolt hole type toungue....Thanks
Author:  Brenno [ Sun Aug 15, 2021 8:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: tow bar help
Only 450kg tow capacity and there aren't any that offer a Hayman Reece style square design.







edit* sorry 450kg.
Author:  Gwagensteve [ Sun Aug 15, 2021 9:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: tow bar help
Even if you could find one, Light duty tow bars that still use a receiver hitch are 40x40mm so there’s no accessories for them.
Author:  MrRocky [ Thu Aug 19, 2021 4:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: tow bar help
U can but the square larger hitch tube from trailer places and have it welded on or bolt on same as the flat tongue style does.
Ive made a couple for my zooks in the past and the chassis is quite simple, for the sake of drilling a few holes in plate and a couple of crush tubes im sure you could do the majority of the work yourself and take to a towbar joint to get them to weld/finish it off relatively cheap.
Its not like you can tow a car trailer with a sierra anyway
Author:  tanked [ Fri Aug 20, 2021 9:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: tow bar help
I managed to get a tow toungue off a 40 series camry, just had to get a slight bend added to it, now is beautiful. I did some thinking and I knew if i did the sqaure type design I would def try something stupid with it. I am towing a 750 kg camper with electric brakes some times with it so just wanted some extra stength in the tow tounge itself, I am getting ball weight scaeles this weekend to make sure i dont again go over ball weight. From what I have read and been told its 50kgs for these cars so thats the goal...
Author:  Brenno [ Fri Aug 20, 2021 10:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: tow bar help
You do realise that's over double the legal tow limit regardless if it's braked?
Author:  MrRocky [ Sat Aug 21, 2021 12:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: tow bar help
Ive towed a 320kg sierra tub camper a fair bit with my lwb and it certainly felt pretty close the the limit especially offroad but that was with the 1.6 efi motor and plenty of reduction in the transfer. Id imagine offroad and up hills onroad with an ungeared 1.3 would be as close to the worst experiance possible in a zook.
Author:  tanked [ Sun Aug 22, 2021 7:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: tow bar help
I have checked a few places
https://www.carsguide.com.au/suzuki/sie ... acity/1990

I do have gears in it,
m15a with the Jimny box as well
Author:  Brenno [ Sun Aug 22, 2021 7:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: tow bar help
Where are the other places you've checked. I'm pretty sure that's wrong but happy to be told otherwise with evidence
Author:  tanked [ Sun Aug 22, 2021 7:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: tow bar help
Talked to Aranda towbars here in Brissy they sell a new one rated to 750 braked capactiy
Have talked to hayman reece as well they sell one 750kg

https://www.haymanreese.com.au/parts/01367-7604619
Author:  atari4x4 [ Sun Aug 22, 2021 8:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: tow bar help
Sorry to break the bad news, but the vehicle manufacturers tow rating overwrites the towbar manufacturers rating.

You’ll be 100% illegal towing 750kgs.
Author:  tanked [ Sun Aug 22, 2021 8:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: tow bar help
Where would I find the manufactures tag/info?
I am not disagreeing with you, just wanting to learn more, there isnt a tag on the car that I can find
Author:  Marty1294 [ Thu Sep 02, 2021 11:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: tow bar help
Manufacturers tag is usually under the bonnet, at the top of the bulkhead in the middle - at least that's where mine is. If it's not there it'll probably be on the side of the dashboard.

To cut a long story short, Australian law says that if the vehicle GVM is under 4.5t, you can tow whatever the vehicle is rated to tow by the manufacturer OR the capacity of the tow bar. whichever is lower.

Don't go by any online "towing guides". Get advice from Suzuki about your specific model. The towing capacities vary wildly. towball weights vary from 40-75Kgs across all years and specs. Believe it or not some of the SWB ones sold in Europe have a towing capacity of 1200Kg, although I've yet to actually find an owners manual or genuine sales brochure which states that. the 90's was a long time ago, it's getting hard to find stuff like that.

The towbar for my SJ is 1000Kg rated, and it's got Euro type approval for that - which means engineers calculations based on SAE papers and physical testing. So we know it's strong enough, but you should always comply with the law and the manufacturers guide :)

350Kg sounds very low even for un-braked, I'm sure it's 450. Does anyone have any genuine Suzuki literature showing the capacities?
Author:  Gwagensteve [ Wed Sep 08, 2021 9:14 am ]
Post subject:  Re: tow bar help
You won't find any information about towing weight/GCM on the car anywhere, only GVM.

A towbar is required to have a rating for tongue weight and maximum towed weight attached. This must be on a stamped plate permanently attached (typically by welding) This has been the case for many many years.

If there is no rating on the towbar it's not legally approved to tow anything. Cue possible voiding insurance/fines etc.


450 unbraked 750 braked is correct for a 1.3 Sierra.

There is no point looking to other markets, I've done some reading about this, there is no international standard for calculating what the vehicle can tow, basically the manufacturer can dream up any number they like for the market in question. This is very obvious in the US pickup market where pretty much every year the big three increase the headline towing numbers for competitive advantage, regardless of how implausible these ratings are or what weird combination of options you have to order to get the rating. e.g. RAM can tow 17 tonnes*! (*not your 1500 Gary, you're stuck at 3.5 tonnes)


Personally, I wouldn't like to drive a Sierra with 750kg trailer on the back of it, braked or not, but each to their own.
Author:  turbo510 [ Wed Sep 08, 2021 1:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: tow bar help
Gwagensteve wrote:
Personally, I wouldn't like to drive a Sierra with 750kg trailer on the back of it, braked or not, but each to their own.


Having done a lot of towing over the years I agree with you completely on this statement. Once the weight of what you are towing gets close to the weight of the tow car things can get very messy very quickly. Electric trailer brakes can be a bit of a band aid for this but it is still far from ideal.

Very generally speaking the greater the weight of the tow vehicle the better off you are.
Author:  tanked [ Thu Sep 09, 2021 4:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: tow bar help
I have done 2 trips in it now, I def wouldnt do it with out the reduction gears (6.5s) and the motor upgrade in it, (m15a), I dont bother trying to get to 100 it can do it but 90 it seems alot happier in 4th gear. Def slow and steady with it, seems all is happy with it at this stage. I have towed it out to Swan gully and Flannegans reserve from Redbank and goes ok. Have plenty of experience in towing as well which helps. Good placement of items in the trailer and some scales also helped me get the ball weght down to roughly 45-50kgs as well.
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