[matt_g]

Hi Folks,

Just wondering what people would recommend for a towbar option on a 2010 Jimny. Local Suzuki dealer quoted me around $900 for parts & labour, but I have no idea if that's a reasonable ballpark.

Cheers
mattg.

[89_tintop]

Grab a haymen reese one..

Cost about 400 for the towbar and are easy as to fit.

[Benz]

x2 on the haymen reese with the removable hitch.

i have one that isn't so removable (also non genuine) and it's shit...

also

$900 is heaps!

[matt_g]

thanks guys - so these towbars just bolt on to existing fitting points? as in, they can be fitted by someone who isn't a mechanic

cheers
mattg

[jimny_timmy]

My towbar was $450... Got quoted $650 fitted by Suzuki. Most places I rang wanted 150-180 to fit it, but the interactions are pretty easy to follow an I fitted mine in about 1hr ish

[Benz]

yeah should be very easy to fit.

definitely don't need to be a mechanic to fit it...

[Mike57]

I got the MIC Offroad tow bar from ebay and fitted it myself to my 09 Jimny. I replaced all the bolts with 12 mm grade 10.9 bolts and had to drill out one hole to 12.5 mm. The benefit of the MIC model is that it takes a 50mm hitch. You would then have to fit the connector for your lights yourself.

Fitting required removal of the rear bumper but that was straightforward. Fitted pretty well with some light persuasion. Not sure if MIC are still selling on Ebay. Have not seen them there recently. Check their web site.

[Mike57]

I got the MIC Offroad tow bar from ebay and fitted it myself to my 09 Jimny. I replaced all the bolts with 12 mm grade 10.9 bolts and had to drill out one hole to 12.5 mm. The benefit of the MIC model is that it takes a 50mm hitch. You would then have to fit the connector for your lights yourself.

Fitting required removal of the rear bumper but that was straightforward. Fitted pretty well with some light persuasion. Not sure if MIC are still selling on Ebay. Have not seen them there recently. Check their web site.

[Bugsta]

Fitting the bar is not the difficult part.

You need just a little elecrical know how when doing the wiring. I would expect most kits to come with scotch locks which are easy to do, so its really just working out the right wires to connect to. Do these bars come with a wire connection guide?

Personally I'm not a fan of the Hayman Reece for this car, and I assume the MIC is similar. It is mounted between the 2 light duty hangers.

Unfortunaely for a stock car with original rear bar, if you intend to keep it this way, there isn't much of an alternative.

Because I have 50mm body lift and removed the rear bar, I had a custom bar built between the chassis rails which increased strength of the bar and the chassis I believe. It also retained the maximum possible exit angle. Its not legal, but no cop would know this.

There are rear bar replacements that have the towing hitch built in as part of them (Is this what the MIC is?) which would do everything mine does. Some even have a swing away wheel carrier option which is a great idea.

[Mike57]

MIC do have a replacement rear bumpewr which has a tow hitch included but I was talking about the stand alone tow bar. The MIC tow bar attached at 2 points at each side, bolting on to the tie down brackets AND the chassis. I will get some photos over the next day or so. The MIC bar does not come with a wiring harness or anywhere to attach the wiring connector.

[Mike57]

I just checked and MIC Offroad no longer has an Ebay shop and no listings on Ebay that I can find. Perhaps he has closed down.

[jimny_timmy]

The wiring harness that comes with the genuine bar plugs into the existing blinker plugs etc and doesn't require any splicing or scotch locks.

Also the chassis rail is used to bolt the towbar on in 2 places on each side unlike some earlier models.

[Bugsta]

To clarify, the info I have provided is for the Hayman Reece that I sourced from SuziSport a couple of years ago.

[Mike57]

I took a couple of pics to show you how my tow bar is attached. This is the MIC bar on a 2009 Jimny.

Left hand side



Right hand side



I used all 12 mm bolts in grade 10.8.

[Mike57]

Sorry the captions are the wrong way around on the pics above.