Wanting a tow bar and thinking of saving yourself a few pounds?

Fitting your own towbar is certainly an option for some people. So, here’s a rundown of what you will need to do and the tools you will need to complete a self-fit tow bar fitting.

Most vehicles are slightly different and so are the tow bars that fit them. I have tried to simplify things by generalising the process and emitting the tow bar wiring, we’ll come to that at a later date.

Before starting to fit your own tow bar you will need a fairly complex set of tools, these consist of a minimum of a socket set, screwdrivers, torq bits, spanners, torque wrench, and bumper stands.

A quick disclaimer… If you are not confident in removing a bumper, or have a good mechanical background then we suggest leaving it to an expert. The damage done by a badly fitted tow bar can be far more expensive than paying a professional to do the work for you, if you’re unsure then get the professionals in. We accept zero responsibility if you use this information to fit your own tow bar. Tow bars must be fitted by following the manufacturer instructions and bolts must be torqued to the manufacturer requirements.

To start with you need to remove the bumper, you will find screws in the wheel arch that need removing, tip screws and fixings along the bottom edge of the bumper, there may be more fixings holding the bumper in place, check the fitting instructions. (You may also need to remove the rear light clusters.) Once all of the fixings have been removed you will need to pull the bumper away from the vehicle, then unclip the rear parking sensors and any lights that are in the bumper. You can now fully remove the bumper and place it on the axle stands.

The next stage is usually to remove the rear impact beam. This will be held in position by bolts at each side of the car.

On many diesel cars you will need to lower the AdBlue tank to allow access to the bolt holes in the chassis. You may also need to lower the exhaust system.

Place any tow bar inserts into the chassis and loosely bolt in place.

You can now offer up the tow bar and bolt it to the chassis inserts and the vehicle.

Once everything is bolted together you can torque up the tow bar to the legally required settings.

Now the bar has been fitted you can attach and torque up the tow bar neck. On some fixed tow bars you may need to affix the neck after the bumper has been refitted.

Refit the bumper, remembering to reconnect all of the electrical connections.

Fasten up all of the bumper bolts and screws

That’s it… Towbar fitted.

Time will normally be around 90 minutes and is model-dependent.

If you feel confident enough and have the skills then check out our online store for buying Towtrust towbars >https://www.ultimatetowbars.co.uk/product-category/towbars/

Come back soon for a simple guide for fitting dedicated towing electrics.