Tow Bars for Stageas

[Burns]

I went thought the same issues as you when trying to get a tow bar for my R33 4 door I spoke to about 10 tow bar places before I found one that would do it. I ended up getting it made up by Prestige tow bars in Melbourne for $300 phone (03) 9791 2566. They essentially copied Nissans design for the S14 200sx tow bar.

I actually purchased a S14 tow bar from Nissan for $200 thinking it would fit. Most of the Nissan RWD / AWD platforms are essentially the same in the chassis rail, spare wheel well, beaver panel area. The S14 tow bar mounts slide inside the chassis rail 22 cm with a piece on angle plating on the outside of the LH rail and two bolts going through and uses the tow point bolts on the other side. I believe the S14 kit will fit S13, S14, S13, R32 2 and 4 door, R33 2 door and maybe R34 and Stagea. It would not fit on my R33 4 door because they have a bodge in the beaver panel that stops the bar from being pushed all the way into the chassis rails. The S14 bar is ratted at 900kg.

The custom tow bar I had made up sits in the chassis rails the same way as the S14 kit but has a bend in the cross bar to clear the beaver panel bodge and just behind where the goose neck bolts on there is a bracing plate on the spare wheel well with two bolts going through to a plate on the inside on the wheel well. They rated it to 850kg. I think this rating is quite conservative as it looks as substantial if not more so than the BA falcon 1600kg tow bars that mount in the same manner.

I see no reason why this design could not be strengthened by extending the bars up a lot further inside the dog leg shaped rails to the rear sub frame mounting points. Bolted to shaped angle on the outside sandwedging the rails. You could even put a brace between the two rails just behind the rear subframe mounts with a third bar running up from behind the gooseneck mounting point along the boot floor under the fuel tank to meet this brace with bolts going through to plates on the inside.

The tow bar on my old VL that was rated to 1600kg was essentially just two plates one on ether side on the boot floor running up to just behind the back seats bolted together with a gooseneck mount hanging off the lower plate.

The pic shows the S14 tow bar

[Brazen]

OK - question about towbars and going over the pits for vehicles first rego since compliance...

Buying a Stagea in QLD - so be nice before its transported to get that tow-bar from Alan Huish at Huish Fabrications fitted... however - when I go for its inspection over the pits here in WA for first rego (not got QLD rego) - are they gonna be concerned about the towbar???

[Brazen]

Who did you deal with at Huish Fabrication?? I got quoted $450 + $70 all wired up = $520 all up.... not quite the $350 you got it for I think I got the off-sider quoting though - who should I talk too at Huish for the $350 price!?

[Burns]

Tow bar

SK do you have your tow bar now?

Once I get my suspension sorted out I will be looking to get a tow bar on mine to tow my motorbike and potentially my Datsun 1600 rally car. I had Prestige tow bars in Melbourne make a custom tow bar for my Skyline that they rated to 850kg. They are happy to do the same for my Stagea but are unsure on what capacity rating they will be able to get to.

If you have them, some photos or drawing of yours could prove to be very helpful.

[Sydneykid]

Nope I still haven't found one that is rated high enough, I need 1500 kgs minimum, preferably 1750 kgs. The closest so far is Karasel at 1 tonne. Time is running out, so I might just get them to do it and then I will add some strengthening myself. It's not hard, the chassis rails are very accessible and quite long, plus there is the advantage of the separate rear subframe carrying the suspension loadings. So there is plenty of opportunity to spread the tow bar load.

If I do go that way, I will cetainly post up some pictures:cheers:

[Sk0pe]

How's the tow bar hunt going SK?

I'm picking my Stag up over the weekend, and will need the tow bar ASAP. So have you found someone who can make one rated to 1500+kg? Otherwise, I'll probably go to Carasel, as they're the only ones in Sydney/Central Coast I know of that can do a custom job.

[Sydneykid]

How's the tow bar hunt going SK?

I'm picking my Stag up over the weekend, and will need the tow bar ASAP. So have you found someone who can make one rated to 1500+kg? Otherwise, I'll probably go to Carasel, as they're the only ones in Sydney/Central Coast I know of that can do a custom job.

I have had mine done for a couple of months, not from Karasel though. I tried for a long time to find someone who would do one for 1500 kgs, but no luck. The best I could do was one rated at 1200 kgs, I will keep a close eye on out for fatigue, cracks, retainer wear etc.

I am not happy with the service or the price I got, so I am not going to recommend them. They quoted me $550 and then charged $650 when I got there to pick it up. I told them it had to be suitable for use with stabiliser bars, and then told me when I got there to pick it up that it wasn't. They promised to reinforce the goose neck if I took it back another day and then wouldn't do it when we took it back 2 days later.

The bar itself is a nice fit, looks reasonably well made, OK welding, totally concealed, you can't see it when there is no goose neck on it, the wiring is good and works perfectly, the cable & plug sit inside the spare wheel well when not in use. So it's not ALL bad.

[Sk0pe]

Hmmm... sounds dodgy. :bs!: It wasn't Marathon Engineering that did yours was it?

So I guess the upshot is... get one done thru Carasel?

[Sk0pe]

Any chance of some pics SK? I 'd like to see what yours is like so I know if Carasel are doing the right thing...

[Sydneykid]

Any chance of some pics SK? I 'd like to see what yours is like so I know if Carasel are doing the right thing...

I will take some tonight and post them up.

[ian]

I will take some tonight and post them up.

don't forget to post them!

[xr8eater]

im intrested to see what it looks like SK

it takes the guess work out of it for the slak jawed yokels up here who barely even know how to weld

[xr8eater]

hey burns do you still have the S14 tow bar if so are you willing to get rid of it?

[Burns]

Yes I still have it and would be happy to get rid of it. I think it cost me $400 or so. Make an offer, you pay shipping.

[xr8eater]

um i can get just the tow bar+ wires from nissan that's all i want for just over $200 i dont want all that other stuff on the blanket so how does $190 sound??

[uneekwahn]

Can anyone tell me how much the Stagea can legally tow?

Both Series 1 and Series 2 if anyone knows?

I'm probably going to need to tow at least 1500kg like SK and possibly 1750kg and have contacted a couple of towbar fitters in Perth and have been asked how much the car is designed to tow, which I have absolutely no idea of

[Terminal]

I always thought the legal towing limit of any car was the weight of the car itself, or a certain amount/percentage of that weight. i forget which, someone told me once.

[Sydneykid]

I always thought the legal towing limit of any car was the weight of the car itself, or a certain amount/percentage of that weight. i forget which, someone told me once.

Nope, it's not that simple any more. In most states it is the rated towing capacity of the towbar as specified by the towbar manufacturer. In addition there are towed weight versus vehicle weight requirements, but it varies depending on the braking system of the trailer being towed. The limit is usually the lower of the 2, ie; if you have a 1,700 kg towbar on a 1700 kg car you can't tow 1700 kgs unless the trailer has the appropriate braking system (eg; electric).

[uneekwahn]

from speaking with a perth towbar manufacturer, they've told me that I need to know the towing capacity of the car from the manufacturer.

Short of calling Nissan Japan (I've tried Nissan Aus), any suggestions on how I can find that information?

[Sydneykid]

from speaking with a perth towbar manufacturer, they've told me that I need to know the towing capacity of the car from the manufacturer.

Short of calling Nissan Japan (I've tried Nissan Aus), any suggestions on how I can find that information?

Tell them it weighs 1,700kgs and there are Stagea approved in NSW with towing capacity at 1,500 kgs with override brakes and 2,200kgs with electric brakes.

OR

Same as a current Foulcan Waggon.