A Frame fitting!!! (1 Viewer)

656

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I now have an 02 Smartcar that needs an A Frame fitting. Does anyone know who does it in the Berkshire area?
 

Geo

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I think make is very important Dave
the Chris Cox design leave most of the steelwork/angle iron on display at the front:Doh:
Ugly as sin
Only my personal opinion of course, some may like Angle Iron
 
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656

656

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If I remember correctly, there was a company at the shows that had one that fitted via the towing eyes. May be the best solution!
 

Geo

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As a word of caution
Manf towing eyes are not to be used for any sideways stress, straight line only (not even up a recovery truck):Doh:
Towing eyes as used by the A frame converters are at least twice the diameter thread of the Manf standard ones
Geo

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pappajohn

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i agree with Geo....

the bits on show with a caratow.
easy A frame fitting due to the fixed pull bar.
the frame just slots on the ends and a pin through to hold on.

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and on a chris cox....ugly and fiddly getting the pins through the eyes singlehanded.

ssteelBar.gif




and the towtal....one long pin threads through both eyes..difficult to align with one hand on the pin and one on the frame.
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pappajohn

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If I remember correctly, there was a company at the shows that had one that fitted via the towing eyes. May be the best solution!

must have been the towtal system you saw as most cars only have on inbuilt towing eye.


as in bottom pic in above post.
 

captmike

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I have spent a bit of time researching this myself lately as I'm planning to have one fitted later this month.

As far as I know only Car-a-Tow have fitting centres but the nearest to you is their own factory at Poole. Chris Cox is in Birmingham, Towtal in Stoke on Trent and Armitages in Ferrybridge.

I've plumped for Armitage because they have a solid, well made product very similar to the Car-a-Tow, are £200 approx. cheaper, the pivot bar under the car bumper is removable as are the eyes when not in use and I am told they provide some limited paperwork to help you if stopped by the fuzz. However I suspect they all do a very good job.

Not much help if you want a fitter in Berkshire!

Cheers,

Mike

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Geo

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but how many times have you seen a car being drag, virtually diagonal, up a slidebed. :Doh::ROFLMAO:
Ive lost two myself :Blush: snapped clean off at about 30 degrees, thankfully both times I had a driver in the car too:Doh:
Just as an addage there normally left hand threads :whatthe:
 

pappajohn

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Ive lost two myself :Blush: snapped clean off at about 30 degrees, thankfully both times I had a driver in the car too:Doh:
Just as an addage there normally left hand threads :whatthe:

and more times than not they're cast alloy with a cut thread...not forged steel. :Eeek:

accident waiting to happen.

and why L/H thread ???? never could work that out.

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656

656

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must have been the towtal system you saw as most cars only have on inbuilt towing eye.


as in bottom pic in above post.


On the Smart, they drill and tap a second hole in the steelwork behind the front valance.
 
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I have just had my car a tow a frame fitted by a good local garage. You can buy the a frame as a DIY kit and arrange the fitting local to yourself.
My local garage liased with car a tow if they had any queries, the whole job went well.
Total cost was around £1100
 

robinmclaren

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our toyota rav 4 is booked in with armatige for a frame this week , looks good, sounds good , will advise when fitted
had a towtal one and a unbraked homemade one so time for a change

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pappajohn

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On the Smart, they drill and tap a second hole in the steelwork behind the front valance.

Oo-er!!!! dont like the sound of that :Eeek:

i'd want, at least, a large nut welding on behind the steelwork and preferably a threaded receiver tube welded in.
 

superk

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If you don't mind a drive around half of the M25 http://www.east-coast-leisure.co.uk/ in Basildon have fitted a Car-a-Tow style system to lots of Smarts.

Nigel's your (boss) man (he tows a Hummer behind his 39-foot RV using his own A-frame.)

:Smile:
Keith
 

schojac

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I have a Car-A-Tow system which works a treat for me. It's probably the best decision we have made getting the Towed (toad) gives you that litle bit of freedom.

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656

656

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Jul 30, 2007
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Oo-er!!!! dont like the sound of that :Eeek:

i'd want, at least, a large nut welding on behind the steelwork and preferably a threaded receiver tube welded in.

They do weld a nut or something behind the hole they drill in the steel work. I have also emailed East Coast for a quote to do the job and the cost of a towbar for the van!
 
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