It's taken a while but finally I have a new rear bar on my Disco 1. I will try and add picis since others might be interested in what I have done.

It was urged along by the fact that I have just installed a LRA 2 1/2" Body Lift and added XL Flares.

As a result of this new home made bar I am selling the original Hayman Reese Towbar in the Trading Post. (the guy who rang me and txt his email for details of my rear bar - please txt again coz I accidentally deleted the msg)

So let me see if I can add these images.



The mud flaps have yet to be finished and there is an aluminium checkerplate (sp?) to be added.

Here are some more picis









The design is based around 50x50 x 2mm steel tube and then I added a 'skirt' using folded 110x3mm sections.





It's muddy because I went up to Toolangi to try it out.














So there you have it.

I'm not adding any spare wheel carrier or extra lights.

Enjoy.

top job

you now need to mod the exhuast pipe

__________________
Kelvin

 95 defender....

Thanks Weeds,
it's in the workshop today to have the exhaust fixed - the flexible coupling has broken. I have a 'straight thru' muffler. Since the body lift I want the exhaust to tuck up as high as posssible.

Mate, great job.....

But mate, that towbar worries the **** out of me.

Had it tested? Load rated? Sorry, but unless it's tested and rated its (a) illegal and (b) not structuraly known....

Just a thought.

My thoughts exactly, i wouldnt be towing or snatching using that !

Nice work though, i would add provision for at least a swing away jerry holder if only to carry water.

OK, who can i go to to test the towbar?

Looks great, really nice job with the "skirt".

You said 2mm steel formed the structure? How confident are you that is strong enough, say if you did a little rock thumping on one of the corners or just behind the wheel?

I'm also curious why you added those little caps below the tail light clusters, would there be a gap there otherwise?

__________________
Dave
1998 Discovery SE7 300 Tdi Auto
1986 110 Isuzu County - "The Red Beast" with a highly optimistic speedo.
1976 Series III LWB - "Bumpy" (not running)
1974/77 Ex-Army Series III 109 GS - "tba"
1954 Series I Utility 86" - "Madeline"

Dave,
I chose 2mm for a number of reasons.
1. weight - it's very easy to make BULK strength, but you have to lugg it around.
2. I noted that the TJM bullbar on mine was made from folded 2mm and it has stood up to a fair few bumps - it has bent a bit on larger impacts but I was able to pull it straight on both occasions.
3. I'm scared of making a bar SO rigid and strong that if I ever hit something hard enough then my chassis will bend. I'd rather spend a month fixing or completely rebuilding my bumper bar than finding a wad of money to pay for a chassis repair. I think of it as a 'poor man's crumple zone'.
4. I am a fan of bracing - trying to have lighter material that is put under tension or compression. I am not an engineer so it's crude thinking. I figure that two 50x50x2mm tubes (spaced 50mm apart) is as strong or stronger than 5mm angle
5. I also had a few lengths of 50x50x2 in the shed.

I am thinking of adding a brace from the end of each of the wheel arch returns. I can run a straight bar across the vehicle under the rear cargo floor (the body lift has given me some room there). I can then tie that down to the chassis where the sway bar attaches. Not before Christmas though.

The caps are to hide the holes normally covered by the plastic end caps of the original bar.

Neat job mate.