Is it true that if it has no towball then its warrentable!
mopar63,
Aug 7, 3:42pm
as others have said , just drill some holes and add some nuts andbolts to the equation
mrfxit,
Aug 7, 3:44pm
Apparently yes as"discretionary" judgment by the wof inspector .BUT. . if you put a ball on it & tow a trailer plus THEN have an accident because of the trailer being attached. ALTHO, I suspect the regs require the tongue to be removed as well
mrfxit,
Aug 7, 3:49pm
Yep had that before as a "discretionary" judgment by the wof inspector
Not checked in to this for a few years now but I suspect that for the tow bar to be legally welded to a chassis, then it MUST be certed & tagged (pretty much the same rules as a modified vehicle cert)
bubbles244,
Aug 7, 3:53pm
i dont use VTNZ anymore, so inconsistent.
one of the testers im sure owned a broken toyota hilux because once while waiting for a wof he failed about 6 hiace/hilux's on pathetic items like indicator lights not being bright enough.
bubbles244,
Aug 7, 3:54pm
that was VTNZ on tremanine ave palmerton north too.
owene,
Aug 7, 5:16pm
Yep thats correct but if it's been failed once (and then recorded on the LTNZ database for every other inspector to see) then it'd be unlikely that another self-respecting inspector would sign it off and accept the risk.
lookoutas,
Aug 7, 5:21pm
That's exactly what has happened. It's the welding that has created the problem, so bolting it as well won't cure it. You will need to cut it off, grind the weld off the chassis so it looks normal again, and then bolt it. Sorry - but that's where you're at now.
neville48,
Aug 8, 3:50pm
Take the towball off when you go for your WOF, its no longer a towbar.but do make sure its safe to use huh.
kcf,
Aug 8, 4:57pm
So, please explain how having no towball will mean that there isn't things welded to a chassis rail!Since welding to a chassis rail is the reason it has failed a wof.
mrfxit,
Aug 8, 5:18pm
With most vehicles (commercial & domestic) if the offending item is "made inoperable" they will let it pass. With towbars, I am pretty sure that the tongue will have to be removed or the towbar it's self removed to be legal. That way, it is "rendered/ made inoperable permanently" therefore effectively removing any stress's possible by using that item.
Simply removing theball does NOT qualifyas "rendered/ made inoperable permanently"
mrfxit,
Aug 8, 5:19pm
Random welding things to a domestic vehicles chassis is generally allowed, the problem is withWHAT is attached to the weld (Ie: that towbar)
Yep thats fine but I was referring specially to past std wof practice involving tow bars that have been deemed illegal but not easily removed. Pays to stay on topic While you are correct, it's not what mostly happens in the real world concerning failed towbars that are hard to remove.
mrfxit,
Aug 8, 6:21pm
A pedantic inspector can fail me for welding a 1" long cover over a spot that holds a fuel line &gets commonly bashed on THAT particular vehicle & not have certified the vehicle for that modification ($450 thank you)
BUT an inspector with half a clue about real world safety would understand & give that vehicle a wof.
Theres being pedantic & then theres being practical.
girlracer2005,
Aug 8, 9:22pm
and at what point is a tow bar not heated as all the frame work is welded im not trying to be a d#@k just making a point that ever towbar has been heated atleast once
mrfxit,
Aug 8, 9:36pm
Mmmm heres a good point I just remembered. Wof regarding suspension & chassis . Applies to the furthest mounting point forward of the front suspension including any attached brackets related to the suspension.
Also applys to the furthest rearward mounting point of the rear suspension Yes .!
Probably 99% of towbars are fitted beyond the last point of suspension contact
kcf,
Aug 8, 11:48pm
You aren't being failed because the towbar is heated by welding.You are failed because the chassis rail of the car is heated by the welding.So, your "towbar" isn't failing the wof.Your "chassis" is failing the wof because it has been welded to.
rsr72,
Aug 8, 11:52pm
#46 -Many OEtowbars are part of the rearmost chassis/body structure of the car, ie removable clip-in ones, electric drop-down ones.
richynuts,
Aug 9, 12:00am
True. but tow bars usually have much thickerand stronger steel than a car chassis, this is why a towbar really needs to be bolted with correct spacers, plates etc.
tshop,
Sep 24, 2:40pm
Best to certify take the next step to the castle of equilibrium.
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