I'm looking for pictures of different model A frame tow bar designs. Does anyone have some good pictures they can share or details of how they are / were constructed? I'd like to fabricate one, period correct, but I'm struggling finding detailed pictures or construction / dimensional details. Are there any do(s) or don't(s) to a design like this? Towing considerations? Does the steering wheel need to strapped in place? Towing in neutral, are there issues of the transmission popping into 1st ,2nd, or 3rd gear? Thanks, Dowie
Period perfect would be an old wishbone. For safety, get a Reese adjustable tow bar. About $100 new with all the brackets. Mine is set up to tow the roadster or my Jeep. Put it in neutral and DO NOT tie down the steering wheel. I never bother with lights as the truck I tow it with has BIG tail lights that can be seen. Use white shoe polish to write, RACE CAR IN TOW on the back of the hot rod!
Denis, Thanks for the response. Do you do anything to ensure your car does not pop into gear if you hit a bump or something? (***uming you're running a manual) Can you show a close up picture of how you attached to the frame or axle? I'm curious if it's better to attach to your frame or axle. Do you have a Reese part number or model number I can reference? I've done a search and I'm not finding what you're reccomending. Thanks again, Dowie
Sorry you can't see much detail. My tow bar was made from an old Ford wishbone (I was fortunate to find one that was made up years ago). The legs of the wishbone are bent in and squashed flat, probably at a span equal to the width of an early Ford frame. Tabs were welded to the roadster's front axle, and I bolt the bar to them. On the advice of a friend, I disconnect the roadster's steering when I'm towing. The car has cross steering, and I unbolt the drag link from the right wheel. A bracket supports the drag link when it's disconnected. And in the face of conflicting advice, I tow it in neutral with the driveshaft in place. I stop every 100 miles or so and start the roadster to spin some lube around in the trans. It's never occurred to me that it might fall into a gear. I can't pretend to be expert at this stuff, but I've towed for a couple of hundred miles so far without any problems.
I quit using a tow bar when a buddy of mine almost had the police take away his car and truck! Seems that anything being towed on a tow bar has to be 100% street legal, which his race car wasn't. Mine wasn't either, didn't want to take the chance again. I bought a car trailer and was through with it. Gene
Over the last two weeks I finished fabricating the A frame tow bar design below. This whole project cost me about $85.00 total. A great safety net incase you get stranded somewhere, or you need to tow your rod. I didnt drill any holes in the frame horns. I just used existing holes for this design.<O</O <O</O 5,000 lbs tow bar kit from Harbor Freight tools part number 94696-0VGA, $50.00<O</O http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=94696 <O</O <O</O 1.50 X .250 1018 steel plates with 7/16 holes to match frame horns and tow bar kit qty (4) $10.00<O</O 1-7/16 Dia X 1.280 steel bar stock, eccentric drilled hole to match frame horns qty (2) $5.00<O</O 7/16 20 Grade 8 bolts nuts and washers qty (2) $4.00<O</O .250 chain, 1,750 lbs tensile load rating qty (4) 14 lengths, $8.00<O</O .250 chain open links, 1,750 lbs tensile load rating qty (4) $8.00<O</O
PM Corngrower32 here on th HAMB. He had a cool wish bone set up on the front of his 32 Sedan a couple years ago. I am sure he has some pictures. I looked but the ones I have do not show the tow bar.
I used to flat tow VW Bugs for the shop around Boston in the 70s. I still have the rig. Only problem I ever had was after a very sharp turn (Boston side streets) the steering would want to flop back and forth. I would stop and straighten out the wheels and it would be fine. I flat towed my 62 Fairlane with a U-Haul rig from Michigan to upstate NY with an 87 Ranger pickup. This was a little spooky but uneventful. The tower needs to be heavier than the towee. I don't know why more people don't flat tow.
i finally got a set of tow hubs, incorrectly listed on ebay as 'universal' with a 'ford pattern'. based to my calibrated eyeball, i bought 'em, and they were what i thought-4 3/4 on 5 and 5 on 5 axle side with a 5 on 5 wheel pattern. they're usually listed as tow hubs or freewheel hubs. here's a set now... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/G***...219681970QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item230219681970 so far, they're cheaper than what i paid...
Ive towed several cars lots of miles behind our motor home.Always with a Blue Ox bar ,this is the type that stows on the tow vehicle, has telescoping arms that extend so its easy to line up.With an automatic trans. used a pump to circulate the ****** fluid. Only problem was when I first tried to tow my 40 sedan. The Must II front didn't have enough caster. When I turned left, it went right ! After that no probs yet. Ron
After buying a 56 chevy from an old guy once, and not having a trailer at the time, the guy showed me how to get the car to follow straight with a tow bar...He just took a extra chain I had with and hung it from the steering wheel so that it hung down equal amounts on each side of the wheel...when the wheels turned it would turn and when you straightened out ,the weight of the chain would recenter the steering wheel. I towed that 56 70 miles at 65-70 mph and it worked like a charm. I did this many times throughout the years but finally built a trailer..good luck
One of my dad's old tow bars is still around. It was built and used to flat-tow a Jeep all over creation-If you're not in a big hurry I can bring it back with me the next time I'm at my grandmother's old place. It was built from square tube.
I went to JC Witney and the VW tow bar bolts between the Model A Frame horns and uses the stock holes in the frame horn. COST about $75.00
I've flat towed a lot of rigs a lot of miles in the past 28 years with my buddy's old rental tow bar. I always tie the steering wheel straight ahead with a bungie cord and I have never had a problem with the excepton of a couple of tight corners where the towed rig wanted to fight with the tow bar a bit. I would not want the steering disconnected under any cir***stances.
The Jalopy Journal
