Have anybody had a problem with the distance between towball and bumper on 02 model.I had a Brink detachable towbar fitted and the Alko coupling rubs on the bumper when turning sharply ie reversing.Has anybody had the same problem and how did they get around it?.
Mondeo Zetec S Estate Towbar
- Thread starter Jonathan_5065400
- Start date
noticed detachable sorry.i think you should have advised the fitting guys that you had an alko stabaliser on your caravan.on rigid fitted towbars the neck of the towball is longer for alko,than it is for conventional hitch heads.you need a slightly larger space between towball and car bumper so as to accomadate the bigger hitch head of the alko
I don't know what the Brink towbar is like but if it's detachable, as you say, I assume that it's a swan neck. The standard clearance between bumper and centre of towball is 65mm minimum but the Alko coupling needs about 80mm. If yours is below that you'll need to get one from Brink with a slightly longer reach.
According to Brink ( who are OE on Ford cars )it is the correct towabar however they have had problems with the clearance on the Zetec S because of the bodykit.I informed the towbar fitting company that I had the Alko hitch.The reach apparently is 5mm shorter than the minimum requirements but you cant have a longer reach because that is then classed as modifying and EU law states that you can't modify towbars !!!
Sounds as though Brink overlooked something in their design. You're correct in saying that a type approved towbar may not be modified in any way but if Brink were made aware of the problem, it shouldn't be a big deal for them to have a longer swan neck type approved (other than it will probably take quite some time to do the required tests and get the paperwork issued)
Have just purchaed a new caravan and car. The van has a fitted Al-Ko AKS 3004 stabiliser so do I have give the garage any special intructions about the tow bar they are fitting or does the Al-Ko 3004 fit on a standard tow ball/bar.
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