Tow Bar Problems

Has any one had problems with their tow bar or know first hand of any problems? I have had oblique references to Navara tow bar problems but some have been confused with the known Pathfinder problems.

If you know of problems I would like to know which model truck and the brand of the tow bar (particularly interested in whether it is a Nissan or other model.) I believe that the Nissan model only attaches to the underside of the chassis with 3 bolts either side, how do the others attach?

I have a D40 DX. I therefore installed an ARB step bar. This incorporates the hitch receiver and mounts with the 3 bolts that the Nissan bar uses plus the 3 that the step of the ST-X mounts with. Do the other towbars mount with 3 or 6 bolts each side?

PeterD

Not sure what problems you mean, I haven't heard of any, the only problem I have with mine is I keep smacking it on the ground, but it does stop me bending other stuff I guess.

The only problems I have heard is its far too low with the bend of the neck pointing down. It seems to be a little better when you turn the neck upside down and then re fix the towball back on the now upper side of the neck.

Yeah it is a bit on the low side, I had to flip mine to use with the off road camper trailer.

What I meant was more on the line of bars falling off or breaking the chassis.

PeterD

Duno how a tow bar could break a chassis? have seen one inadvertantly bend it tho....haha could have been the size of the boat tho.

D22 Towbar only bolts with 2 bolts either side into the chassis with a reinforcing plate inside the chassis. Ive smacked mine heaps of times and never had a problem, holes are still perfectly round.

Nomadic Navara said:

Has any one had problems with their tow bar or know first hand of any problems? I have had oblique references to Navara tow bar problems but some have been confused with the known Pathfinder problems.

If you know of problems I would like to know which model truck and the brand of the tow bar (particularly interested in whether it is a Nissan or other model.) I believe that the Nissan model only attaches to the underside of the chassis with 3 bolts either side, how do the others attach?

I have a D40 DX. I therefore installed an ARB step bar. This incorporates the hitch receiver and mounts with the 3 bolts that the Nissan bar uses plus the 3 that the step of the ST-X mounts with. Do the other towbars mount with 3 or 6 bolts each side?

PeterD

Click to expand...

Probably coming in a bit late on this discussion but AFAIK the towbar problem was with the early Pathfinder R51 and related to the Nissan OEM bar and its incompatability with load levelling devices. It has been discussed quite comprehensively on the Pathfinder website (PCoA • View topic - Tow bar fault) and there are so quite frightening pics there as well.

Pathfinders have a different bar and some have found the mounting bolts sheering or breaking and causing issues.
The D40 uses a totally different bar that mounts with 3 bolts on each side that go directly into the chassis rails .
I installed mine and 2 years later after almost a 1000 flat tows including a 8 tonne truck all the bolts are fine and nothing has moved or broken.

PeterD, I've only seen the one report of a D40 towbar failure, see here on ExplorOz appears this bar only held by the 3 vertical bolts into the underside of the chassis.

It would appear there are 2 genuine Nissan bars for the D40, I haves seen both bars on the D40 in new car yards. Some have only flat horizontal mounting plate and held by 3 vertical bolts on each side that go up under the chassis, others have both a horizontal plate and vertical plate so total of 6 bolts each side, with the 3 additional horizontal bolts bolting from inside the chassis. We have recently purchased new D40 STX 4L petrol auto. and have the bar that's mounted by 6 bolts each side. We have the rear step that comes with the STX and this step is held by another 3 horizontal bolts on the outside of the chassis and separate form the towbar mounting bolts.

I'd not tow anything with a high tow ball weight or use a wdh with a bar that was only mounted with 3 vertical bolts into the underside of the chassis.

cya
Graham

Do you own a servo?

You should start another thread telling us all about it.