tow bar?

[kiwi_bloke]

hi i have a 2 litre 190e (jap specs....imported into new zealand). Ive been thinking about getting a tow bar fitted to it. Would any one recomend this? or would the 190e be considered underpowered for this task?

josh

 

[Matt Crooke]

the 2.0 litre should be more than capable of towing a fair weight without problems. A couple of things to note though are. What do you plan to tow? have a cheque of the handbook for the max towing weights.

Never being one to be an expert on world climates!!, if you live in a particularly hot part of the world, make sure the cars cooling system is up to scratch. A UK spec car will only have the electomagnetic cooling fan, but i believe overseas models sometimes come fitted with an aux fan, make sure this is working properly.

The most important point to note is if yours is an automatic and you plan to tow quite a lot think about getting an aftermarket gearbox and oil cooler. as an autobox will get very hot when climbing steep hills and in stop start traffic etc.

A few Dollars spent on the cooler now will save a thousand Dollars a few months down the line when you are stranded in the middle of nowhere stood in a puddle of bubbling ATF!!!!

All the best

 

[Nik_Codling]

towing

The other thing to consider is the effect of weight on the back of the car. My 300CE is fine for towing my motorcycle trailer, plenty of torque and all that, but I do find that with the standard springs it tends to sit down at the back a bit.

I tow a fairly heavy duty motorcycle trailer, usually with two bikes on it. I do quite a lot of trackdays around the UK, and often travel with camping gear, motorcycle clothing, food, booze etc, so the car gets pretty loaded up.

I used to have a pretty heavy bike, but I've recently bought something a lot lighter, and it's much better now. Worth considering though - maybe you'd be best with stiffer springs. I've got some old estate springs in the garage, but since I found I need to drop the wishbone to fit them they've sat in the garage unused!

Nik

 

[anthony748]

Your noseweight should be about the same whatever you are towing,formy 200te it is max75kg,it should not matter if it is alight trailer or a heavy caravan,so really nik have you got too much weight at the front of your trailer?

 

[Matt Crooke]

FOllowing on from my earlier post, whether this just applies to the 190 i had, but the back always rode exceptionally high. The car seemed to sit better when there was a substantial weight in the boot....

Maybe the previous owner had fitted uprated springs or something...

 

[kiwi_bloke]

Cheers guys for ur advice!

thanks all! I will ponder wheather to part with my well earned money so i can begin to move house hehe....ah if its a merc im sure its up to the challenge hehe Generally id be thinking about open road towing typically with an average size trailer.......any more thoughts guys??

cheers!!

 

[anthony748]

No problems what so ever! :lol: