Making A frame to tow my sportrak

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Hi Guys

I have a sportrak for 4x4, i would like to make an A frame to tow here with to save time with a trailer. I would like it to be able to disconect from the sportrak when off roading but also not have any connections on the front bumper that are able to get damaged if i was to land on my front end. I am able to weld so makeing the A frame is easy just need some suggestions where to attach to realy and how.

Cheers Ben

Try the difflock.com forum

Try the difflock.com forum for some constructive comments on A frames (only if you have a flame proof suit) Wink

Alastair thats just cruel,

Alastair thats just cruel, basically (if I remember correctly) A frames can only be legally used to recover a vehicle from the roadside to a place of safety and not for general towing.

Micro cars on hitch

Just a note here.

I have noticed lots of Motor Homes towing small runabout/city type cars on some form of hitch, maybe there is a way legaly ???.

Edward (ews)

Edward (ews) '92 Fourtrak 2.8 TDX

If you are towing more than

If you are towing more than 750kg then all wheels on the trailer must be braked. An A frame doesn't do this since you are effectively towing a four wheeled trailer of about double 750kg. The small cars towed by motorhomes (think smart or that tiny fiat for example) are less than 750kg so don't need to be braked.

A towing dolly lifts the front wheels off the ground and the dolly's wheels may be braked but this still leaves the towed car's rear wheels on the ground which are unbraked. If the combined weight of dolly plus car is greater than 750kg then this is still illegal.

The only way to stay legal is to put the load on a properly constructed and load rated trailer. This will probably be twin axle with all wheels braked.

Sorry for unhelpful comment earlier. Use the search function on the difflock.com website and you'll see what I meant.

Regards - Alastair.

Alastair, I was tempted to

Alastair,
I was tempted to give the same answer, the a frame threads on difflock are generally quite entertaining, they really hate them on there.

A frame

Cheers guys for all the replies i guess i will keep on trailering her to events now then.
Thanks again.
Ben

To be legal the a-frame has

To be legal the a-frame has to opperat the 'trailer' cars breakes, as would a normal trailer. This is done by a conversion kit which uses the over run piston on the a-fram to pull abreak cable attached to the towed cars break peddel.

That said a-frames have been used bye many people without breaks over the years. The reason I would not use one for towing a trials (toy) car, is that if you damage the 'toy' in a way which means it is not towable, you are stuffed for getting it home.

The simplest way to do a quick release a-fram is a triangle of box section, with a simple tow hitch on each corner. Then mount a tow ball on the end of each chassis rail of the 'trailer' jeep. Obviously 2 corners of the triangular a-fram will line up with these tow balls. The other corner hooks to the tow vehicle. Very crude. Very eisy to make. Very eisy to attach. Very ilegal to use.

Your choice.

Any veiws expresed in this thread by me are purely from my own experience, and (sometimes) falible memory. Hope my comments help, but please don't take them as gospel.

Any veiws expresed in this thread by me are purely from my own experience, and (sometimes) falible memory. Hope my comments help, but please don't take them as gospel.

A Frames

Due to many regulations, technicalities, and conflicts in European legislation, and UK legislation; A-Frames are illegal in the UK and most of Europe.
Some countries such as France are quite leniant on the use of these devices, but here in the Uk they are very stringent. Vosa sent out memorandums to all UK police forces and these all enforce them.

It would be prudent to make a trailer to fit your vehicle, with the correct towing braked hitch, and the correctly rated suspension units.

Many people using them are now prosecuted without even knowing they are acting illegally. Exemptions apply to motorhomes if they are designed and certified to tow micro cars, their combined towing A-Frame and total car weight must mot exceed 750Kg.