Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Hi guys - i have a mate who was thinking of getting a suzuki, and making/attaching an a-frame so it could be towed around behind another car.

legalities we have found is that if it is less than 750kg, then the 'trailer' can be unbraked, but if it is more than 750kg then you need to run a cable to activate the suzuki's brakes.

http://www.hitchngo.com.au/site/index.php This company fits a legal one. Easiest option is to get the lightest sierra we can find and just gut it, so that we are under the 750kg limit (custom half doors, remove rear seats, skinny tyres, 660cc motor, remove carpets/glovebox/door inners/etc)

So a few questions we have (and YES, i have searched, and YES there seems to be a few suzukis around with a-frames):

- mounting points for the A-Frame (pics would be nice?)
- what is the 'dry weight' of a sierra, and what combination is the lightest?
- this car will be off-road only, so are there any legalities with licensing/towing?
- anything else to keep the weight down (and dont say 'stop eating fatty foods' )

thanks![/b]

oh, and if anyone has any pics of their A-frame setup on a Sierra ATM - please PM me or Post here - as they will help us with our design!

Thanks!

when I researched this the towing vehicle had to be 3 times the weight of the towed vehicle to be legally towed in Victoria. You can get from the USA shackles and A frames that allow for flat towing

Because it's being towed, it will need to be registered. (just like a trailer).

Not sure about the whole road-worthiness thing though. If its modified I wonder if the cops would still defect it, even though its just being towed. I'd say that there is a risk that they could, just as they could defect un un-roadworthy trailer...

Basically you need a truck to tow it. Something with a GVM over 4500kg's.
Gutting a Sierra to bring it under 750kg won't help as it's not actual weight that counts it's the manufacturers stated weight..
If I were you I'd buy or build a small car trailer. Much less hassle.

want33s wrote:Basically you need a truck to tow it. Something with a GVM over 4500kg's.
Gutting a Sierra to bring it under 750kg won't help as it's not actual weight that counts it's the manufacturers stated weight..
If I were you I'd buy or build a small car trailer. Much less hassle.

yep. doesn't need to be registered or legal then...

yeah, i know - personally i wouldnt stuff around, and buy a trailer. trying to convince my mate of this.

Still, it would be interesting to see other 'custom' or 'bought' setups, as people have flat-towed sierras before.

thehitchandgo website had an intersting design, but i am sure i have seen suzuki's with the A frame permanently attached to the front of the car?

Hmmm ... I wonder if you can convince Department of Transport that as it will only ever be towed on public land, it is a motorised trailer? Ie go to a coastal town with sand launching for boats - 50% of people use a tractor / 4WD, the other 50% have a motor on the front of the trailer that drives the rear wheels.

LJ50 (i.e. 2-stroke),
700kg in the owners manual. Hardtop is listed as 740kg (thats a bit of a squeeze).

Depends on exactly what this bloke wants though...

how does the 3x the weight thing work?
surley it would depend on the towing capacity of the tow vehicle, stated by the manufacturer of the vehicle and tow bar. i.e. 750kg unbraked, 1600kg braked.

Craig.

anyone got pics of an actual setup?

anyone got a zuk with an A-frame?

I don't understand the steering setup on the Vitara? On the Charade it obvious attaches to the steering but what's the go with attaching it to the bullbar. With the steering locked wouldn't it just be skull dragged around corners, and obviously you couldn't leave it unlocked as it would just go anywhere it wanted?

According to the website, apparently you put the transfer case in neutral, but the put the gearbox in 2nd... the brakes are run by a cable to your brake pedal...

Thanks Want33's for the pics, but What i was after was suzuki sierra's with a similar setup.
i want to see what other people have done.

I am sure i have seen some a-frame zooks around - come on people, put up your pics!

I doubt you'll get any pics as not many of the grey nomads with camper vans who would tow them would be on a 4WD site like this.

lol - spose your right...

4130warrior wrote:I don't understand the steering setup on the Vitara? On the Charade it obvious attaches to the steering but what's the go with attaching it to the bullbar. With the steering locked wouldn't it just be skull dragged around corners, and obviously you couldn't leave it unlocked as it would just go anywhere it wanted?

The 'Hitch'N'Go setup attaches to the front bumper of the vehicle being towed and an over-ride coupling has a cable that is connected to the towed car's brake pedal.
There is NO connection to the towed vehiocles steering. The vehicles CASTER allows the wheels to be turned and then self centre.
They say in the instructions on the website to insert a key in ignition and turn to unlock the steering abnd then lock the vehicle.. A second key is recommended to unlock it again.

cjdeane10 wrote:
According to the website, apparently you put the transfer case in neutral, but the put the gearbox in 2nd... the brakes are run by a cable to your brake pedal...

Thanks Want33's for the pics....

I've seen a thread (on Pirate) about this and its recommended to fit a rear driveshaft disconnect because a Sierra transfer doesn't have a true neutral.

Pics.. No Worries.

I um unsure about the legalities but here is a setup we successfully have used to tow a samurai 8 hours home after i purchased it (and yes it is sitting on a trailer now)

We left the key in the ignition but left the vehicle 'off' (steering lock)
Rear driveshaft was disconnected, front hubs unlocked, and think the gearbox was in 2nd and transfer in neutral (can't remember this think that was the combination, but may have been other way round) as it means the intermediate/front driveshafts won't turn by themselves whilse not being lubricated etc etc read it on some suzuki thing somewhere...

There was nothing done to the steering or brakes. Vehicle has 2' spring lift and 31" mudzillas (have been told have to be careful with lift as it can throw the caster off and cause vehicle to wander but it was sweet)...

I used a boat trailer light bar, and put a sign on the back which said "under tow"

We had 2 issues with the steering wheel turning the wrong way, but was at lowspeeds out of a driveway when i had turned hard right for a second, then left onto a road. My passenger just jumped out turned the steering wheel and was all good. We went round roundabouts and could reverse it in a straight line no worries

I know of someone that has rolled their towed vehicle (and popped the coupling so it didn't roll the towing vehicle), from memory it hit a gravel patch on edge of road and went over...

anyway pics of a-frame: was made out of steel angle mostly, where possible joins were bolted and welded on all overlaps (lots more welding on corners underneath) all HT bolts throughout... The frame could still pivot up and down...




Now those brackets were designed to fit a stock bullbar around a stock bumper, and i was in a rush so used them (they were a cm thick though). Doing it again i would make a much simplier design that bolted into those same stock 2 holes on the chassis rails and just came straight out to eyes..

Here is another design i liked and was going to use longer term...



The eyes on the top were for an a-frame attachment point. wouldn't be too hard to make one up with the eyes on the front, and encorporating a winch mount etc... (and no tubes possibly)

bit of a discussion on lengths etc here too:
http://bbs.zuwharrie.com/content?topic= ... icseen#new

thanks mate, exactly what i was looking for.