G
Guest
Guest
Dyfed wrote...
what recovery points (if any) does the 80 have.
this is presuming i dont have a towbar on it (but it will do)
and if none what options do i have to fit them, both front and rear...
SNIP
Dyfed the rest of the gang have answered the point about the Toy fittings.
Except that later models had a pigtail with open end rather than the
pigtail with both ends welded to the mounting plate as mine are. But you
touched on a sensitive issue viz towbars. This is often a point of
contention with 80 owners.
So look at the rear bumper in the centre. You may have noticed that this is
in fact the rear chassis cross-member and very strong. It is reinforced
with sections diagonally across the 90degree join at each corner. In the
centre of the bumper you will see 4 blanked-off holes for a hitch or at
least a recovery eye.
The top 2 are into a threaded plate with 12mm iso fine thread. The bottom
two are straight loose bolt holes with an access cut-out behind the member.
If you use it, put the bolts in from the back and nuts on the outside, they
will stay rust free that way.
My 80 is military spec and came standard with a NATO towhook fitted to that
member. I have never needed recovery but I have done a lot of towing with
it. I have heard it is rated at 3500kg some say 5000kg, but if you ask our
cousins in USA they will tell you it isn't rated for much at all. But I
think its all to do with government regulations more than the capacity
which Toy build-in for this member to tow.
An example. All working 80's I see here have that hitch and they get a lot
of use - mine used to tow a fuel bowser whilst escorting convoys in the
war. Yet the UN 4Runner, although still a military spec has to have a huge
4X2 channel frame to which they mount the NATO hitch, just to do the same
job as the standard 80. Well, in fact I guess that it would be lower rated
as its a lighter vehicle.
I guess Toy made the rear end strong so that there was no need for extra
box sections etc to take the strain and thus interfere with the spare
wheel. But you will see some variants on an extra towhitch mounted from the
side rails of the chassis. I have even seen one mounted to a member across
the width of the chassis ahead of the spare with a box section running aft
and just using the lower 2 bolt holes of the standard 4 to support the ball
end. That seems like overkill to me apart from lowering ground clearance..
My ballhitch is a plate made to fit the 4 hole mounting with a swan-neck
bar in a 'U' shape welded to it. So when it grounds in rough country there
is nothing sharp to catch on rocks etc. and there is nothing underneath
lowering the ground clearance. Its just a smooth round bar. I can send you
a picture if you like - when you finally get your Toy.
Best of luck
cheers
Jon
'92 HZJ80 ex UN surplus in Bosnia.
what recovery points (if any) does the 80 have.
this is presuming i dont have a towbar on it (but it will do)
and if none what options do i have to fit them, both front and rear...
SNIP
Dyfed the rest of the gang have answered the point about the Toy fittings.
Except that later models had a pigtail with open end rather than the
pigtail with both ends welded to the mounting plate as mine are. But you
touched on a sensitive issue viz towbars. This is often a point of
contention with 80 owners.
So look at the rear bumper in the centre. You may have noticed that this is
in fact the rear chassis cross-member and very strong. It is reinforced
with sections diagonally across the 90degree join at each corner. In the
centre of the bumper you will see 4 blanked-off holes for a hitch or at
least a recovery eye.
The top 2 are into a threaded plate with 12mm iso fine thread. The bottom
two are straight loose bolt holes with an access cut-out behind the member.
If you use it, put the bolts in from the back and nuts on the outside, they
will stay rust free that way.
My 80 is military spec and came standard with a NATO towhook fitted to that
member. I have never needed recovery but I have done a lot of towing with
it. I have heard it is rated at 3500kg some say 5000kg, but if you ask our
cousins in USA they will tell you it isn't rated for much at all. But I
think its all to do with government regulations more than the capacity
which Toy build-in for this member to tow.
An example. All working 80's I see here have that hitch and they get a lot
of use - mine used to tow a fuel bowser whilst escorting convoys in the
war. Yet the UN 4Runner, although still a military spec has to have a huge
4X2 channel frame to which they mount the NATO hitch, just to do the same
job as the standard 80. Well, in fact I guess that it would be lower rated
as its a lighter vehicle.
I guess Toy made the rear end strong so that there was no need for extra
box sections etc to take the strain and thus interfere with the spare
wheel. But you will see some variants on an extra towhitch mounted from the
side rails of the chassis. I have even seen one mounted to a member across
the width of the chassis ahead of the spare with a box section running aft
and just using the lower 2 bolt holes of the standard 4 to support the ball
end. That seems like overkill to me apart from lowering ground clearance..
My ballhitch is a plate made to fit the 4 hole mounting with a swan-neck
bar in a 'U' shape welded to it. So when it grounds in rough country there
is nothing sharp to catch on rocks etc. and there is nothing underneath
lowering the ground clearance. Its just a smooth round bar. I can send you
a picture if you like - when you finally get your Toy.
Best of luck
cheers
Jon
'92 HZJ80 ex UN surplus in Bosnia.