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DIY Towbar Guide Brink / Thule

66K views 50 replies 22 participants last post by  Dashnine 
#1 ·
Hi all,
I've been following a couple of threads on here regarding aftermarket towbars, I've taken the plunge and will be fitting my own. I thought I'd document it for others to see in case they want to do it themselves and save a few quid.

For anyone interested, mines a March 2015 2.2 SE Tech without the spare wheel. Please do your own checks to ensure compatibility.
I've gone for the Brink / Thule detachable towbar for £190 from eBay (but comes from this company http://www.hedley-towbars.co.uk). I bought the 13 pin electrics separate as they didn't stock the DS one. That was another eBay one from PF Jones (http://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/p.fjones) in Manchester and was £63.99. Both included postage, so a total outlay of £254. I was quoted £484 to have this done at a local garage, so a nice saving that paid for my bike rack (£159, again from pfjones) and plenty of change.

This took me about 5 hours to complete, it's about half and half removing stuff and putting it back. In this time I was busy taking photos and had to nip out to borrow some different sized sockets that I didn't have.

Disclaimer: This is not a substitute for RTFM. Please follow the manufacturer provided instructions first, use this thread as guidance only!

One thing to note that may change your mind on the tow bar is that this Thule one takes away the screw for the towing eye, I believe the Witter does as well. I haven't found a detachable one that keeps the towing eye.

First things first, Unboxing - or in this case unbagging. The whole thing came in this semi shrink wrapped sheet. Inside was the bar itself and another bag of goodies in the 2nd picture.
Sleeve Wood Flooring Plastic Hardwood

Musical instrument accessory Font Tool Auto part Gas

Wood Bumper Automotive exterior Vehicle Metal

Output device Eyewear Vision care Communication Device Gadget


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First things first, remove any rings... the last thing you want is to scratch the paint while removing / replacing anything. Unpack and check all bits are there, I was missing 2 of the smallest bolts but had some available.
You will need:
• A ratchet socket set (10mm, 15mm, 18mm, 22mm at least)
• Philips + flat screwdriver
• Pliers
• Jigsaw / multitool, masking tape, pencil, tape measure
• Possibly other stuff i have forgotten

Here we go…
Remove the lights. Remove the fuseboard cover on the left and the plastic vent on the right to expose a single white plastic 10mm bolt. Remove this.
Bumper Automotive exterior Bicycle part Auto part Gas

The light will stay in place as there is also a clip adjacent to the white nut, use a screwdriver to release the lights. Disconnect the wires and store safely.
Remove the silver under trim, there are 2 10mm bolts underneath that will release it. Give it a wobble and a light pull and it will come away.

Removing the bumper:
Remove the Philips screws exposed behind the lights
Tire Wheel Automotive tire Automotive lighting Motor vehicle


By hand, pull the wheel arch trim away to reveal a 10mm bolt, remove it on each side.
Tire Wheel Vehicle Hood Automotive tire

Remove 2 screws from each wheel arch. There is little clearance so use pliers with a screwdriver bit.
Tire Wheel Automotive tire Bicycle wheel rim Tread

Remove, two 10mm bolts from beside the exhaust
Hood Automotive tire Vehicle Motor vehicle Automotive lighting

Remove 6 (I think) bolts from under the silver trim
Laptop Netbook Hood Automotive tire Trunk

Check in case I forgot any!!!

10 attachments max..... continuing in the next post...
 

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#28 ·
Miked said:
An interesting guide, well documented

My question is, are the electrics on your 13 pin socket fully functional with a 13 pin plug installed?

I ask this because my understanding is that the electrics need to be programmed in to the engine management system.

Having fitted bars and electrics to all my cars up to 2008, I encountered a problem with my then new FL2.
Having fitted the gear nothing worked, it needed 30 mins programming at the dealer.
I recall there was some power at some of the connections but didn't respond to the brake and turn controls for instance
They wanted £50 for the programming initially.
Job was done and it all worked
My 2012 Evoque bars were dealer fitted and now my 2016 DS bar was the same.

I cannot believe that LR have gone back to 'open wiring' hence the question

Look forward...

Mike
Mile, that was for sure the case with the pre-face lift Freelander 2, but the 2013MY was just Plug and play. I believe the DS follows the same plug and play principle.

Just got to add the fuses etc.
 
#34 ·
I have just fitted a tow bar to my DS with 7 seats and under slung spare wheel.
Firstly thanks Chris24747 for the excellent guide you posted, although the bars are different, it really helped me in removing the bumper etc.
I bought the tow bar from John Craddock for what I thought was a bargain price for a genuine Land Rover one. When it came turned out it was made by A1 Tow Bars and was missing the replacement "arse piece" that the spare wheel bar needs. After a phone call to them and a chat to their fitting workshop turns out they have designed it to not need this part so, as I don't like the sickyout bit anyway I thought I would give it a go.
I'm not going to give a detailed account of fitting it as it's quite a big job and I just wanted to get it fitted in the time I had available, makes me appreciate what Chris did all the more.
All I can say is it's quite an involved job, the supplied instructions are very basic and I had to cut more of the silver under tray off than instructions show but it does fit between the spare wheel and the bumper so I'm quite pleased with it.
The best bit is that it saved me £800, and that's including the dedicated wiring harness, on the price quoted by a Land Rover dealer to fit a genuine one with the "arse piece"
 

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#35 ·
Very good. Another labour of love. Though it's more work than I would have time for.

Nice one
 
#36 ·
Great job. Sadly another glaring of JLR's inability to design a premium car that can be fitted with a hidden towbar that stays hidden when not in use (FL2, RRE, DS). Not too much to ask is it?

Still yours is better than the in house solution.

Top tip for non spare wheel cars, i didn't refit the black plastic under bumper bit as this needs cutting. After 9 months and a full German winter everything is clean and rust free. When I sell the car I shall remove the towbar and since there is no cut it will look as good as new.
 
#38 ·
Agree the spare wheel stowage is poorly designed, if you want to tow and are worried about the vehicle aesphetics I would not order the underslung spare.
My car was ex demo bought sight unseen so I didn't even know it had a spare, I thought great it's got a spare until it came to the tow bar!!
Price quoted from Land Rover dealer was £1232 including fitting😳 John Craddock supply only was £423 including electrics.
Made by www.a1towbars.com who also do fitting.

Posted on my iPad picture right way up, looked at post on Mac pictures upside down?
 
#39 ·
Here's a thought, could one remove the spare wheel and fit a "normal" bar? Is it just the cross bar that is bowed out to go around the spare that is the difference?
 
#40 ·
No reason why not if you could find the right bar, although the one in the first post sits lower across the car and has large side brackets that could interfere with the two side exhaust boxes and mounting brackets.

One strange thing, after fitting the electrics the tailgate started shutting differently, before it just slammed rather crudely.
Now it slows before impact and another motor pulls it shut on the lock, like all the other tailgates I've come across.
 
#41 ·
As Bolt said, the side brackets for 5 seat with/without spare & 5+2 without spare will foul the exhaust.

Even if you remove the spare wheel you still cannot go for the towbar in original pic.

Due to the visible bumper on 5+2 with spare wheel I don't see the point in paying the money for detachable.
I far prefer the fixed flange ball which uses the same towbar mainframe with a fixed neck in place of the detachable neck.
Wheel Tire Automotive tire Tread Black

Automotive lighting Automotive tire Hood Vehicle Motor vehicle

Light Gadget Plant Bumper Automotive design


Pics attached
 

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#43 ·
Automotive tire Automotive lighting Hood Automotive design Bumper


You can hide the towbar pretty well when removed if you fit it carefully
 

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#45 ·
I am looking at getting a tow bar for my car. I know the proper LR bar is manufactured by Brink. Does the Brink after market version fit in the recess in the foam in the boot area? If not does it fit in anywhere else.
 
#48 ·
I fitted my tow bar today. It all went smoothly apart from my 1/2" to 3/8" step down decided to just twist at the narrow part rather than undo the bolts. Not good when the car is in bits and I need one to torque up the bolts.
Removing the bumper is not nice, I thought I'd break the clips or something, but I found that the worst part of the job. The rest was just nuts and bolts and cutting and filing.
The OP's write up and BFGDSMan's videos were a great help in doing the job. Link below.
 
#49 ·
I saw a Volvo v60 today with a tow bar fitted, the cut out looked quite gash, so it seems that it's not just JLR who can't get the back end to look good with a tow bar. I looked on the web when I got home and saw some bad examples. There was a whole thread on a Volvo forum about how bad some could be.
<IMGUR id="K0jzjN3" url="http://imgur.com/K0jzjN3"></IMGUR>
I've tried to copy a picture, not sure if it'll work, but the thread can be found here;
https://forums.swedespeed.com/showthread.php?436169-Hitch-install-disaster!

Not nice.

I've got a small but tidy cut out on my car, only really visible if you get down and look or know what you're looking for.
 
#51 ·
NigelParkinson said:
Looking to buy my first 2018 Disco Sport. 7 seats no spare wheel. Underneath rear is what appears to be a black electric plug and a 'hole' with plastic insert. Is this already equipped with towbar electrics and just need to buy a swan neck?
I would imagine the car has a detachable tow bar, possibly factory fitted where the swan neck is stored in the tool kit under the boot floor.

If you can get the VIN of the car, you can look up the spec of the car (to see if was factory fitted) on LR Topix, registering as an Independant Operator.
 
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