Just thought id see if i can get an answer on here, my series 2 jaguar has a tow bar on it but not sure what load i can tow. When i attach a bike rack that holds 2 little mountain bikes the towbar flexes up and down which is why im wanting to know abit more about the towbar on these jaguars.

I wouldn't mind being able to tow my other jaguar on a car trailer with my silver jaguar but not sure if the towbar can handle it or if something seriously bad would go wrong as it flexes up and down with just a little bit of weight, i have checked all the bolts are up tight.

Will post a picture of my towbar tomorrow when its light so you know how its bolted on. it just bolted onto the 2 bolts under the chrome bumper one on each side

 

It doesn't sound very robust. I wouldn't trust it - especially not towing a car. Post a picture of how it's mounted.

 

Nope! Two bolts is barely enugh for the bikes!! Another Jaguar plus a trioler would take a much more robust hitch. Carl

 

Here is the pictures of how it is attached. I took the towbar off my black jaguar which was bolted on by the 2 bolts which hold the back bumper on the 3 bolts which were bolted through into the spare wheel bay. i was thinking about putting this one on but i will need to drill holes through my spare wheel well to put it on but haven't done it yet because not sure if thats strong enough either as its jst sheet metal which the 3 end bolts bolt through.



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the first towbar looks like someones home made joke and i wouldnt use it for anything more then a bike rack or you will pull half the car away with it.

2nd one looks much better, does it pick up on any of the main chassis mounts?

 

Agree, no. one Ok for bikes, no more. No. two a lot better, but, for towing another Jaguar and a trailer, I don't think so. Legs to the main chassis fore or lateral would be a huge improvement, then mebbe.

And, if used by attaching to the pan of the spare well, one would want s way to spread the load by sandwiching in a big plate or two, to resist tear out of the sheet metal.

Just think of the loads, not only vertical, but horizontal, both static and dynamic.
Not to mention moment and thusly leverage!!

I just don't think most sedans are capable tow vehicles. Mebbe the Big Caprices or Roadmasters or Fleeteood Brougham Cadillacs, and perhaps the Crown Victorias of the mid nineties.

And, think of the braking needs! Not to mention that the towed load well exceeds the weight of the tow car.

 

Thanks for that, I'll just stick to my bike rack its all i really need it for anyway was just hoping it wouldn't take much to tow another car but looks like i'll be staying as I am thanks guys, i'll put the towbar back onto the other jaguar seen as it still wouldn't do the job for the effort it would take to put on.

 

I do not use my Jag for towing but I do have a lot of towing experience.

The idea of towing a car behind your Jag is not a good one. A my xj8, for example, weighs just under 4000 lbs. A car trailer is going to weigh around 2000 lbs. So whatever you are carrying on your trailer you are going to be towing way over safe limits.

The two issues in towing are safe weight limits. First is overall weight of the towed vehicle. Second is tongue weight. This one is the amount of weight placed on the hitch ball by the trailer. It must be deducted from the cargo capacity of the tow vehicle since it is carried by its suspension.

Over on Jag Lovers forum one can find some sales brochures for Jags. The one for mine, a 2004 xj8, says the maximum towed vehicle weight is 4660 lbs, and the maximum tongue weight is 165 lbs. That is quite low, so I assume that it is due to the aluminum construction.

I once loaned a Ford f-150 with a 7000lb tow capacity to a relative to tow a 53 Mercury on a trailer. About 5500 lbs. total. Not a good idea. When he brought it back he had twisted the frame on my truck!

Also, when towing heavy weights a VERY important issue is how fast you can stop! All that weight wants to keep going, and you must have adequate braking to get it to stop anytime soon.

A 5th wheel trailer being towed by a mid-sized pickup truck, a Dakota, had to make an emergency stop. It pushed the truck through a red light and into the middle of the intersection! Not good. I read that in a travel trailer magazine.

My advice is stick to bike racks, and rent a truck to tow with.

Tom

 

I'd have to agree here. When I bought my series 2 Daimler we were stuck into a predicament where I was given a short time frame to pick it up (it wasn't running) so I had to tow it. I towed it on my EL Ford Fairmont with a tandem axel trailer. The car had a 2100kg rated towbar but coming over the Waioweka George from Gisbourne back to Opotiki totally destroyed my Ford, 2000kg of Daimler + 1000kg of trailer + 1400kg of Ford = extreme brake fade, smoke and eventually no Power steering. That trip killed the motor in my falcon. It began leaking oil and rattling, blew the rocker cover. I now have a Holden for towing around trailers and such.
I don't think I'd put a tow bar on any of my Daimlers unless it was to protect the car from my ailing eyesight when reversing.

 

Yeah all iv used my towball for is to carry my push bike on, was thinking of removing it but ill decided that when its time to repaint it. . . which should be very soon just not sure what colour. I want to keep it silver because it looks good in silver but i really do want something different so ill think about what colour in the next few months. iv noticed about 3 little rust bubbles starting to pop up so its due for another proper paint. I sorted out my carbs and got them all sweet ( after removing the aed unit) but thought id give it a go with my aed unit on but just cant get it as good as without it. so will remove that completely and put a manual choke on.