SFHGolfTDI
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2003
- Location
- Ventura, CA
- TDI
- 2002 Jolf GLS TDI - Reflex Silver (purchased 2011; sold 2023) | Previously: 2001 Golf GL TDI - Indigo Blue (sold 2005)
UPDATE: You can see how things turned out and some more pics in Post 19: http://forums.tdiclub.com/showpost.php?p=4828446&postcount=19
Original post with the issue I was having and some fabrication pics:
Yesterday I went to a local hitch welder and had them custom fabricate a hitch for me based on some of the designs on this site using the eurohitch mounting points in the frame rails. They were reluctant at first because they don't generally like customers coming in with special design requests, but said if I took all the measurements and told them where I wanted the receiver, they would do it, but take no responsibility if it doesn't turn out exactly how I wanted it.
I was working with some pretty tight measurements, but did my best with it. I figured out that the 6" receiver would not need to be cut IF it could be flush against the car behind the spare wheel compartment. That would put the hitch pin hole barely behind the bumper cover where I would access it from underneath. Unfortunately, I didn't realize they were also adding a supporting plate behind the receiver, which meant another 1/4-3/8 inch, which meant that my hitch hole sits like this:
There is enough flex in the bumper that I could probably force whatever I wanted into the hole, but it is tight and will be hard to get a wrench in there for a locking pin or my bike carrier which attaches with a 19mm head 1/4" bolt.
If you were in my position, would you:
1) Cut the bumper more to allow for better access?
2) Drill a smaller hole on the outside of the bumper for my bike rack (primary use)?
Original post with the issue I was having and some fabrication pics:
Yesterday I went to a local hitch welder and had them custom fabricate a hitch for me based on some of the designs on this site using the eurohitch mounting points in the frame rails. They were reluctant at first because they don't generally like customers coming in with special design requests, but said if I took all the measurements and told them where I wanted the receiver, they would do it, but take no responsibility if it doesn't turn out exactly how I wanted it.
I was working with some pretty tight measurements, but did my best with it. I figured out that the 6" receiver would not need to be cut IF it could be flush against the car behind the spare wheel compartment. That would put the hitch pin hole barely behind the bumper cover where I would access it from underneath. Unfortunately, I didn't realize they were also adding a supporting plate behind the receiver, which meant another 1/4-3/8 inch, which meant that my hitch hole sits like this:
There is enough flex in the bumper that I could probably force whatever I wanted into the hole, but it is tight and will be hard to get a wrench in there for a locking pin or my bike carrier which attaches with a 19mm head 1/4" bolt.
If you were in my position, would you:
1) Cut the bumper more to allow for better access?
2) Drill a smaller hole on the outside of the bumper for my bike rack (primary use)?
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