ST185 trailer hitch?

fhalperformance

New member
Anyone ever put a trailer hitch on their trac? I was thinking of turning my new trac into a tow vehicle for my mr2 when I go to the track. It would certainly turn heads & if the mr2 breaks down I can take the trac out for some fun.
 

Toyota_Todd

New member
Uh, I tow with my ST185 Celicas and there is no way in hell that your going to trailer your Mr2 behind your Celica. Just my 5x8 utlity trailer with a garden tractor or dirt bikes is quite a workout for our cars. I do call it my pickup truck but pulling another car on a trailer is a no go. I do not believe the bolt on hitches from Reece would be up to the weight task of hauling a car either. The other issue is finding a hitch. They are discontinued and very hard to find. Good luck with your MR2 at the track though!
 

fhalperformance

New member
I have been toying with the idea for a while. There are ppl pulling 1000kg caravan that has trailer brakes brakes with a 2000 Celica gt, figured an Alltrac could do similar with a proper hitch. Saw a Porsche hooked to the back of a car with a tow bar so the owner can get it to the Trac but I'd rather have it off the ground. I don't got a motor in the Trac yet so it's just an intellectual excercise at this point.
 

FC Zach

Active member
Yeah, the most I pull with my car is a motorcycle and that is probably pushing the limit.

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fhalperformance

New member
Im putting a 5vzfe v6 in my 93 trac so I will have plenty of torque for towing. Uprated clutch, st205 tranny, maybe throw in some stiffer springs & tires that can take some extra weight on them safely. Maybe a tow dolly like a uhaul one with a dolly under the rear wheels like used by tow trucks to haul 4wd vehicles.
 

phattyduck

New member
A (bolt-on) hitch receiver for the Alltrac would attach to the bumper. 200lb tongue weight and 2000lb trailer weight. No way you are going to tow a car on a trailer safely. Most car trailers are close to the limit without a car on it!

I happily tow with my WRX (and will with my Camry Alltrac once I get a wiring harness on it), but I wouldn't go over the trailer weight limit for the vehicle.

-Charlie
 

fhalperformance

New member
I understand there's no way a bumper hitch can handle it. I'm thinking a custom hitch that ties into the crossmember/suspension pickups/maybe even install a proper roll cage I can tie into. I should look how the wrx hitch attaches for some inspiration draw up a cad drawing of an Alltrac hitch.
 

phattyduck

New member
fhalperformance":19ykumq0 said:
I should look how the wrx hitch attaches for some inspiration draw up a cad drawing of an Alltrac hitch.
The WRX hitch bolts on to the bottom using the same bolts that hold the bumper and original tow loops (you can find install instructions on etraler.com and similar sites). Most are then 1 1/4" thick wall square tube for the cross bar under the bumper. The Celica has the bumper bolts inside (from the hatch/trunk area), so you will have more trouble using that part of the frame rail for strength.

There should be some welded nuts on the bumper beam already as a starting point for your fabrication. I'd still caution you to avoid towing too much weight with such a light vehicle... :wink:

-Charlie
 

underscore

Well-known member
You also have to consider your tires, brakes, suspension, and chassis strength here. Not to mention if something does break under braking, the rear end of your Alltrac will be destroyed.
 

fhalperformance

New member
The weight of the tow vehicle isnt that important although it seems like a better idea for it to be heavier then the payload being towed. F650s are rated to tow weights as much as three times their curb weight depending on the frame selection. Not that an F650 really can be compared with an alltrac lol. Then again Im not expecting to tow a trailer at 80mph, it would be no more then 65mph probably to keep the load on the car down.

Brakes, tires, suspension are all fixable issues. Im not really concerned with worrying about those items at this point since there are options. I do have to do some research on clutches used by trucks with manual transmissions to see what kind of setup I would need to have to keep the clutch from slipping with the amount of weight that can be on it potentially.

underscore: what do you mean if something breaks the rear end will be destroyed?
 

sinerasis

New member
With all the modifications you're talking about, wouldn't it just be easier, cheaper, and better to just get an old beater pickup truck?
 

fhalperformance

New member
It would be easier but probably not cheaper. Ive had my eye on a inexpensive truck worth spending money on but for the money the trac would probably be cheaper to do, far more practical & doesn't require a monthly payment.

I have a problem not turning every vehicle I own into a project lol. Plus, it would be alot more fun to take the trac out if I break the mr2 at the track & be alot more interesting as a tow vehicle then a truck. Other then the performance sacrifice of higher load rated tires (maybe?) the rest are all mods most people do to the car (with a twist) minus the hitch of course.
 

underscore

Well-known member
fhalperformance":329dwq0e said:
Brakes, tires, suspension are all fixable issues.

Frame strength isn't tho. Any how usable is rear suspension strong enough for towing a car going to be the rest of the time?

fhalperformance":329dwq0e said:
underscore: what do you mean if something breaks the rear end will be destroyed?

If either the hitch, or what the hitch is mounted to (or anything else really) fails under braking, you've got an awful lot of weight getting plowed right into the back of your Alltrac. In a more conventional setup this isn't much of a risk, but when venturing into unknown territory it is.
 

warracer

New member
You can't tie a hitch on the rear subframe, everything would be under extreme stress... But maybe you could check the rear crash bar setup and hook it on there... Then again I don't really think that the drivetrain would be under excessive stress... My main concern is brake and hook location.
 

sil5er

New member
I have a towbar installed on mine. I use it mainly to mount a very solid bikerack to fend off would be rear end collisions, and whenever I can, take a light wooden trailer out for some camping fun. It also helps when moving house, or transporting firewood.

This is the second ST185 I have had a towbar on, so I say the following from experience:

there is absolutely NO WAY I would ever seek to tow a car on a trailer, behind me. in a nutshell, here's why:

for starters, managing to find someone game enough (and skilled enough!) to actually fabricate a custom jig, AND put it on, was 'challenging'. mainly because: with the fuel tank where it is, and the monococh shell/chassis, there is in fact nowhere to install it. I'm pretty sure it fails the ADR's here in NZ (the legal rules for towbar installation). but no grief, so far, so good.

the jig/hitch/towbar is NOT rated for that kind of weight.

and finally, but actually the biggest point of consideration for me, is it really DOES put a strain on the engine. fuel economy speaks loudly to support this. admittedly, I live in a place where you can't find a level road, ie very hilly, lots of inclines, and corners etc, BUT ... as we all know, these money pits are maintenance intensive, and ... I simply just can't afford to blow bits unecesarily.

hope that helps. (and Im super impressed to find so many others with a hitch on their ST185. way cool.)
 

k-len

New member
The soul purpose of any car is to get u and yout your sled to The snow (The few Times The snow does't Come to you.

I Use my alltrac primelery to pull my sled to The mountains, if there was no chans of putting a hitch on it, i would never have bought it.

Just sayin 8)
 

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sil5er

New member
wow!! and nice pics too ... thanks for sharing. : )

I would definitely tow that toy behind my GT4. trailer looks as heavy as the sled, maybe heavier? in any case, you're towing in the cold, which helps with engine bay temps, and ... it's way less stress that towing a whole car behind you (in summer ambient temp etc).
 
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