Retrofit Tow Bar

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crashley
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Retrofit Tow Bar

Post by crashley » Sun Apr 07, 2019 9:07 pm

Anyone had any luck? I've approached two local (Essex) tow bar specialists, one hasn't come back to me despite chasing, the other told me it wasn't homologated to tow, which I believe is rubbish. Car is fitted with DRC.

It's to tow the track car or bikes, not just to stick a bike rack on, for ref.

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doodlebug
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Re: Retrofit Tow Bar

Post by doodlebug » Sun Apr 07, 2019 9:52 pm

Tow bar is only available on cars fitted with standard air, not DRC.

wildbore
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Re: Retrofit Tow Bar

Post by wildbore » Sun Apr 07, 2019 10:13 pm

The DRC cars cannot take a factory-fit folding tow bar as the suspension accumulators are located in the centre of the car at the back where the tow bar would fold into.

You might be able to get a non folding removable tow bar fitted?

crashley
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Re: Retrofit Tow Bar

Post by crashley » Sun Apr 07, 2019 10:19 pm

wildbore wrote:
Sun Apr 07, 2019 10:13 pm
The DRC cars cannot take a factory-fit folding tow bar as the suspension accumulators are located in the centre of the car at the back where the tow bar would fold into.

You might be able to get a non folding removable tow bar fitted?
That was my hope, but I'm struggling to pin down anyone to do it or indeed has had it done.

wildbore
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Re: Retrofit Tow Bar

Post by wildbore » Mon Apr 08, 2019 11:58 am

It occurs to me that the other problem you might well encounter is that, if you fit a towbar, Audi will almost certainly not entertain any future claims with regard to the DRC system.

Indeed, the DRC system may be thrown into confusion by a towed trailer (especially something as heavy as a track car/trailer) and deliver anything between a less than optimal driving experience through to an outright dangerous handling experience?

All in, I wouldn't do this on a DRC car, even if you can find someone prepared to do the fitting.

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Daveperc
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Re: Retrofit Tow Bar

Post by Daveperc » Mon Apr 08, 2019 3:39 pm

the DRC system may be thrown into confusion by a towed trailer (especially something as heavy as a track car/trailer) and deliver anything between a less than optimal driving experience through to an outright dangerous handling experience?
Whilst I agree with the need for caution on any mod, this seems to me to be rather wild speculation.

The dynamic forces through a towbar are not that great providing the braking systems etc on the trailer are properly adjusted for the load. The static force is mainly extra weight, and a good deal less than can be readily loaded into the boot of the vehicle.

In broad terms the DRC works by transferring load diagonally across the vehicle - it stiffens the most loaded corner, and softens the diagonally opposite one. Extra weight on the rear will tend to soften the front suspension, making it more compliant and reducing understeer.

I can't think of a scenario in which the suspension becomes "confused" - it's not that clever!

wildbore
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Re: Retrofit Tow Bar

Post by wildbore » Mon Apr 08, 2019 5:08 pm

Probably not, you're probably right.I was thinking about if the trailer starts swaying side to side (what's that called, I forget. Fishtailing?). It happened to me once when I was a little to lackadaisical with my speed and driving. Scared me witless. I could imagine that causing an issue in cross-linked dampers. If nothing else, cars with a factory fit bar have an ESP programme to assist in avoiding swaying that I imagine is not present on DRC cars.

LeeRS6
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Re: Retrofit Tow Bar

Post by LeeRS6 » Tue Apr 09, 2019 1:57 pm

It has been done but involves moving the DRC Actuators as they are in the way of the towbar cross member, I looked into it but gave up.

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