How Do I Remove A Tow Bar And Is It Worth Removing (Selling To Dealer)

[Wayne Brian Pearsall]

Hi ya.

I bought my focus last feb (titanium) been looking around, and found i can get a nice 11 plate zetec for about £8500 (ford direct - but guessing likely to have 20k or so on clock.)

now i went into a couple of dealers, and they have been "ooo, ahh.... what have you been towing" etc (my obvious response was "ahh my little trailer for camping" - didnt want them to know about a van, but its twin elecs...

so, im thinking... should i remove my tow bar before i approach this dealer to trade in my focus.... will having the tow bar make a difference much?

i plan to fit one onto my new focus, so obv will save me some money on parts? (both same shape focus, not new shape focus - mk2.5)

i have bearly used my car to tow (i think i have only towed my little caravan just twice / two little holidays...)

now to the main question...

how easy is it to remove the bar myself? will i need to remove the bumper? i do have the metal support bumper still (i was wise enough to get that off the garage who fitted tow bar - he didnt look too pleased i took it, guess he had plans to sell it lol)

OR, should i just remove the "drop neck" and elec points? = how likely are they to spot it if i remove the tow ball.... but leave the bar? - i see kits online for about 80 quid, and obv would have new car with a tow bar... what would you guys do?

to remove or not to remove.... cheers

[Stoney871]

What you have to beware of is sometimes the chassis is cut to allow fitting of the tow bar.

Removing the bar can leave the chassis weakened.

I'd leave it fitted.

[ferretfloozy]

have one fitted to my zetec - to stop the idiot next door from parking too close. never used it for towing .yours has double electrics so thats a split charger,bypass relay,indicator buzzer etc.. i fitted mine myself was easy to do helps if you have someone to hold the bumper, then a local towbar place wired it up for £30 (single electric) and checked it over as the insurance company insisted on an instalation receipt .they would have supplied and fitted for £215. the big question is how much hassle is it worth to you to save the price of a new one supplied and fitted and do you feel confident enough to fit it on your new car. as for the garage i think it makes no difference to them if its got a tow bar ..they will take it off before they sell your old car on just tell them it was done proffessionally and you still have the bumper bar. of course they will try to shave a few pounds of the trade in price but you could always say that you want it swopped over to the new car as part of the deal or go back to the garage that fitted it and get a quote to remove it and refit at a later date. myself i would leave it on the old car

[Wayne Brian Pearsall]

What you have to beware of is sometimes the chassis is cut to allow fitting of the tow bar.

Removing the bar can leave the chassis weakened.

I'd leave it fitted.

mine was a simple screw in the bolts and splice the wiring kit... - no bumper cutting ETC...

you could always say that you want it swopped over to the new car as part of the deal or go back to the garage that fitted it and get a quote to remove it and refit at a later date. myself i would leave it on the old car

i went to 3 garages today, and only one of them even mentioned the tow bar... - he actually told me they would remove it... so it would cost £150 off my trade in (leaving me a couple hundred quid in negative equity...) - needless to say its kind of a deal breaker in my view, as the rest of the car is in top notch, except for a minor "scuff" on drivers door edge when the wind took it into a wall (litterally the edge not on the door panel itself)

tbh though, i cant really be bothered to remove the bumper... but im more than confident to remove / refit it... - again, reciept = warranty guarentee ;) [ford in stratford tried to say fitting my dvd head unit voided my warranty on elec system, when door locking button failed... needless to say some arguing ETC solved the issue otherwise i would of stuck original back in and took it to a diff branch.]

ive been to bristol st in lichfield - vauxhall... they are offering me a little more than my finance remaining and didnt seem bothered about the tow bar (most likely because they will remove it). and they are giving me top book for it (still, its a kick in the teeth that ive lost 3 n half grand plus interest in a year lol. - but its the things we do for a "nice car"

I guess i will speak to ford if i do get another focus - about a "hot swap" of the bar - and tell them ive got the bumper... although, mostly they would remove the ball? and elecs only?

- i need to remove my reverse cam and amp etc... so will prob look at removing second socket at same time... - at the very least will save about 20 or so quid on the socket on new cars tow bar ;) - just get place to fit single. and later fit the second one myself... - it cost me an extra 50 or 60 quid for twin elec...

[Wayne Brian Pearsall]

http://www.bristolstreet.co.uk/used-car/398832/ford-focus-1-6-titanium-5dr-petrol-hatchback

well, there you have it guys... dealers remove tow bars...

This is my old car, just out of curiosity (sp) i looked how much they sold it... i know this is def mine, because the DAB radio, under the CD logo to the right of the volume control, under that logo. there is a circular blemish, thats infact where some baghead tried to nick my stereo when i left the window open when i went into shop one day (stupid error on my part costing a new trim from ford (couple hundred for the CF look one) - cracked the actual radio face, when tring to pry it out because of the locking screw, and totally wrecked the facia trim...) but lol. amazing eh...

oh well, i never offered them my rear bumper bar, i might stick it on fleabay for a few quid start (any body know what the bumper bars sell for?) - or i might try my mate at local scrappy see if he wants to swap it and my focus's spare for a spare wheel for my "new" meriva (2010) - more suitable for family but my god i miss my focus for nights like tonight... think i need to invest in new wheels / tyres because the 15" on my meriva dont grip at all in this rain, although it is tipping it down rather harshly...

ahh well, to be expected when ive "downgraded" i guess...

although, my focus didnt mind keeping its power throughout 1-5th gear, the meriva 1st - 3rd pulls off more rapid than my focus, shamefully 4th and 5th leave a little to be desired in power - with the meriva... but it just means i need to stop the "lazy man driving"... and actually change down from 5th as i enter a roundabout... :P

[Paul Martin Forrest]

My mate and I attempted to remove the tow bar on my MK1 Focus but we couldn't get the bols holding the bumper to move - they just kept spinning. We did however manage to see the two large nuts and bolts holding the back bit onto the towbar. So a lot of wd40 and some brute force with a big spanner and we got the back bit off. This means I can't sell as a full unit but it does mean it won't weaken the car as the big bar is still inside and the car looks much better without the big chunky bit of metal sticking out the back.