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[05omegav6]

As above really, two questions:

1. Can/should a tow bar really be repaired? Was twisted in such a way that the ball is about an inch up/forward to the right of where it should be. The crossmember had twisted up on its mountings, and the neck has twisted right and up as well.

2. Would anyone here use a repaired towbar?

Al.

[The Red Baron]

As above really, two questions:

1. Can/should a tow bar really be repaired? Was twisted in such a way that the ball is about an inch up/forward to the right of where it should be. The crossmember had twisted up on its mountings, and the neck has twisted right and up as well.

2. Would anyone here use a repaired towbar?

Al.

in a word...NO, not after it had been twisted that much.

[Andy B]

As above really, two questions:

1. Can/should a tow bar really be repaired? Was twisted in such a way that the ball is about an inch up/forward to the right of where it should be. The crossmember had twisted up on its mountings, and the neck has twisted right and up as well.

2. Would anyone here use a repaired towbar?

Al.

How's the back of the car then if the towbar has moved so much? 

[05omegav6]

The crash bar did what it's designed to do, and the bumper split in two places. The MX5 that hit me stopped on the towball and was then hit hard from behind by another car. The brackets for the towbar are connected to the crossmember by 2 bolts each end, and the neck is connected by 2 bolts either side. The brackets are 1/4 sheet steel. I suspect that the bolts will have taken the worst of the impact. It may appear that the bar is adjustable, but surely it is not designed to be adjusted once it is torqued up in it's correct position. I don't feel comfortable knowing that it has only been tweeked back into position.

[albitz]

I wouldnt use it tbh.Its always going to be in the back of your mind when your towing.

[05omegav6]

I wouldnt use it tbh.Its always going to be in the back of your mind when your towing.

That is exactly what is bothering me

[Cliffo B]

No! No! Don't use it!! Don't even think of it,climbing that hill,or coming down it for that matter you know the one with a hairpin bend,goodbye caravan goodbye miggy and possibly goodbye yourself and family please don't risk it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If it's just been tweeked back into position,then it's easy tweeked well back out of position 

[henryd]

I would definitely bin the towbar,god knows what stresses it has endured and it certainly can't be trusted any more.

[Entwood]

I would tell the garage that you are about to ask your insurance company if they will give you an endorsement IN WRITING that they will fuly indemnify you for any damage caused to you, your passengers, your property AND ANY third party costs resulting from failure of the "repaired" towbar as authorised by them........ as I bet they've authorised its replacement and NOT its repair ..... then watch the garage squirm .... 

[mantahatch]

Funnily enough my brother had the rear of his van hit and his towbar was bent to the left by about 45 degrees. And they wanted to straighten it rather than replace it. I get the idea that body shops are/where charging for factory fit towbars and then fitting cheap aftermarket ones. Hence insurance companies seeking cheaper repair.

Anyway on the face of it look how thick the steel is compared to the bodywork it is attached to, no real reason for not repairing it. But would I use a repaired ? no I would not. Especially with Omega ones theyt are now ten a penny.

Just my useless 2p worth.

[Del Boy]

For the cost of a second hand tow bar, surely it's not worth the risk?

[05omegav6]

All they've done is repair the bumper. They straightened the crash bar, (but will neither confirm or deny this) and they 'Adjusted the towbar'. apparantly because there is currently no wiring to the towbar, it is not being used and is therefore an irrelevance. Never heard such steaming bullshipt . All that is not there is about 15" of cable and a plug. King fuming.
Basically, and someone please correct me if I'm wrong, repairer couldn't be yarised to drop the back box to move the heat shield for the N/S mountings, and the engineertimator wanted to save a couple of quid, win win allround, for them dykeheads, kuf the punters.

For the cost of a second hand tow bar, surely it's not worth the risk?

For the price of a new one it's not worth it TBH. £125 plus 90 mins labour plus the dreaded is all . £303 all in at VX using a brand new VX towbar, and they'll pop a new crash bar on for nowt . They probably saved that by repairing rather than replacing the bumper, especially as they only charge £25ph against £85ph at VX. (tosser smiley).

I would tell the garage that you are about to ask your insurance company if they will give you an endorsement IN WRITING that they will fuly indemnify you for any damage caused to you, your passengers, your property AND ANY third party costs resulting from failure of the "repaired" towbar as authorised by them........ as I bet they've authorised its replacement and NOT its repair ..... then watch the garage squirm .... 

That got their backs up alright Mentioned it to the solicitor, she passed it on to Aviva, who then took nearly 2 hours to reply with ' the engineer said no'. Now she's annoyed with them too.

Now have to wait until monday as apparantly Aviva don't have anyone with  the right skillset in the Uk, and no working computers/systems/internet in India FFS

[henryd]

What a bunch of to$$ers,its a no brainer really,if the bar took the wack it should be replaced.

[Marks DTM Calib]

You cant straighten metal sections such as that and maintain the same structual integrity as even heating it up to straighten it alters the properties.

Dangerous in my opinion.

[05omegav6]

Going back in to have all the parts replaced that should have been done the first time round and to refit the quarter panel trim where it is meant to be.

Hopefully that will be that (fingers crossed smiley).

[Entwood]

Going back in to have all the parts replaced that should have been done the first time round and to refit the quarter panel trim where it is meant to be.

Hopefully that will be that (fingers crossed smiley).

Sounds like a result 

But why, oh why, did they not just do it right the first time 

[05omegav6]

Going back in to have all the parts replaced that should have been done the first time round and to refit the quarter panel trim where it is meant to be.

Hopefully that will be that (fingers crossed smiley).

Sounds like a result 

But why, oh why, did they not just do it right the first time 

Apparantly, when I said that I'd rather it not be written off, (because it only complicates things with the council), they took that to mean bodge it Workshop manager was reasonably understanding when I explained that had it been written off, I'd have taken a settlement and repaired it myself replacing everything, after all it's not like I haven't done that before .