Tow Bar

crusty

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2023
Points
13
I believe Tony Dean, fitted a tow bar to his Z4 - I was given a 2004 Z4 2004 2.5i SE by my brother 11 years my senior and has now had to hang up his driving boots. I like the little car so much that I decided to build myself a small teardrop trailer (one up from a tent) very light from 5 mm plywood - it weighs around two Cwt. however, when i tried to buy a tow bar no one was making them for this model of BMW, now it has a towing eye on the right of the rear of the car, and I wondered if there is one hidden on the left leg behind the plastic, (so that the car chase could be used for a left or right-hand drive car.) if so I thought I could make up a tow bracket that bolted on using the eye bolt holes to attach it when it was required and remove it when it was not in use. The trailer is virtually a tea box so it would not be putting any real strain on the eye bolts' threaded holes. Failing that where can I buy a tow bar for this model?
 

t-tony

The Legend
Deceased
Supporter
#ZedShed
Joined
Dec 31, 2013
Points
226
Location
Torksey Lock,Lincoln, England
Model of Z
E89 Z4 23i Auto
Be aware that towing eye holes are left hand thread. Not a place to mount a towbar.

Tony.
 

crusty

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2023
Points
13
I have seen on YouTube a lad fitting a U-Haul tow bar to a Z4 attached to the round tubes of the subframe, dropped down on two substantial plates held in place by U-bolts then the tow bar was bolted to this member. problem - you can not get in touch with U-Haul to find out where to get one. I have tried all the main companies all over Europe - no one makes a tow bar for that car. I tried Watling at Frogmore, but they have ceased trading. now I'm really stuck, if I can not get a pattern to manufacture one myself then I will have to put the trailer up for sale.
 

IainP

Zorg Guru (III)
British Zeds
Joined
Feb 20, 2019
Points
125
Location
Out of my Tree, North of Perth, Scotland
Model of Z
1.9
I was about to suggest Watling, that’s a bugger they’ve ceased trading, as they did one for the Z3 and I’ll need such a thing in a few months.
Not sure what the bumper reinforcement for the Z4 is like, maybe incorporate that? I made one that did that for my Smart car.

a quick google shows these
649FD50F-1BBF-4DCB-A98C-E04ECE337215.png
29050912-104B-40BF-8A83-8989C246FDE2.png
Myself I’d go through the bumper and hide it with the number plate. A 50mm receiver hitch and 50mm box section should do the trick, the end plates might take some bending up though.
 
Last edited:

t-tony

The Legend
Deceased
Supporter
#ZedShed
Joined
Dec 31, 2013
Points
226
Location
Torksey Lock,Lincoln, England
Model of Z
E89 Z4 23i Auto
I had Bedford HA van when I started working for myself and I made a tow bar for that.

Tony.
 

crusty

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2023
Points
13
Following on from the saga of fitting a tow bar to a Z4 I have finally come up with one - the good news - is they are out there (all be it with restrictions) the bad news is that they cost 815,00 Euro + for the wiring kit.
Dear Mr Hamilton,
For this car, we can offer you the following tow bar.
https://www.kupplung.de/anhaengerkupplung-abnehmbar-103408-04924-1.html
Electrical kit: https://www.kupplung.de/ac-elektrosatz-107074-04924-2.html
The thing is, that you have to check, how the conditions are, in your country, meaning, under which conditions you can install them. It`s a special towbar which can be installed under special circumstances.
Over the links, you can check the data as well as the installation instructions. What you now have to do is, to ask the car producer, if it’s possible, to install them.
Für weitere Rückfragen stehen wir Ihnen gern zur Verfügung.
Please contact us for any further questions you may have.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
kind regards
 

t-tony

The Legend
Deceased
Supporter
#ZedShed
Joined
Dec 31, 2013
Points
226
Location
Torksey Lock,Lincoln, England
Model of Z
E89 Z4 23i Auto
Buy a length of 7 -core cable and a socket and wire it up your self, or if you can’t, buy the bits and take it to an auto electrician. The one pictured above is for an E89 Z4 not an E 85 Z4 and wouldn’t fit.

Tony.
 

Lee

Zorg Expert (I)
British Zeds
M Power
#ZedShed
Joined
Mar 26, 2014
Points
213
Location
Basingstoke
Model of Z
Z4 Coupe 3.0si
There's a company in Henley on themes that does them for the Z3 and Z4. We often tow a teardrop with the Z3.
 

Stevo7682

Zorg Expert (I)
Supporter
The M44 Massive
Scottish Zeds
Joined
Apr 1, 2016
Points
218
Location
Maybole , South Ayrshire
Model of Z
Z3 Individual Dakar / Orinoco Individual
The interesting thing i find after reading this is the fact that company's produce towbars for z3 but bmw says tow bars are not to be used on z3 ( i have it in print in my z3 documents).
Stephen.


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