Tow Hitch Loads For Bike Carriers

[dr_gn]

I've got an old Civic fitted with a towbar. Handbook defines a 50kg vertical load limit.

I want to buy a towbar-mounted bike rack (Strada DL3), total weight with bikes almost exactly 50kg.

Simple questions:

1) Even though the vertical load is still 50kg, it'll be located about 400mm behind the vertical axis of the towbar, giving a significant moment (lever effect). Is the max. vertical load figure primarily due to strength limitations of the towbar-body mountings, or suspension compression? If it's the latter, surely the vertical load limit should be de-rated to compensate for the lever effect of something rigidly clamped to the ball?

2) Are tow hitches designed to take this moment loading? Obviously, the're spherical to avoid this kind of load, and provide articulation.

I can't find any information on this on the carrier specs.

Thanks.

[dr_gn]

Bobhon said:

Do Honda sell a towbar mounted bike carrier for your model of car? At JLR we sell such things where they have been tested as being suitable for the car.

As you say the loading into the towbar is a turning moment rather than the point loading that it was primarily designed to take. So it puts different stresses into both the towbar and the mounting points on the chassis, potentially giving a different failure mode than it was tested for.

So if Honda sell one then it will have been tested as acceptable to work with your car.

HTC

Bob

Thanks Bob, I'm assuming if a carrier is TUV approved it will have passed any relevant safety tests.