OK, so we know I didn’t get things done as planned on Thursday. Not everything went swimmingly this weekend either, though I achieved a fair bit.Whilst waiting (with bated breath) for the crane to turn up, I got on with the NATO hitch. Some of you have been helping me out with my enquires as to how it attaches to a civ x-member. Marslands were less helpful, just saying that they advise against it. One or two of you gave remarks that were consistent with the diagrams in the Parts Catalogue.
The guys at Blanchards also gave the same advice on how NATO hitches were fitted to military SIIIs with civ x-members.Unfortunately, this meant fitting the hitch to the plate, and then the plate to the x-member. This means that the 4 1/2″ bolts passing through the hitch itself do not go through my x-member, so I guess I won’t be using it with Kinetic Energy Rope recoveries!. The plate itself showed witness marks (the paint!) of this installation having been correct. On the bassis that the re-inforcing scrolls inside my rear x-member were positioned where the hitch bolt holes would have been drilled (making that method of attachment impossible anyway), and that the non though-bolt method was sufficient for the MoD, I have gone along with it.
The old drop plate was removed. This had an aftermarket twin step just below the x-member at quite a useful height. This step (after painting) has been attached directly to the x-member, just below the new hitch. This new position, combined with the new suspension config (1-ton chassis and shackles with HD parabolics) means that the step will be 4 or 5″ higher than before. Might need to carry a llittle step box in the back now!
Hi Nick
I guess you may not be able to answer this as a result of your current geographical location, but I’m looking to also mount a NATO tow hitch to my civilian Series 3 and I see you installed yours as per the parts manual. It looks like the ‘official’ plate with the welded sleeves is in short supply now and the price reflects that, so I was thinking of having one fabricated and I wondered if you might have the dimensions by chance?
Also, in hindsight, are you happy with your decision to mount it this way, or would you do it differently now?
Thanks & kind regards,
Chris
Hi Chris
I mounted the kit as per the manual, but I’m not sure the manual is correct. There are two plates. One has the legs to stand off from the rear cross member, the reason for that being to create space for the nuts on the hitch bolts between the plate and cross member, and the other is a spreader plate.
The diagrams show the spreader plate being used on the other side of the cross member and the legs of the visible plate standing directly against the cross member,but there is a notch on the edge of the spreader that looks extremely suspicious; it looks like it is notched to clear the centre tab to the tub and is would this be to prevent the legs of the other plate crushing the cross member under heavy shunting loads. The diagrams don’t show another plate, so perhaps this was a change from a three plate system or maybe there were big washers in the original kits for use on the hidden cross member face. There is nothing on my chassis’ hidden face requiring the notch.
I installed it the way I did as it matched the diagrams and the spreader plate gives huge protection for pulling. I thought any siuation that resulted in the other plate’s legs pressing on the cross member hard enough to damage it would probably be severe enough a situation that such distortion would be the least of my worries.
The plate system is far from pretty and it does make the hitch protrude more than otherwise necessary, but is needed just because the existing bolt holes in the cross member don’t match the pattern on the hitch – it is merely an adaptor. Another alternative is to drill holes that match the hitch and anti-crush sleeving inside the cross member (as there is around the existing holes) or you could, if your cross member is in need of replacement anyway, fit a military cross member already built for the hitch (but this does not have mountings for a 109 rear fuel tank).
I don’t have any dimensions, but both plates are identical and square. Their sides match the height of the hidden side of the cross member where the spreader sits, less a small clearance. The legs should be made of 1″ solid round bar, the bolt holes drilled through the plate and bar to match the cross member holes, and long enough to ensure the hitch bolts and nuts don’t contact the chassis. The plates are roughly 8mm thick.
Sorry I can’t give specific measurements, given that the vehicle is so far from me, but that information should be enough for you to make up your own substitutes.
Nick.
Morning Nick,
Many thanks for taking the time to reply and to share your findings etc – all very useful!
You mention that both plates are identical & square and I see from your photographs you also have a rear step fitted (as do I), so on the ‘hidden’ rear X-member face do you have 2 strengthener/spreader plates?
One with 4 bolts as a spreader for the hitch and then a separate smaller rectangular one, spreading the load for the rear step bolts (e.g. part number 562756)? Or because it’s ‘only’ a rear step, does it not really need strengthening?
I have what looks like the 562756 fitted but that may have been put there because there’s a standard tow ball included in the step set-up, which once I have the NATO hitch fitted I’ll remove.
With regard to the legs pressing against the X-member, I wonder whether it would be worth having a thinner plate welded to the the other ends of the legs, so in effect creating a ‘sandwich’? The downside I suppose is that the whole set up would stick out even further!
Kind regards,
Chris
Hi Chris,
I have only two plates fitted; the visible one with the legs and the bolt holes for the hitch itself, and the same sized plate on the hidden side with the notch and only the four bolt holes in the corners. I don’t think an additional spreader plate between the legs and the cross member face is necessary if the leg diameter is big enough to overlap the reinforcing scrolls/tubes inside the chassis bolt holes, which appears to be the case.
The step is held on with standard tow ball bolts and some thick washers on the hidden side behind the standard nuts. The step itself bends a little near its bolts as the steel bar that forms its back edge is quite soft. I think it would be worth welding a strip along the top and bottom edges of that back bar to make it into a U-section (laying on its side) to stiffen it, but the bending is only small and I’m perhaps being a perfectionist.
Good advice – many thanks & kind regards!