How to install a VAZ-2115 tow bar yourself

The domestic automaker does not seem to know about the importance of maximizing the use of vehicles for cargo transportation, even if the model is passenger. Therefore, owners have to solve this problem on their own, fortunately, this is now quite possible. Right now, because older VAZ models did not provide for the installation of a towbar in their design at all. Therefore, car owners had to be willful at their own peril and risk.

AvtoVAZ policy

However, this policy of owners does not always coincide with the opinion of domestic automakers. For example, there was no provision for connecting a towbar to a VAZ of older years at all - the owners installed it at their own peril and risk. Even today AvtoVAZ does not recommend operating its cars with a trailer for the first 2000 km:

1. The body of most passenger cars does not provide mounting points for a towbar;
2. The standard wiring does not have free connectors for connecting the trailer's electrical equipment;
3. There is no way to connect the brake system of a trailer (camping car) to a car.

Note! The documentation for the VAZ 2115 passenger car states that it is possible to tow trailers whose weight does not exceed 500 kg.

Features of installing trailer hitch on VAZ cars

Since traffic rules do not prohibit equipping cars with towing devices, owners are willing to re-equip their vehicles. Moreover, the price of towbars is affordable for many. (see also the article Features of installing a tow bar on a Renault Duster with your own hands: instructions)

However, in the AvtoVAZ line there are a number of models that have design features of the body, which affects the design of the trailer hitch.

For example, installing a towbar on a VAZ 2106 is distinguished by the fact that this car is rear-wheel drive, which means:

• It is necessary to provide a mounting method that would not limit the operation of the driveshaft and rear axle suspension;
• Provide access to the rear axle lubrication unit;
• Do not interfere with the removal of the resonator and exhaust system pipes.

When installing a towbar on a “classic”, you need to take into account the attachment points of other components and assemblies

At the same time, installing a towbar on a Priora with your own hands is a simpler option, since the car is front-wheel drive. This means that there are much fewer components in the rear part of the body, and more options for attaching the trailer hitch.

Note! Installing a tow bar on a Priora Hatchback differs from installing it on a similar model with a sedan or station wagon. The peculiarity lies in the different attachment points of the tow bar to the side members.

It should be noted that AvtoVAZ has changed its policy since 2010, focusing on sales of its models abroad. Therefore, installing a towbar on Kalina or installing a towbar on Grant is often accompanied by official recommendations. Manufacturers of trailer hitches draw the attention of buyers to this fact.

Features of installing a tow bar on the Samara-2 family

It is no secret that the VAZ 2115 model is the successor to the “ninety-ninth”, which in turn inherited the platform from the VAZ-09. Therefore, installing a towbar on a VAZ 2109 at one time allowed trailer hitch developers to accumulate sufficient experience, offering do-it-yourself installation kits for free sale.

If you are the owner of a Samara-2 family car, then before you go to the store and purchase a towbar, be sure to find out the design features of your car.

For example, installing a towbar on a VAZ 2114 and VAZ 2115 differs in other methods of attachment to the body:

1. The automaker made changes to the body's power elements in 1997, 2004 and 2007;
2. For all the indicated years of manufacture, there are different towbars - towbars.

Installation of a tow bar – VAZ 2115, 2004

Advice! If you do not know the design features of the car, then when purchasing a trailer hitch, negotiate a return or exchange with the seller. The fact is that compatibility can only be determined by removing the rear bumper and placing the car on a pit or lift.

Do-it-yourself matching block for a towbar

For owners of modern models equipped with a large number of electronic components and computer control systems, in addition to the device itself, you will need a special smart connector. It is needed so that the vehicle’s electrics do not perceive the connection of the trailer as an emergency and do not use the emergency shutdown.

The towbar is an indispensable device for car enthusiasts who lead an active lifestyle, love to travel, that is, people who often have to transport large luggage

The fact is that a towbar is not just a hook or a rear step, it is a device that, in addition to the direct clutch, connects the trailer’s electrical equipment to the vehicle’s on-board network. At the same time, turning on each electrical device increases the load on the car network, which computer control systems can perceive as an unauthorized intrusion.

A matching unit is a device that helps to intelligently distribute additional load according to a scheme that is understandable and acceptable for the machine’s electronics. It helps to avoid emergency shutdowns, overloads and other emergency situations.

See also:

Tow bar for Renault Duster 4x4

Manufacturer's arguments

Every car owner who has encountered such a problem has wondered: why didn’t the developers initially provide a tow bar?

Indeed, it would be easier that way. But AvtoVAZ employees who work on designing passenger cars have a professional opinion on this matter. Naturally, they are aware that owners install towbars on the VAZ-2115 with their own hands, but they strongly do not recommend doing this.

By all means, trying to prevent:

• the body design of this passenger car does not provide space for attaching a special towing coupling device;
• the standard wiring does not have connectors for connecting the electrical equipment of an additional trailer;
• It is not possible to connect the brake system of a trailer attached to a passenger car as a trailer.

At the same time, the instructions for the VAZ-2115 car have a clause that states that trailers can be towed, but the total weight of additional luggage should not exceed 500 kg.

In this case, how will it be possible to tow the same luggage without a trailer hitch?

How to make a towbar with your own hands (video)

Having read all of the above, you should understand that there is nothing complicated in making a tow bar with your own hands, and therefore you should not be afraid, but you just need to take this matter responsibly, and then everything will work out. You will not only save a lot of money, but also gain invaluable experience.

If you still don’t trust your capabilities, then we advise you to resort to the help of professionals or buy a ready-made towbar and install it yourself.

Nowadays, the owner of a car without a tow bar, and especially without a trailer, will have a hard time, with the exception of those who have mini-trucks in their garage or those who can afford to order special equipment for any type of transportation.

Agree, quite often in everyday life you have to transport something that does not fit in the cabin or trunk: construction materials or oversized purchases. The issue, of course, can be resolved, as I said earlier, by calling special equipment or resorting to the services of a cargo taxi service. However, all this is not cheap, and during the summer season it is unlikely that anyone will stop transporting potatoes by taxi. In short, no matter how you look at it, you need a mini-trailer that perfectly fits most vital things, from a sack of potatoes to a stepladder with a concrete mixer. That’s all true, but in order to connect the trailer you need a place, in other words, a towbar, which not all modern cars are equipped with. You can buy a tow bar or make it yourself. Today I will tell you how to equip your car with a tow bar in detail, so that you can become the owner of this useful, vital device.

So, in order to make a tow bar, you need to find a ball with eyes (on the market or used, it doesn’t really matter). After this, you need to remove the bumper, cut off the lugs and make holes using a drill and a drill. Then you will need a pipe of suitable diameter up to 1 meter long. Using a welding machine, you need to connect the fastener. After this, in the center of the pipe, another pipe is attached by welding, at a right angle. After this, the structure can be primed and painted. In order to wriggle the spar, you can insert a small piece of a corner with nuts welded to it, in the end you will get something like a removable towbar. You can get power from the headlight, and the socket itself can be made through a connector.

Types and criteria for choosing a traction coupling device

The choice of towbar model largely depends on the operating conditions of the given traction element. TSUs are divided into:

• Removable.

Fairly easy to install. Thanks to this, they are very popular among owners of VAZ 2108, 2109, 2114 and 2115 models. They are mounted with 2 or 4 bolts. The process of installing or dismantling the product takes 20-30 minutes.

• Fixed.

They are a massive non-demountable structure. They are attached to the car by welding or “fitting” onto massive bolts. Devices of this type allow you to tow other cars and trailers with increased load capacity.

• Quick release.

Collapsible structures, often equipped with a mechanism that allows the towbar frame to be folded. The coupling ball is dismantled. Devices of this type are suitable for transporting low-capacity trailers.

Also, the tow bar for the VAZ 2114 has the following varieties:

• With low load capacity. The total weight of the loaded trailer must not exceed the load rating of 1500 kg.
• With increased load capacity. The curb weight of the trailer varies from 3000 to 3500 kilograms. To be able to transport such a trailer, you must have a category E driver's license.

When installing a towbar on a VAZ 2115, VAZ 2114, VAZ 2109 and VAZ 2108, the corresponding trailer hitch is used. Experienced motorists recommend purchasing traction coupling devices manufactured by "Trailer", "Leader-Plus". To determine which towbar to install on the car, you will need to study the markings. It is indicated on the body of the part.

As for the selection criteria, it is worth paying attention to the following factors:

• Manufacturing company.

When purchasing a coupling element, pay special attention to the manufacturer. Before purchasing, you need to read reviews about the company and familiarize yourself with the range of products.

• Load capacity.

You should not purchase a trailer hitch with a smaller load capacity for the sake of saving money. Using an unsuitable product will damage the vehicle body.

• Manufacturing material and build quality.

Before purchasing, carefully study the appearance of the part; the purchase should be abandoned if the product is dirty, the paintwork is damaged, there are traces of corrosion, or there are problems with the folding mechanism. If the material from which the part is made is of poor quality, the purchase should also be abandoned.

• Equipment.

When purchasing a towbar, fasteners, wires and an electrical outlet must be included in the kit.

When purchasing a product, you must write down the part identification number. You will need it when registering your vehicle with the traffic police.

Recommendations for use

When operating a Lada car with a towbar, you must follow some rules for operating this part:

• After each trip, the traction element is treated with special anti-corrosion solutions, dirt and moisture are removed from it.
• The coupling ball, when not in use, is covered with protective lubricant and a special cap.
• When transporting a fully loaded trailer hitch, the vehicle speed should not exceed 90 kilometers per hour.
• Transportation of extra-heavy, large-sized trailers is carried out using a towbar with increased load capacity.
• After installing the trailer hitch, the part is registered with the traffic police.

The towbar expands the vehicle's capabilities. A machine equipped with a trailer hitch is capable of towing trailers or other vehicles. However, you should select towbars that are suitable for your specific vehicle model.

What you need to prepare before installation

Before the installation process of the towbar, you will need to prepare the vehicle, as well as the tools necessary for installation. The vehicle is driven to an overpass or inspection hole, the car is de-energized, and, if necessary, the bumper is dismantled.

Among the tools for installation, you need to prepare a set of keys, an electric drill with a cutter, as well as a tow bar, wires and a socket.

Do-it-yourself towbar ball

European coupling devices use a unified 50 mm ball - this is the same size for all brands of cars and trailers. In America there are two types of sizes:

• two-inch;
• 17/8 inch.

Practice shows that it is better to purchase this element ready-made on the car market. If you can’t find a suitable size, order it from a good turner - you won’t be able to turn such a part by hand.

The towbar design is attached to the vehicle using a special platform

How to purchase online?

In order to purchase a high-quality, certified tow bar for the VAZ 2114, you just need to visit our website and place an order for exactly the product that suits you. Only on our website you can purchase a high-quality towbar 2114, because we work only directly with the factory - the manufacturer of original spare parts for VAZ cars, and thanks to this we are able to avoid dealer markups and markups from intermediaries, which guarantees you the lowest possible cost of the product , which you purchase.

But in addition to the fact that you purchased the product on our website, you also need to install it, and we can also help you with this. Since installing a 2114 towbar is not an easy task, and without special skills and training it is almost impossible to do it yourself, there are specialized service centers that will help you install your towbar on your car.

What to do right

It's up to you to decide. But in fact, there is a lot more hassle with homemade towing devices than you might imagine. Saving on the purchase of a ready-made trailer hitch does not justify itself at all, but causes even more trouble.

Therefore, if you don’t know what to do and what to do, listen to my subjective opinion. Buy a quality towbar from a good, time-tested manufacturer. Now there are more than enough of them. Namely:

They provide literally everything, from the towbar socket to additional accessories, such as special decorative caps for the trailer hitch.

Factory designs are adapted to:

• car make;
• The model of car;
• modification;
• body type;
• year of manufacture and other nuances.

That is, if you take a factory-certified removable towbar, then it will have ideal dimensions down to the millimeter, the necessary matching unit for a specific trailer, optimal quality and load resistance.

I'll leave the installation question open. I will not say that it is necessary to install the trailer hitch from specialists. Many car owners are quite capable of installing a tow bar with their own hands, spending a minimum of time and effort on it. There are many visual videos about this.

Here, let everyone decide for themselves. Although if you buy a tow bar from an official dealer, they can supply it for free.

So there’s definitely no point in giving up here. This will save your time, effort and nerves.

If you think that homemade trailer hitches are justified and it makes sense to make them, be sure to write in the comments. We will certainly discuss this issue.

Thank you everyone for your attention! Subscribe, leave comments, ask a question and invite your friends to join us!

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The main problem of homemade trailer hitches

The bottom line is that this is a homemade design. Accordingly, all the problems stem from this. Such manipulations are prohibited. If you simply assemble the towbar, install it on the car and operate it, you will face serious fines and be required to dismantle the structure.

And all because a homemade vehicle must be registered and officially undergo a complex examination procedure. Practice clearly shows that the vast majority of homemade towbars do not meet safety requirements. Consequently, car owners quickly remove them and exchange them for factory ones.

There are no problems with factory trailer hitches. If the manufacturer of your car provides the possibility of installing a towbar and driving with a trailer, then you won’t even have to make changes to the title. And this is true for almost 99% of all cars. The trailer itself will have to be registered, but that's another story.

Registration of an uncertified vehicle

If a towbar is installed on the car, but there is no documentation for it, the procedure is as follows:

• Visit the local traffic police department to establish the possibility of installing a towbar in principle;
• If the decision is positive, receive a certificate with the result of the examination carried out on the basis of an accredited laboratory;
• Pass a technical inspection of the car;
• Re-issue the vehicle vehicle (a note about the installation of the vehicle vehicle must be entered in the “special notes” column).

This certificate must be presented along with your license and registration certificate.

Installation work

So, when the trailer hitch has been purchased and the time for its installation has been selected, you can begin installation:

1. We place the car on the inspection hole;
2. Disconnect the battery;
3. We remove the rear bumper of the car along with the bumper power beam (pictured below under No. 2).

Main parts of the rear bumper

Now we have to determine the mounting location of the towbar on the bottom of the car.

For this:

1. We place the transverse beam of the trailer hitch between the bumper mounting brackets;
2. We press the side brackets of the trailer hitch to the bumper mounting brackets, resting them against the stiffener;
3. Mark the drilling points;
4. We press the longitudinal beam to the bottom of the car;
5. We mark the points for drilling technological holes.

We arm ourselves with a drill and drill holes for the bolts.
We proceed to fixing the load-bearing structure of the trailer hitch:

1. We fix the trailer hitch corner with two M10x25 bolts;
2. We install the bushings from the kit between the walls of the bumper mounting brackets.

Advice! Bushings allow you to avoid deformation while driving a car with a trailer. When tightening the bolts, observe the tightening torque, for which use a torque wrench. For M10 bolts it is 3.5 kg/cm, and for M12 – 5.0 kg/cm.

The only work remaining is to connect the plug socket to the standard electrical wiring of the VAZ.

For this:

• Punch through the rubber plug in the trunk floor for wires with a diameter of 12 mm;
• Connect the trailer hitch wires to the vehicle's electrical wiring. This is best done in the rear headlight wiring harness;
• Follow the connection diagram (pictured below).

In the diagram: 1 - left turn, 2 - fog light, 3 - weight, 4 - right turn, 5 - license plate light and right rear side marker, 6 - brake, 7 - left rear side marker

Advice! To protect your trailer lights, order headlight decals. This will protect the glass from flying stones and branches when driving off-road.

Installation of a towbar on a VAZ Lada 2109 Samara in auto repair shops in Moscow

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Connecting the socket

After the tow bar has been installed, proceed to connecting the socket with wires. They provide an electrical connection to the vehicle's towbar. The pinout looks like this:

• Yellow (Left turn signal).
• Free.
• Black (Mass).
• White (Right turn signal).
• Free.
• Red (Stop light).
• Blue (Parking lights).

After making the connection, the wires are pulled into the holes in the niche for the spare wheel. The socket is powered from the car's rear headlight connectors.

Do-it-yourself tow bar for Logan

The picture below shows the coupling device for Renault Logan:

To manufacture it you will need drawings and dimensions of individual elements:

Power beam

Side bracket

Hook with ball

Flange

Right and left cheeks

Installation is carried out in special technological holes provided by the manufacturer for this purpose - they will need to be freed from plugs and adhesive tape.

A few secrets on how to install a towbar on a VAZ 2114

Some motorists regularly use a trailer. In order to couple a trailer and a car such as a VAZ 2114, a special device is required. It's called a tow bar. This device allows motorists to transport any cargo on pre-attached trailers. If a car enthusiast does not know how to install a towbar on a VAZ 2114, then he should act according to the plan given below in the text.

The most popular types of towbars:

• flanged;
• welded;
• removable.

Each of the listed types of towbars has its own characteristics. Welded towbars are highly reliable, and removable towbars can be dismantled. Flange towbars must be installed on a special platform.

Equipment and tools

The towbar for model 2109 is usually powder coated, as it better protects against mechanical damage.

It includes the following installation components:

• the product itself;
• electrical package;
• fasteners.

Tow hitch manufacturers also supply their products with a technical passport and a quality certificate. The pinout of the socket is usually included in the package.

In order to install a tow bar on a car with your own hands, you will need:

• scrap;
• pencil (for marking);
• drill;
• corrugation;
• sealant.

How to choose the right towbar for a VAZ 2115?

• For a domestic car Lada Samara 2 with a sedan body, and this is what the VAZ 2115 looks like, you should buy a ball hitch. A type “A” ball is capable of withstanding loads from one to one and a half tons in the horizontal direction and a vertical load of up to 100 kilograms.
• Experienced drivers warn: do not install towbars on your vehicle that have already been used. No one can guarantee that the towbar was used in compliance with the rules and without overload. It is quite difficult to check such equipment for hidden defects.
• Also, you should not try to make a towing device yourself from scrap materials. A towbar is a very important element of a road train; your safety, as well as the safety of vehicles and the lives of other road users, depends on it. Buy only factory trailer hitches with all quality certificates and guarantees from a reliable manufacturer.

How to make a towbar with your own hands

How to make a tow bar yourself ? Let's consider the option of making a tow bar using an “A” ball; let us remember that it is attached to two bolts and can be removed.

The type of car to which the towbar will be attached does not matter, since they are individual in their features and dimensions.

First of all, let's prepare the tools that will be needed:

You will also need materials without which it will not be possible to make a towbar:

1. hook with ball and two eyes;
2. metal sheet 2 mm;
3. corner;
4. pipe or square profile;
5. trailer power socket;
6. several meters of five-core cable;
7. soldering iron

First of all, you need to remove the car’s bumper, no one will have any problems with this, after that you will be able to understand what we will attach the tow bar to. Basically it is attached under the bumper reinforcement, for this you will also need to remove it.

When we have removed everything we need, we begin measuring the future fastening of the tow bar; it is advisable to do this carefully, measuring everything several times. We start by measuring the plates for mounting the bumper amplifier to the size of the mounts and drilling holes in them for the amplifier mounting bolts.

See here how to remove rust from a body.

What to do if the hydraulic compensator is knocking: we’ll look into the reasons here.

How to assemble a headlight washer with your own hands: selection of materials, assembly, installation. All this is in our material.

When these blanks are ready, we proceed to the manufacture of fasteners, for this we take a tube and a square profile and, using corners, weld them to the plates that we made earlier. This is best done using gas welding. When we have welded the plates to the pipe, using pieces of angle, we try on the fasteners along the holes on the bolts of the bumper amplifier.

What is the punishment?

In some regions, car owners have already begun to be seriously fined for illegal towbars. The fine is under Article 12.5 of the Administrative Code, Part 1, in the amount of 500 rubles. If you are being punished for the first time for driving a vehicle (it may be something that you did not know), then this same article provides for the issuance of a warning. Be polite to the inspector and tell him you will fix it. In this case, you may have to avoid punishment. But don’t delay legalization if you really need a towbar. If you don’t need it, then just take it off and don’t look for adventures in one place)))

Preparatory part of the installation

For installation you will need:

• towbar;
• Screwdriver Set;
• a set of keys;
• scrap;
• neutral sealant;
• drill;
• felt-tip pen;
• corrugation.

It's better to buy a new unit. Its package includes: wiring diagram for the towbar, bolts, electrical kit, instructions.

There are three types of towbars:

1. The most common option for VAZ is removable. This is the most popular option in Russia. The name speaks for itself. If necessary, it can be easily removed.
2. Flanged towbars are more difficult to install. They are made for different brands of cars. There is a possibility that the driver will have to drill additional holes.
3. Fixed. These can also include welded ones.

If you do not want problems with the traffic police, then install a tow bar designed for a specific VAZ model. According to the new cargo transportation rules, the driver must not install homemade towbars. In any case, it's up to you to decide. Therefore, we will consider in more detail the installation of each type of towbar. For convenience, you should drive your car onto the overpass.

Installation of the tow bar begins with turning off the power to the machine.

Selecting a towbar model

The choice of towbar model is dictated by which model you want to buy or which one you have already purchased. It is possible that you have come across an interesting option imported from abroad with a unique towing device, which will be impossible to find from us and will have to be ordered from there. But we will assume that you bought a new trailer for the VAZ 2114, and installation will be simple. In general, we need a coupling ball. Why a ball? Because trailed equipment based on a ball is most widely used in our country and in Europe. It is the towed ball that has replaced all other options and is capable of providing the necessary smooth ride of the car along with the trailer. The ball is perfectly smooth, often even lubricated. This is done because the ball acts as a bearing for the towbar and when the movement changes, it slides and does not create inconvenience for the driver.

Useful video

Published on December 24, 2017A towbar is a towing device that is developed individually for each car model of a certain brand. It is used to attach a tow hitch and securely fix it.

VAZ 2114, otherwise called “Samara 2”, is a five-door hatchback, a modified version of the previous VAZ 2109 model. Production of the car began in 2003. In 2007, an eight-valve environmentally friendly engine was added to the standard package. In 2008, wide moldings were replaced by narrow ones. The next generation of cars already acquired a 16-valve engine (2009). Production was stopped at the end of 2013 by the AvtoVAZ plant.