A Frame & Towing
- Thread starter Phaeton
- Start date
I drove to the SVA and I would recomend doing this as it is your first real chance to test it and make sure that when you get to the SVA it's not going to fail because of something that could have been fixed before hand...
I did however build an A-Frame to tow it to the DVLA for inspection, and as far a legality goes it all depends on teh weight... Anything over 750 KG needs to be braked. (at least as far as the towing capacity of my Renault goes) but under that is OK. I read a lot about the legality of it on various trailer van websites.
Anyway that said I fastened mine onto the bottom arms using two D bolts (used for linking chains together, it is a C shape with a bolt that joins the two ends... I made my frame from 20mm box section going to a 40mm box section bit (more of a y fram than an A frame... The 40mm had the attachment for the tow ball, and I then braced the two 20mm sections further towads where they fastend onto the car...
I also use two ratchit staps which I connect to the upper arms (I put an eye bolt through the original hole that is used to fasten the upper arm to the dampner when in a mini)
NOTE using an A frame only works propperly if your self centering stearing works... When I first tested my A frame (before I failed my SVA) going round corners was more of a drag than a stear but after fixing the slef centering it works a treat.
My buggy was also towed this way with no passengers 40 Miles by the AA when I broke down on the way to Newark because my float chamber needle was stuck.
My A frame needs some minor mods (need to put a step in it) the front of the buggy is lower than my tow bar.....)
I did however build an A-Frame to tow it to the DVLA for inspection, and as far a legality goes it all depends on teh weight... Anything over 750 KG needs to be braked. (at least as far as the towing capacity of my Renault goes) but under that is OK. I read a lot about the legality of it on various trailer van websites.
Anyway that said I fastened mine onto the bottom arms using two D bolts (used for linking chains together, it is a C shape with a bolt that joins the two ends... I made my frame from 20mm box section going to a 40mm box section bit (more of a y fram than an A frame... The 40mm had the attachment for the tow ball, and I then braced the two 20mm sections further towads where they fastend onto the car...
I also use two ratchit staps which I connect to the upper arms (I put an eye bolt through the original hole that is used to fasten the upper arm to the dampner when in a mini)
NOTE using an A frame only works propperly if your self centering stearing works... When I first tested my A frame (before I failed my SVA) going round corners was more of a drag than a stear but after fixing the slef centering it works a treat.
My buggy was also towed this way with no passengers 40 Miles by the AA when I broke down on the way to Newark because my float chamber needle was stuck.
My A frame needs some minor mods (need to put a step in it) the front of the buggy is lower than my tow bar.....)
I'll take some later, been painting my chassis and can't get at my A frame until it drys, but wha tI did was drill a 12mm hole through the 20mm box the I welded some 12mm tube un the hole. I then put the C arround the bottom arm and with the holes of the C over the holes of the hole through the 20mm box I drop the pin in and tighten it up.
I used some old rubber radiator hose on the C to stop it scratching and remove any slack.
I used some old rubber radiator hose on the C to stop it scratching and remove any slack.
iank
New member
When driving to SVA you need the following:
Insurance - you can insure against chassis number as you don't have plates. Be careful they only allow you to insure against the chassis number for 30 days so if you fail you need to be careful to rebook quickly or cancel the insurance.
The bumph vosa send you. This contains a line in it saying you are allowed to drive to SVA before registered. It helps a lot if/when plod stop you for driving without plates/tax (helps with the time it takes to send them on their way
)
Driving to SVA is the best way if you have confidence in your build. Gives some time for brakes to bed in etc.
Insurance - you can insure against chassis number as you don't have plates. Be careful they only allow you to insure against the chassis number for 30 days so if you fail you need to be careful to rebook quickly or cancel the insurance.
The bumph vosa send you. This contains a line in it saying you are allowed to drive to SVA before registered. It helps a lot if/when plod stop you for driving without plates/tax (helps with the time it takes to send them on their way
)Driving to SVA is the best way if you have confidence in your build. Gives some time for brakes to bed in etc.
"iank"":3gbtaqqw said:
Agreed but I want to take the car down to a local airfield to drive round & have a good shakedown before I go for the SVA. The self centreing on the steering doesn't work very well at the minute so want to go somewhere with space. I have been driving up & down our cul-de-sac (occasionally) but as PC Plod caught me doing that on Sunday figured I don't want to push my luck.
Alan...
Hi,
I made mine to connect to the lower front arms. mounted as near to the inner ends as possible, as any wider and the buggy will rock from side to side when towed. to connect to the lower arms i fabricated a U shape from 1/4" strap and use a half inch pin under the arm to fasten, with a overcenter type pin to secure the 1/2" pin.
Total length of the A frame is about 48".
Jerry
I made mine to connect to the lower front arms. mounted as near to the inner ends as possible, as any wider and the buggy will rock from side to side when towed. to connect to the lower arms i fabricated a U shape from 1/4" strap and use a half inch pin under the arm to fasten, with a overcenter type pin to secure the 1/2" pin.
Total length of the A frame is about 48".
Jerry
I'd like plans for a dolly too please if anyone has them. I have bought a real nice 150amp mig of fleabay, got it with a mask (self darkening) and gloves. Watched a video on youtube.. "teach yourself mig welding" and I guess i'm an expert now so need something to make....
It seems to make flashes and sparks? maybe its faulty haha
It seems to make flashes and sparks? maybe its faulty haha
Thanks for the plans but being a dummmy could you tell me what HSH stands for and has anyone got either a photo or a drawing of the complete A frame so I can see what the bits refer too.
Theres nothing like overkill for £100 though hey. The welder will go from 30amp to 150amp. Yhat reminds me.. I have a bed to weld that I broke a few years back
Hope you had a nice time on holiday Alan. Im off working in Spain on Friday so its time for me to "Teach myself clutch fitting" when I get back. At this rate Ill be an expert at everything hey hahaha
Theres nothing like overkill for £100 though hey. The welder will go from 30amp to 150amp. Yhat reminds me.. I have a bed to weld that I broke a few years back
Hope you had a nice time on holiday Alan. Im off working in Spain on Friday so its time for me to "Teach myself clutch fitting" when I get back. At this rate Ill be an expert at everything hey hahaha
Google is your friend apparently stands for Square Hollow Section or Box as I would call it."FFTS"":14y4puwb said:
Click Basically it's one of these."FFTS"":14y4puwb said:
Abosultely brilliant time but the Jetlag is crippling me, only slept about 6 hours in the last 48."FFTS"":14y4puwb said:
Alan...
"esdebe"":2iz33k4n said:
Have I understood this correctly? Is it legal to use an A-frame to tow a drivable buggy around? They are bout 550kg aren't they?
And if the buggy was running but not road legal could I use the A-frame to tow it to track days etc?
Nice plans Alan, cheers!
There are two issues to deal with here.
Once the Buggy is attached to the car it becomes a trailer & the GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) of any trailer has to be less than 750Kgs over that & it has to have brakes that work in conjunction with the brakes of the towing vehicle. Mary's/Lola's GVW was declared as 720Kg's for this express purpose however MattBlack's was registered as 800Kg's so if you are going to use this route then at SVA time be aware.
The second issue is for a vehicle to towed on an A-frame it has to be registered, taxed, tested & insured. It also must be disabled as in broken down & being moved to a place of repair.
So theoretically you can never use an A-frame or Towing dolly to take your Buggy round on Edit:- That should read an unregistered, out of MOT or out of Tax Buggy. Having said that, both mine & Matt's were taken to SVA on a dolly & then both taken to the DVLA without any comments from authorities. I also have used dolly's for many many years with no trouble at all from any Police, however there is always a risk.
Alan...
Once the Buggy is attached to the car it becomes a trailer & the GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) of any trailer has to be less than 750Kgs over that & it has to have brakes that work in conjunction with the brakes of the towing vehicle. Mary's/Lola's GVW was declared as 720Kg's for this express purpose however MattBlack's was registered as 800Kg's so if you are going to use this route then at SVA time be aware.
The second issue is for a vehicle to towed on an A-frame it has to be registered, taxed, tested & insured. It also must be disabled as in broken down & being moved to a place of repair.
So theoretically you can never use an A-frame or Towing dolly to take your Buggy round on Edit:- That should read an unregistered, out of MOT or out of Tax Buggy. Having said that, both mine & Matt's were taken to SVA on a dolly & then both taken to the DVLA without any comments from authorities. I also have used dolly's for many many years with no trouble at all from any Police, however there is always a risk.
Alan...
funbuggydave
New member
If you declare too low a design weight (under 700Kg) you will fail SVA because at the test they weight the car (approx 520 - 550 Kgs) and then add 2 passengers of 75Kg each + 10Kg of luggage, if that total then exceeds your declared design weight you fail, and it's a bugger to then persuade them the design weight is greater :roll: