© 1996,00,06
Blue Ox Division, Automatic Equipment Mfg. Co. • One Mill Road, Industrial Park
Pender, Nebraska 68047 • Phone 402-385-3051 • Fax 402-385-3360 • www.blueox.us
TM
UNHOOKING TOW BAR / MAINTENANCE
Unhooking / Folding:
1. Park the towing vehicle with vehicle in tow,
in a straight line, on a flat, level surface
to
insure minimum pressure is exerted on the
tow bar legs. This will aid in the removal of
the 1/2 pins. Engage the towing vehicle
parking brake. Place the towed vehicle either
in park for automatic transmissions or
securely in first gear for manual
transmissions. Unhook the lighting and safety
cables.
2. Disengage the leg latches by pushing down
on the locking handles. (Figure 5) Remove
the quick pins and 1/2 pins attaching the triple
lugs to the attachment tabs. You may need to
tap the 1/2 pins out if there is still pressure on
them. Compress both legs completely until
they lock in place.
NOTE: Each leg is equipped with a "soft" latch
inside the end. Push in on each leg until they
are held in detent by the soft latch.
NOTE: Place
the 1/2 pins
back into the
triple lugs and
secure with
the quick pin
assemblies to
avoid losing
either of them.
3. With legs together, swing them up towards
the towing vehicle until the hold up bolt passes
through the gap in the hitch connector. (Figure
6) Rotate the legs down to either side until the
hold up bolt engages completely to the side of
the hitch connector slot.
2. Keep the tow bar covered when not in use, on
or off of the towing vehicle. This will cut down
on the dust and dirt build up on the legs and
latches of the tow bar. A BX8875 tow bar
cover is recommended.
3. Periodically clean the entire surface of the tow
bar with a mild soap and water solution. Wipe
dry with a clean cloth.
4. Check and replace any loose, worn or
damaged bolts, rubber boots or cap plugs.
5. Check for cracked welds and loose bolts on
the baseplate, towed vehicle (where baseplate
is bolted) and the hitch on the towing vehicle.
6. In normal straight line towing conditions, both
legs will be in tension. Due to the design of
the latch, both handles will feel loose. During
turning, braking or parking one or both of the
legs may be in compression. This will make
the handles feel stiff or tight. Due to parking
on slopes or the angle between the coach and
the car, the two locking mechanisms could be
in compression or tension or any combination
of the two. Having one lock in tension and one
in compression may give the operator the
feeling that one leg is locked and one is not,
when in fact whenever the legs are fully
extended and the springs are holding the latch
handles up, the legs are locked and ready to
tow whether in tension or compression.
Lubrication
1. Approximately once per year or if it is difficult
to move the legs in and out you should
remove the small cable ties holding the rubber
boots on the legs and slide the boots back.
Wipe clean each inside leg and apply a light
coat of multipurpose grease to insure
smooth operation. Secure each boot back
in place with an 8 inch nylon cable tie
(available at most automotive and
hardware stores). See Fig 7.
Figure 6
Tow Bar Maintenance
1. This tow bar requires periodic maintenance.
It will be subjected to road dirt and weather
during use. The following tips will help
maintain the condition of your new tow bar.
292-2078 4/06 4 of 8
Figure 7
