Disco 2 D2 What Tow Bar Bolts?

Hi All
Ive a really good tow bar (I think is a genuine LR one) that got removed from my 04 D2 18 months ago, I went to put it back on but there are only the 2 long bolts with it (I presume the garage cut the others off), the picture shows the ones Im missing, been searching for a bolt replacement 'kit' but no luck, before buying another tow bar just for 2 missing bolts anyone know what I need - size/type etc etc or had to replace them before?
Its to tow a trailer/car so need to be the right ones

Thanks as always
Simon

There has been a thread on this not that long ago, so search on Landyzone, you will find it.
your tow bar looks very similar to mine except mine has the two angled pieces with a flange and a cross piece to brace it.
Can't see exactly where you would attach one. Maybe to the ends where the steel has been doubled, but then you'd need to source a piece for the cross piece.
Busy now but if you like I could crawl under and photograph it it for you, later?

Thanks as always
This is an internet photo to be honest, Mine is at the back of the shed, so sounds like I should go digging and make sure I get a photo of my own
I thought I found a thread like this, M14 rings a bell but I'll look for it, wasnt sure if the same bar... I'll be back soon!!

sjr202 said:

Thanks as always
This is an internet photo to be honest, Mine is at the back of the shed, so sounds like I should go digging and make sure I get a photo of my own
I thought I found a thread like this, M14 rings a bell but I'll look for it, wasnt sure if the same bar... I'll be back soon!!

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If you haven't dug it out, how do you know you are short of the bolts?
They, if I remember rightly, are the size down from the long ones, in diameter, but they are a tight fit in the holes on the bar, so you could use them as a rough guide. If the diameter and pitch are the same then the ends of the long ones would fit!

You make a very good point I dug it out a few weeks ago but didnt note what model it was, sure it was a LR one though...
Thats a good shout, I'll give that a go too. Used to be a hardware store in town that would have all this as 1s and 2s but screwfix killed it off

I put M14 120 bolts in mine. They're a bit long and protrude about 10 - 15mm through the captive threaded tube in the top of the chassis. M14 100 or thereabouts should do the job.

Thank you guys, thats perfect, just what I was looking for and all the info there. Someone could make a few £ from providing bolt kits for these by the looks of the forum

Hi All - all info obtained but trying to find the right bolts especially the M16x125mm in 10.9 is proving a little harder so if anyone has already bought these from somewhere (ebay not showing any at the moment) please do let me know.

I've also managed to download an accessories fitting manual which has all the info for 3x tow bar fittings. For the LR 3.5 tonne bar STC50319 these are the bolts,

For fitting to the car (STC50319):
2x M16x125 (originals are flange bolts but good luck finding those)
2x M14x85 (originals are flange bolts)
fitting washers & suggested on here locking washers too

Total bolt kit (inc above)
10x M16 nuts
4x M16x50
2x M16x85
2x M14x85
2x M16x125
10x 5.8" washers
2x M16x40
Spanners = 24mm, 19mm, 13mm
Sockets = as per spanner + 15mm
Torque wrench up to 240nm

If anyone wants me to try and extract the fitting instructions from the 700 page PDF to upload here I will.

10.9 is a fairly high grade bolt. Is that what they are supposed to be?

Bantam1 said:

10.9 is a fairly high grade bolt. Is that what they are supposed to be?

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As you have basically only got these 4 bolts holding 3.5 tonnes, I expect they thought they ought to go for the beefy ones!!

Bantam1 said:

10.9 is a fairly high grade bolt. Is that what they are supposed to be?

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Im basing that on a previous post from Stanleysteamer (I think) on another thread about these, I hadnt found any other info on the grade of steel, as finding the bolt information itself was hard enough. But Stanleysteamer has given me good advice on here that turned out spot on, so went with that
If its overkill, thats fine, the intention is to stick a 2-2.5 tonne car on a trailer occasionally so figured take no chances

but it pulling a rolling resistance that weight 3.5 ton, not lifting 3.5 ton, if the trailer was on flat ground you could push it

frostythor said:

but it pulling a rolling resistance that weight 3.5 ton, not lifting 3.5 ton, if the trailer was on flat ground you could push it

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I'm afraid that's partially true as besides the mass, you'll need to account for the vehicle's acceleration and the acceleration due to gravity on road gradients. Acceleration can be positive or negative and can really shoot up during sudden braking and steep slopes. This will give you the minimum tension exerted on those bolts, without factoring in friction and resistance.

sjr202 said:

Im basing that on a previous post from Stanleysteamer (I think) on another thread about these, I hadnt found any other info on the grade of steel, as finding the bolt information itself was hard enough. But Stanleysteamer has given me good advice on here that turned out spot on, so went with that
If its overkill, thats fine, the intention is to stick a 2-2.5 tonne car on a trailer occasionally so figured take no chances

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Yes it’s probably overkill.
A 10.9 is a fair hike in capacity over an 8.8
I was just thinking if you are having difficulty finding the size in a 10.9 I’d be inclined to go with an 8.8 unless LR are specifying a 10.9
Simple unfactored calc of tensile yield strength for a 14mm bolt would seem to be about 14tonne on the 10.9 and 10tonne on the 8.8 and in shear about 60% of that, so well above the payload weight in one bolt.

I think you're right chaps, the 10.9 is probably far more than needed, seem construction strength, but I managed to find the bolts needed from a couple of suppliers in the UK and reading above makes me comfortable I've gone too far and the bolts might be stronger than the tow bar itself!