General 4x4 Towbar on eBay 17March 23

[The Panda Nut]

306394 Westfalia detachable towbar for Fiat Panda hatchback, 312/319 2012- 2017 | eBay

306394 Westfalia detachable towbar for. It has been opened to check all parts present and condition of towbar. Fiat Panda hatchback, 312/319 2012 - 2017. Electrics not included.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[Bonefish Blues]

306394 Westfalia detachable towbar for Fiat Panda hatchback, 312/319 2012- 2017 | eBay

306394 Westfalia detachable towbar for. It has been opened to check all parts present and condition of towbar. Fiat Panda hatchback, 312/319 2012 - 2017. Electrics not included.

www.ebay.co.uk

The listing says it will not fit 4x4 models?

 

[The Panda Nut]

The listing says it will not fit 4x4 models?

If this is so my apologies. It does look like the one I fitted to mine and I have jumped to conclusions. It might be worth cross referencing the part numbers. The 4x4 bar firs to the bumber cross beam mounts, and has to longitudinal braces that run inside the chassis runners. Apologies again.

 

[JayW4x4]

The longitudinals are a lot shorter on the 4x4 towbar. The ones supplied with the 4x2 reach all the way to the holes the 4x4 subframe is mounted in. Otherwise the kits are the same.

 

[Panda IIs]

The listing says it will not fit 4x4 models?

4x4 version has to accommodate rear diff and transverse rear exhaust box.

 

[JayW4x4]

4x4 version has to accommodate rear diff and transverse rear exhaust box.

Neither of which have ANY bearing on the towbar or its location.

 

[Panda IIs]

Neither of which have ANY bearing on the towbar or its location.

Err? I think you may have an issue fitting the front wheel drive version to a 4x4....

Give it a try.

I believe there is a third version for the LNG variant.

 

[JayW4x4]

Err? I think you may have an issue fitting the front wheel drive version to a 4x4....

Give it a try.

I believe there is a third version for the LNG variant.

My dear friend, if you had happened to read my post above, you would have read:

"The longitudinals are a lot shorter on the 4x4 towbar. The ones supplied with the 4x2 reach all the way to the holes the 4x4 subframe is mounted in. Otherwise the kits are the same".

Given your response of "Good luck fitting the 2 wheel drive to the 4x4" it's fair to assume you didn't.

I'll repeat, the only difference between the 4x4 and 4x2 towbar is the length of the longitudinal bars that insert into the rear chassis rails and this is purely because the holes the 4x2 uses are populated by the rearmost subframe bolts on the 4x4.

I never even slightly suggested one fitted the other.

The towbar doesn't go anywhere near, nor is affected in any way by the exhaust silencer or diff.

I seldom bother to comment on any forums these days, no one likes facts getting in the way of misinformation, speculation or guesswork.

 

[Panda IIs]

My dear friend, if you had happened to read my post above, you would have read:

"The longitudinals are a lot shorter on the 4x4 towbar. The ones supplied with the 4x2 reach all the way to the holes the 4x4 subframe is mounted in. Otherwise the kits are the same".

Given your response of "Good luck fitting the 2 wheel drive to the 4x4" it's fair to assume you didn't.

I'll repeat, the only difference between the 4x4 and 4x2 towbar is the length of the longitudinal bars that insert into the rear chassis rails and this is purely because the holes the 4x2 uses are populated by the rearmost subframe bolts on the 4x4.

I never even slightly suggested one fitted the other.

The towbar doesn't go anywhere near, nor is affected in any way by the exhaust silencer or diff.

I seldom bother to comment on any forums these days, no one likes facts getting in the way of misinformation, speculation or guesswork.

Dude chill, top pedantry marks!

Maybe I was lazy in my observation. The fact is the rear diff has to be supported so therefore the holes used by the 4x2 are unavailable. I doubt any forums are missing your contribution; what say us?

I don't see any auto manufacturer (or their ancillary suppliers) making three different variants just for fun?

 

[JayW4x4]

Dude chill, top pedantry marks!

Maybe I was lazy in my observation. The fact is the rear diff has to be supported so therefore the holes used by the 4x2 are unavailable. I doubt any forums are missing your contribution; what say us?

I don't see any auto manufacturer (or their ancillary suppliers) making three different variants just for fun?

It's only pedantry because it's pointing out YOUR mistake, not mine.

Actually, I think you'll find most forums do miss the wealth of information and experience the older folks have. They also miss the days where a simple question could be answered only by a fact and not 3 pages of rambling opinion that never actually got anywhere, leaving the OP wondering why they bothered.

Both my posts remain 100% factual. Just to ensure a high quality level of pedantry... Of the three towbar types, the only difference in any of them is the length of the longitudinals. The crossmember part is identical.

40 years of experience and it all gets wasted on keyboard warriors like yourself... "what say we"... Gimme a break.

I shall bow out now to save the assassination. Have a lovely day.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Does the advertised bar fit a 4x4?

 

[JayW4x4]

Does the advertised bar fit a 4x4?

No.

 

[Marcus Daly]

It's only pedantry because it's pointing out YOUR mistake, not mine.

Actually, I think you'll find most forums do miss the wealth of information and experience the older folks have. They also miss the days where a simple question could be answered only by a fact and not 3 pages of rambling opinion that never actually got anywhere, leaving the OP wondering why they bothered.

Both my posts remain 100% factual. Just to ensure a high quality level of pedantry... Of the three towbar types, the only difference in any of them is the length of the longitudinals. The crossmember part is identical.

40 years of experience and it all gets wasted on keyboard warriors like yourself... "what say we"... Gimme a break.

I shall bow out now to save the assassination. Have a lovely day.

 

[Panda IIs]

View attachment 420300

Must be a case of two counties separated by a common language?

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

The difference between the 2-wheel and 4-wheel drive towbars is the height of the towball relative to the mounting plates that replace the crash beam. Because the 4x4/Cross models sit 50mm higher off the ground, the brackets are adapted to mount the ball lower to compensate, so the trailer sits at the right level. One make (can’t recall which right now) has two sets of bolt holes on the side plates to allow fitting to both models.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

Confirmation from the Westfalia fitting instructions: (here https://www.pfjones.co.uk/westfalia_fitting/306389.pdf and here https://www.pfjones.co.uk/westfalia_fitting/306394.pdf )

2WD - long fitting 'legs' to reach far into rear box section, short tube the detachable towball fits into.

And 4WD... longer (nearer the ground) tube for towball, which is welded to be further from car body ) to clear the deeper bumpers), short 'legs' to go into rear box section

 

[Panda IIs]

Confirmation from the Westfalia fitting instructions: (here https://www.pfjones.co.uk/westfalia_fitting/306389.pdf and here https://www.pfjones.co.uk/westfalia_fitting/306394.pdf )

2WD - long fitting 'legs' to reach far into rear box section, short tube the detachable towball fits into.



And 4WD... longer (nearer the ground) tube for towball, which is welded to be further from car body ) to clear the deeper bumpers), short 'legs' to go into rear box section

Great research thanks; plus the extended brackets for bumper attachment (?) for the 4x4 deeper bumper.

 

[Big gerry]

Hi this is the towbar I fitted to my panda fitted prefect the one with the short legs

 

[The Panda Nut]

Oh deers... I wish Id kept quiet... Thanks for the info which clears up the tech differences though. Apologies again for stirring things up.

 

[Panda IIs]

Oh deers... I wish Id kept quiet... Thanks for the info which clears up the tech differences though. Apologies again for stirring things up.

No it was a perfectly valid link! Certainly things got spicy but the irony was I think we were all saying the same thing; there is a tow bar for the 4x2 and a different tow bar for the 4x4?