Technical Removing Tow Bar

[andyr]

Hi. My wife recently bought a used mk1 1999 Fiat Punto (5door) and wanted me to remove a tow bar that had been fitted.

I undid the rear plastic Bumper and pulled it off the car but was surprised that there is not a proper steel bar or anything under the plastic bumper, I was guessing that there might have been - I mean what kind of protection is there if someone drives into the back of your car, is all that is protecting you is the plastic bumper?

I have taken a picture of the car with the Towbar removed and the rear plastic bumper removed. Does everything look correct from this photo:

http://www.ibizanet.utvinternet.com/PUNTO1.jpg

Thanks.

Andy.

 

[dave]

yep, you are protected by crumple zones

 

[andyr]

yep, you are protected by crumple zones

Thanks, so you are protected by the 'biscuit tin' metal of the Punto thats good!
- hope it works as it should!

 

[MATT 68]

Crumple zones are parts of the car that squash when hit but due to where the weak points are it squashes away from passengers.All cars have em nowadays, long gone are the days of rear steel bumpers.
To be honest with you if youre seriously worried about safety i,d have left the tow bar on, anything hits you from behind with that on it,ll cause a damn sight more damage to their car than yours

 

[andyr]

..... To be honest with you if youre seriously worried about safety i,d have left the tow bar on, anything hits you from behind with that on it,ll cause a damn sight more damage to their car than yours

Yeah I suppose in one way it would have been good to keep the tow bar on to strengthen the back of the car. Reasons for taking it off:

1.) gone rusty and wife thought it looked ugly

2.) bolts had already came lose on it.

3.) If wife reverses into something with it removed it will cause less damage (ouch! wife hit me around the head!)

4.) as soon as people would see that we had a towbar it would be 'hey, you've got a towbar on your car, will you pick this and that up for me with a trailer!'

When I removed the towbar I found it to be quite heavey so by rights now its removed the car should go faster and use less petrol. yes?

When I removed the towbar I was left with holes in the boot. As a quick fix I put the original bolts back in just to fill up the holes! but has anyones else have any good ideas if I take out the bolts how to cover up the holes neatly?

Cheers,

Andy.

 

[Oldschool]

The crumple zones are part of a cars safety features. The designers have to weigh up a good compromise between intrusion of parts into the cabin area and eating up as much kinetic energy as possible, but with a rasonable deceleration time.

Even if your body might be able to withstand extreme g forces, certain parts of the brain don't. One part of the brain (don't know the English word for it) can take for 3 milliseconds up to 80g before it comes of from the skull, which means instant death.

In simple terms it means that it might be more dangerous to have a car to rigid rather than crumpling.

 

[MATT 68]

When I removed the towbar I was left with holes in the boot. As a quick fix I put the original bolts back in just to fill up the holes! but has anyones else have any good ideas if I take out the bolts how to cover up the holes neatly?

Cheers,

Andy.

Silicone em for now, it,ll stop water penetration