Installing a Hitch on the ZHP

[t.er]

Heck, mine pulled a 2k lb trailer with bad gas and at times I was flooring it for minutes at a time going up hills. I have massive respect for our cars - fun to drive and a workhorse!

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[Fried_Chicken]

Heck, mine pulled a 2k lb trailer with bad gas and at times I was flooring it for minutes at a time going up hills. I have massive respect for our cars - fun to drive and a workhorse!

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Yeah the issue with the numbers from the German approval appear to be braking. ~1500 lbs without trailer brakes and 4,000lbs with trailer brakes. The car can exert much more force while braking than accelerating, and it's up to the suspension components and frame to handle those forces, given that the hitch itself can handle 6000lbs.

By my logic, if you can avoid braking harder than the car can accelerate (with the trailer) you should be able to tow 4k lbs no problem. Possibly the limiting factor is the brakes (overheating), however the ZHP has pretty large rotors.

I wouldn't ever tow more than 4k lbs though, and would only tow above 2k lbs very cautiously (paying attention to braking).

[edit]

I'm talking out of my ass. I need someone that knows what they're talking about. Tongue weight plays a role here. According to this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfeyBxuIZOU
You want 10% of the trailer weight on the tongue. The maximum tongue weight is 150lbs, so 1500lbs?

Lawyers make getting a straight answer difficult, I've heard you should accelerate out of trailer sway, and I've heard people scream that you absolutely should not.

[t.er]

Just bought the diffuser (including flap and water shield) for $145 landed to my door from here. $112 for the part, and $33 for shipping:

https://www.lllparts.co.uk/product/5...ini-express-de



ECS currently has it for $153, but before taxes and shipping (which isn't free)

[cakM3]

That's interesting . . .

[t.er]

I just got the parts in the mail, and found fitment of the cover pretty poor. Did some snooping and found this on a UK forum:



Have a bit of buyer's remorse, could've just dremeled my old diffuser. I'll update when I get it on the car, but for now, just be aware of this (all the pics I found before were just with the cover off)

[Fried_Chicken]

I just got the parts in the mail, and found fitment of the cover pretty poor. Did some snooping and found this on a UK forum:

Have a bit of buyer's remorse, could've just dremeled my old diffuser. I'll update when I get it on the car, but for now, just be aware of this (all the pics I found before were just with the cover off)

Wait and see. I'm very happy with mine.

[t.er]

Wait and see. I'm very happy with mine.

Oooo I didn't read too closely, so I didn't realize you had one.

In that case, just want to confirm how the cover mounts - there are two tabs closest to the front of the car, do those engage onto the thin plastic bar that is part of the bumper cover? And the part closest to the back of the car simply relies on the curvature of the diffuser to retain it (seems kinda janky that there are no tabs on that part, and kinda sucks how the cover sits proud of the diffuser instead of flush with it)

Edit: oh, and there are a couple channels on the sides of the cover that seem like something is supposed to run through it, but it's not apparent what that is. Was that also something on the bumper?

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[Fried_Chicken]

Oooo I didn't read too closely, so I didn't realize you had one.

In that case, just want to confirm how the cover mounts - there are two tabs closest to the front of the car, do those engage onto the thin plastic bar that is part of the bumper cover? And the part closest to the back of the car simply relies on the curvature of the diffuser to retain it (seems kinda janky that there are no tabs on that part, and kinda sucks how the cover sits proud of the diffuser instead of flush with it)

Edit: oh, and there are a couple channels on the sides of the cover that seem like something is supposed to run through it, but it's not apparent what that is. Was that also something on the bumper?

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Not quite sure what your concerns are, the middle cover latches in very securely (almost annoyingly securely), and sits "on top" of the rest of the bumper. It's not flush, but it's elegant and not noticeable unless you're looking hard.

[t.er]

Not quite sure what your concerns are, the middle cover latches in very securely (almost annoyingly securely), and sits "on top" of the rest of the bumper. It's not flush, but it's elegant and not noticeable unless you're looking hard.

Yeah no, got around to installing it and still not satisfied. They could've put some more tabs around the perimeter and made it a flush fit, but I suspect they didn't do that to skimp on manufacturing cost. Interestingly enough, it actually uses the bumper cover itself for mounting, so every OEM M-Tech II rear bumper is ready for this. Agreed on how tight the cover fits on, which is good.

Had I known it was like this, I would've just dremel'd my diffuser - I think I'll just leave the cover off and the ball on given I put on and take off the bike rack once a week (which is already what I'm doing).

Cover most of the way on showing how it mounts:

[Fried_Chicken]

One is not like the others: