Unhooking tow bar / maintenance – Blue Ox BX7335 User Manual

Page 5

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© 1996, 00, 06, 08, 10, 11

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.com

TM

UNHOOKING TOW BAR / MAINTENANCE

Unhooking

/

Folding:

1. Park the towing vehicle with vehicle in tow,

in a straight line, on a fl at, 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 fi rst 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 diffi cult 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.

Page 5 of 9

292-2078 Rev. G

1/20/11

Figure 7

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