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V90 cc towbar

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Old Jun 16th, 2018, 00:43   #11
ragge1
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Originally Posted by cejsmith View Post
I’ve seen a v90 cc at a Indy dealer and I would need to put a tow bar on it, does anybody have an idea on cost
as this car is still in the dealers shop then you should make a deal with the dealer / seller , this are quit expenstive car so have the fittet the towbar with delivery , and you should go for the volvo original foldable towbar

https://accessories.volvocars.com/en...CC-510071/2019
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Old Jun 16th, 2018, 09:47   #12
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I don't think anything could be as sturdy or durable as the volvo towbar , I have never seen anything so heavy and using such thick metal on a car before . Also the volvo one has a big piece of hard foam clipped onto the towbar beween bumper and towbar to absorb moderate impacts without damage . And it has been through the volvo crash test of course unlike the other copies .
Exactly! That's why I thought it useful to mention the possible difference, also assuming (some) people
buy Volvo's because they are safe cars and the rear bumper is the first defense when hit from behind.
The beam of the rear bumper is indeed massive, I have it in my garage, asked for it when the towbar
was installed because I was curious about it. This probably explains why the Volvo towbar is expensive.
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Old Jun 16th, 2018, 16:17   #13
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Exactly! That's why I thought it useful to mention the possible difference, also assuming (some) people
buy Volvo's because they are safe cars and the rear bumper is the first defense when hit from behind.
The beam of the rear bumper is indeed massive, I have it in my garage, asked for it when the towbar
was installed because I was curious about it. This probably explains why the Volvo towbar is expensive.
While I have not studied it in detail, I believe that the original beam is malleable and mounted to crush-cans. The tow hitch that replaces it, on the other hand, is very rigid indeed and mounted solidly to the car's unitary chassis structure, as it indeed must be in order to tow 2.5 tons.

What this means is that rear impacts on a car with a tow hitch but without trailer attached will be more severely felt by passengers inside. The crash will not be absorbed or dampened as effectively. The safety cage will not be compromised, just that a certain degree of energy dissipation will be lost.
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Old Jun 16th, 2018, 17:25   #14
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The original beam and the replacing towbar are mounted in the same way.
The link is to the installation instructions for the foldable towbar. I couldn't find the one for the
fixed towbar right now, but as far as the towbar itself is concerned, it is the same.
It seems that Volvo doesn't like to sell the fixed towbar, they make it difficult to find.
https://accessories.volvocars.com/In...XC90(16-)/2019
Scroll down to where the original beam is removed and the towbar installed.
Note the hint "This step is easier with two people". Judging by the weight of the original beam, it is
So I don't think that the towbar affects the way the car will absorb rear impacts.
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Old Jun 16th, 2018, 18:01   #15
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Originally Posted by gaby View Post
The original beam and the replacing towbar are mounted in the same way.
The link is to the installation instructions for the foldable towbar. I couldn't find the one for the
fixed towbar right now, but as far as the towbar itself is concerned, it is the same.
It seems that Volvo doesn't like to sell the fixed towbar, they make it difficult to find.
https://accessories.volvocars.com/In...XC90(16-)/2019
Scroll down to where the original beam is removed and the towbar installed.
Note the hint "This step is easier with two people". Judging by the weight of the original beam, it is
So I don't think that the towbar affects the way the car will absorb rear impacts.
In figure 21 and 22 you can plainly see the energy absorbing crush-boxes in front of the original beam, between it and the car body attachment pads. Also note the design of the beam behind and to the side of the crush box where it is meant to yield and bend if the outer wings are hit hard. The tow hitch is totally unyielding in every respect and only the body's safety cage and towbar strength is left as protection. The rear energy absorbing engineering is very much compromised. To what exact extent it is compromised, only the design and testing engineers at Volvo are likely to know. Regardless, they would not wish to highlight this point or put a precise measure on it, I'm sure.
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Old Jun 16th, 2018, 18:14   #16
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The volvo stuff is very much plug and play (apart from requiring a SW download via VIDA). If you are confident enough to fit a witter (etc) towbar you should find it even easier with a volvo one.

My xc70 removable one was £875 as a genuine fitted accessory. By fitting it myself, (with all parts bought through volvo), it cost less than £400, including the required SW download at a volvo dealer.

Try calling someone like FRF volvo (not e-mail or message) with your VIN and the forum discount code (see their post in the traders section for details) and ask them for a price for the towbar and towing module for your car. They will also post just about anywhere, including the Continent.
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Old Jun 16th, 2018, 18:41   #17
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Quote:
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In figure 21 and 22 you can plainly see the energy absorbing crush-boxes in front of the original beam, between it and the car body attachment pads. Also note the design of the beam behind and to the side of the crush box where it is meant to yield and bend if the outer wings are hit hard. The tow hitch is totally unyielding in every respect and only the body's safety cage and towbar strength is left as protection. The rear energy absorbing engineering is very much compromised. To what exact extent it is compromised, only the design and testing engineers at Volvo are likely to know. Regardless, they would not wish to highlight this point or put a precise measure on it, I'm sure.
The section of the original beam makes it extremely stiff and rigid, hence the crush boxes (if that is what they are).
I believe that the different section of the towbar may make it somewhat more "elastic", avoiding the
need of some other device to absorb energy, although there is another item mounted in figure 36.
The question remains why Volvo opted for a different section and didn't simply weld the tow bar
to the same structure as in the original beam. The more "elastic" property of the round section may
explain that. It is reasonable to assume that Volvo isn't throwing overboard the safety of their cars
when a towbar is fitted, but perhaps this can't be judged from seeing a drawing or a picture.
But not being an engineer, I can't speak with the same confidence as you do.
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Old Jun 16th, 2018, 20:03   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gaby View Post
The section of the original beam makes it extremely stiff and rigid, hence the crush boxes (if that is what they are).
I believe that the different section of the towbar may make it somewhat more "elastic", avoiding the
need of some other device to absorb energy, although there is another item mounted in figure 36.
The question remains why Volvo opted for a different section and didn't simply weld the tow bar
to the same structure as in the original beam. The more "elastic" property of the round section may
explain that. It is reasonable to assume that Volvo isn't throwing overboard the safety of their cars
when a towbar is fitted, but perhaps this can't be judged from seeing a drawing or a picture.
But not being an engineer, I can't speak with the same confidence as you do.
The round bar is not elastic. By its nature is must be very rigid. However there has been much engineering thought in the design. There are hollows behind where it is welded to the forward beams, approximately where the crush cans were originally, that allow for the welds to stretch and break. However this is very limited indeed compared to the original deformable channel section beam and crush cans. How much so? Again only the original design engineers would know.
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Old Jun 16th, 2018, 20:18   #19
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Perhaps the stifness of the rear bumper beam isn't all that important:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-1cjw25E7A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRzMhk9WX70
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Old Jun 16th, 2018, 20:48   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Quacker View Post
The round bar is not elastic. By its nature is must be very rigid. However there has been much engineering thought in the design. There are hollows behind where it is welded to the forward beams, approximately where the crush cans were originally, that allow for the welds to stretch and break. However this is very limited indeed compared to the original deformable channel section beam and crush cans. How much so? Again only the original design engineers would know.
I never would have guessed how much can be deduced from just looking at (pictures of) these items.
And to do so without studying them in detail! I cant, and I certainly wouldn't go as far as discrediting the
commitment to safety from Volvo, safety being their mantra. Would they sacrifice safety by mounting a
towbar of compromised design while they could bolt or weld the ball to the existing and assumed safe beam?
That seems even more unlikely to me than being able to asses the propertie of these beams from afar.
But of course it's not impossible...
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