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ColoradoWesty82 Samba Member
Joined: June 03, 2013 Posts: 26 Location: Colorado
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Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2014 9:11 am Post subject: Go Westy Hitch 1982 air-cooled vanagon |
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Has anyone installed the go westy hitch on air cooled westy? I understand that the exhaust gets in the way but can a welder find another quick fix to attach it? Any pictures would be greatly appreciated, just want to haul a bike carrier. Thanks for the help! |
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dobryan Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006 Posts: 16503 Location: Brookeville, MD
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MarkWard Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2005 Posts: 17124 Location: Retired South Florida
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Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2014 12:43 pm Post subject: |
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How much load will it see? If it is for a bike rack, you could just use the tow eyes and skip the brace. I believe the GoWesty hitch triangulates off of the wbx engine carrier bar. The air cooled engine has a similar bar and could be adapted I bet.
Personally, the hitch is sort of out there, if it is contacted heavy, that load is transferred into the engine carrier. Not my choice of sacrificial parts. _________________ ☮️ |
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ColoradoWesty82 Samba Member
Joined: June 03, 2013 Posts: 26 Location: Colorado
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Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2014 1:11 am Post subject: go westy hitch |
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I called go westy and they said they use to sell this hitch to all models, but some people were getting too much sway so they introduced the T-bar to solve this problem, does not work with the 82 air cooled exhaust. I think I am going to get it and then see if I cant get a welder to sure it up, but I bet it would not even be an issue with out this. It is only for bikes. I am not worried about weight because I figure total it will be maybe 150 pounds.
And I am about to take out the fridge for some storage so that will equal out:)
Thanks for the replies! |
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ColoradoWesty82 Samba Member
Joined: June 03, 2013 Posts: 26 Location: Colorado
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Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2014 1:13 am Post subject: go westy hitch air cooled |
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Personally, the hitch is sort of out there, if it is contacted heavy, that load is transferred into the engine carrier. Not my choice of sacrificial parts.
What do you mean? |
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MarkWard Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2005 Posts: 17124 Location: Retired South Florida
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Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2014 9:45 am Post subject: |
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If you got rear ended, the impact would be transferred through the hitch into the engine carrier bar. This would shove the engine and transmission forward, where in stock trim, the bumper and brackets would absorb this impact and within reason, protect the drive train. Make sense? _________________ ☮️ |
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j_dirge Samba Member
Joined: August 08, 2007 Posts: 4641 Location: Twain Harte, CA
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Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2014 10:23 am Post subject: |
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Do yourself (and your bikes) a favor and put your money towards Burley's or RMW's trailer hitch.
Both are proper FRAME MOUNT trailer hitch receiver designs that will EASILY support your bikes without all the shortcomings of the GW design.. which, as has been pointed out, can be considerable in a rear ender.
(In addition to the rear ender, the bike rack will bob and sway all day long.. ALL that is transferred to your engine hanger.
In my case the T bracket was too close to my cross over pipe (WBXer) and it ruined two pipes over time. More welding to correct.
Once you factor in the added cost and headache to retrofit the GW hitch, hire the welder, headfaches, etc... you are in the same neighborhood cost wise, and are in the loss column time-wise.. AND still saddled with an inferior design.
Another option is the RMW or GW bumper with integrated receiver.
Good reviews here on the Samba.. search if curious.
I used that GW hitch design for yrs.. went to Burley's frame mount product and have not looked back. _________________ -89 GL Westy, SVX.. finally.
-57 pan f/g buggy with a 67 pancake Type 3 "S"
"Jimi Hendrix owned one. Richard Nixon did not"
-Grand Tour, Season 1, episodes 4 and 5
danfromsyr wrote: |
those are straight line runs with light weight race cars for only 1/4mile at a time..
not pushing a loaded brick up a mountain pass with a family of 4+ inside expecting to have an event free vacation..
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ColoradoWesty82 Samba Member
Joined: June 03, 2013 Posts: 26 Location: Colorado
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Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 10:19 am Post subject: Bike rack |
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I ended up just buying the fiamma bike rack from busdepot.com they have a good deal on them now. Thanks for your advice! |
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