Push Bar

Good heavens what has happened to the Australian male??? What a load of wooses!!! He can't even back a trailer - a task that was the right of passage for every young bloke in the bush. Now he needs an electric winder for his jacks, a camera to line up his towball and now he can't even reverse park his caravan. What is the world coming to? I imagine all these gadgets originate in the city because there's not one true blue Aussie male who even contemplate using them. OK for girls but not needed by blokes!

[Daryl Bishop]

Air bag sensors which i am familliar with are used in Ford products & i asume are simmilar to other vehicles. Are a gold plated steel ball held in place by a magnet inside a cage all this is in a sealed box generaly mounted on firewall or behind bumperbar area. It is only sensitive to deceleration G forces, for an air bag to go off 2 sensors have to be activated at the same time. To activate sensor the vehicle must be doing more than 25Kmh & there must be a change of 3Kmh in deceleration. This is very condenced version of operation, As a Ford mechanic this was a course i had to study & there is a lot in air bag operation & safe handling as they are clased as explosive device.

[Old Techo]

Originally Posted by keddy

Good heavens what has happened to the Australian male??? What a load of wooses!!! He can't even back a trailer - a task that was the right of passage for every young bloke in the bush. Now he needs an electric winder for his jacks, a camera to line up his towball and now he can't even reverse park his caravan. What is the world coming to? I imagine all these gadgets originate in the city because there's not one true blue Aussie male who even contemplate using them. OK for girls but not needed by blokes!

Keddy, thank you for another valuable contribution. I think perhaps you misunderstand the use of the front towball. It is not for the girls... it is for those who wish to tow 2 caravans at the same time, one at the rear and a second van pushed at the front. A feat achievable only by real men.

Regards

[Daryl Bishop]

I like that idea Old Techno all i need then is a camera on the front caravan to see where ime going do you think it will catch on ? Cheers Daryl ( Keddy Real men have 2 Balls )

[Gibbo]

This in turn could effectively increase the sensitivity of the sensors if the bumper was stiffened. Any front towbar mount that replicates an approved winch mounting method should not be such an issue.
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Agreed, which is why mine is not mounted to the front bumper, instead it is bolted on to the left front of the chassis rail. Incidentally, and just for Keddy, not that I have to explain myself to experts in the reversing field such as yourself, my caravan is stored in a very tight place, with about 200mm clearance on each side. By using the front ball, I can do it in one, and not be stuffing around shuffling fwd and back to get it lined up.

[Old Techo]

Gibbo, I've used my front ball 3 times in 4 years. Never in a van park (and no park should be that restrictive) but only on private property where there has been a narrow twisting entry and no swinging room for the front of the tug. It is magic how much more van steering control one gets from the tug front and no driver neck straining to boot. At home I always move the van around with an old Fergie with a front mounted ball.

[Daryl Bishop]

Atachments are about air bags & bullbars on EF falcons part of a Ford course in 1994, just for general interest.

[Old Techo]

Thanks DB, that Ford blurb exactly echoes my stated stiffening theory. My Prado front bar is a genuine Toyota accessory. I guess issues may possibly arise with fitting 3rd party bars.

[Gibbo]

As is the bar on my 100 Series. I had the option, not necessarily cheaper either, to have an ARB bar, which might have been a better option, but the decision to stay with the Toyota model was made specifically with the warranty issue at the forefront. If the truth be known, and i cannot attest to this as being fact, both bars are probably made in the same factory with subtle design change features.

[Daryl Bishop]

Hi Guys I find this stuf interesting timing is every thing to set of an air bag, also there is now seat belt pre tensioners which are setof by the same sensors, these are also classed as explosive devices. So mechanics & any one else dealing with these devices need to know how to handle them safely.