It’s a common scenario: you’ve decided to equip your vehicle with a tow bar, ready for adventures with a caravan or trailer. You entrust your car to a professional Car Part Fitter, anticipating a seamless installation. However, some car owners are surprised and concerned when they discover that the fitter has removed a part of their car during the process. A frequent question arises: is this normal, and more importantly, does it compromise the vehicle’s safety?
Often, when a tow bar is fitted, particularly to the rear of the vehicle, the car part fitter may need to remove a section of metalwork, typically a bumper reinforcement bar. This component is often designed to provide structural rigidity and impact protection to the bumper area. The reason for its removal is quite straightforward: the tow bar assembly itself is engineered to take over this structural role, often providing even greater strength in the specific context of towing and rear-end impacts associated with towing activities.
Concerns about safety are understandable. However, in most cases, removing this part and replacing its function with a properly installed tow bar does not compromise the vehicle’s safety under normal towing conditions. In fact, a correctly fitted tow bar is designed to meet stringent safety standards and is rigorously tested to ensure it can withstand the stresses of towing and contribute to vehicle safety. The key point to remember is that the tow bar essentially becomes a replacement for the removed part in terms of structural integrity at the rear of the vehicle.
The crucial consideration arises if you decide to remove the tow bar in the future. If the tow bar is taken off, the original removed part must be refitted. Without this refitting, the vehicle’s crash protection could indeed be compromised, as the reinforcement structure designed by the car manufacturer would be absent. Therefore, a responsible car part fitter should always inform you if any part has been removed and, importantly, return the removed component to you. It is vital to store this part safely. Scenarios where refitting becomes essential include selling the car (as new owners may not want a tow bar) or simply deciding you no longer require the towing capability.
In conclusion, it is indeed common practice for car part fitters to remove a part of your car, often a bumper reinforcement, when installing a tow bar. This is generally a safe procedure, as the tow bar is designed to replace the function of the removed part. However, ensure you receive the removed part from the fitter and understand the importance of refitting it should the tow bar ever be removed to maintain the original safety standards of your vehicle.
