Share Pics of People Hauling or Towing Something Wrong

[teg]

...Maybe I'm stuck in a time warp, 2 running '97s...

1996 Dodge 2500, 255,000 miles... :thumbsup: My daily driver for an hour every work day!

I've lost power above 80 mph but that's most likely a good thing...

 

[3930dave]

It's illegal these days to pull a car with a chain? 'Back in the day', it was a lot better than pushing one. Maybe 'bumpers' were actually bumpers back then?

Shock absorbing bumpers were way better back then. Since then, they've been "optimized" - for car company profits.

Highway Traffic Act here was updated in a major way last year. Last time I looked, it wasn't publicly posted. It's getting (deliberately) convoluted enough that it's probably less effort to leave the province than wade through the new HTA.

Even before that update, you needed brake/signal-lights on the towed vehicle that were activated by the tow vehicle. Before that requirement kicked in, the last time I flat towed a distance a long time ago (with a tow bar), I just wired a trailer flat-4 connector into the towed vehicles rear lights. Tow vehicle back when was a full sized Chev car - aka it had factory wiring (non-trailer package) that wouldn't smoke driving 2 sets of lights, unlike today....

Rgds, D.

 

[Redneck in training]

Shock absorbing bumpers were way better back then. Since then, they've been "optimized" - for car company profits.

Nope. They add weight to the car. The regulation was legislated in the sixties (on US car manufacturer urging) to make it harder for small (foreign imports) cars to stay competitive on the US market. To add 200 pounds to 1500 pound car made a much bigger difference than to add 250 pound to 3500-4000 pound US made big car. It had nothing to do with safety.

 

[Redlands Okie]

Well made a trip to the city today. Saw this guy in my mirrors coming up behind me and it caught my eye. When he passed me (I was only doing 70mph) I could see no ropes or ties. Looks like steel door frames hanging over. Blurs on the window due to a light rain.

 

[3930dave]

Nope. They add weight to the car. The regulation was legislated in the sixties (on US car manufacturer urging) to make it harder for small (foreign imports) cars to stay competitive on the US market. To add 200 pounds to 1500 pound car made a much bigger difference than to add 250 pound to 3500-4000 pound US made big car. It had nothing to do with safety.

When I said "better", I wasn't talking about Safety. Well, perhaps the safety of my bank account.....

Per the IIHS:

Bumpers used to do a better job of resisting damage in minor impacts. Under federal requirements that were in effect until 1982, car bumpers had to keep damage away from vehicle safety equipment and sheet metal parts in collisions at speeds up to 5 mph. Even damage to the bumpers themselves was limited. But since 1982 the test speed under the federal standard has been cut in half. It's now 2.5 mph, and unlimited damage is allowed to vehicles' bumper systems.

Some modern cars tested (link) had over $4,500 in damage from a low speed frontal test crash.

New IIHS bumper tests: Most don't work well

What I was talking about is the Repair Cost of (what should be) minor bumper impacts. Aside from allowing the Manuf,starting in 1982, to meet lower standards (mph and resulting damage), modern bumpers are one-time impact only. I could make a safety argument around that, but what I was really getting at is many of these modern cars don't have to be all that old before they are written off by a relatively low-speed impact.

The OEM gets to spend less up front today, and gets to sell another vehicle sooner, than if those same 5mph standards were in place. That's where my "better" came from....

Bumper torn off suddenly lying in the road in front of me..... yeah, I'd sooner run over today's styrofoam chunks and plastic skins than the old heavy metal though........ (trying to remotely stay on topic..... ).

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Well made a trip to the city today. Saw this guy in my mirrors coming up behind me and it caught my eye. When he passed me (I was only doing 70mph) I could see no ropes or ties. Looks like steel door frames hanging over. Blurs on the window due to a light rain.

View attachment 511524

Most days, that would get you a ticket around here.

Rgds, D.

 

[IslandTractor]

Nope. They add weight to the car. The regulation was legislated in the sixties (on US car manufacturer urging) to make it harder for small (foreign imports) cars to stay competitive on the US market. To add 200 pounds to 1500 pound car made a much bigger difference than to add 250 pound to 3500-4000 pound US made big car. It had nothing to do with safety.

As I recall, bumpers changed in 1974 not in the 60's. It was a federal requirement that bumpers tolerate a 5mph impact without damage (or minimal damage?). Easy to check if you look at photos of 1973 vs 1974 cars.

 

[Thomas]

Redlands Okie
Well made a trip to the city today. Saw this guy in my mirrors coming up behind me and it caught my eye. When he passed me (I was only doing 70mph) I could see no ropes or ties. Looks like steel door frames hanging over. Blurs on the window due to a light rain.
.................................................
Hope nobody stop in the break down lane.



View attachment 511524[/QUOTE]

 

[DieselBound]

I suspect that a lot of the increased cost from damage to these newer vehicles is because of the greater integration of stuff into the bumpers. And with this is also the more complex fastening, which means labor costs.

For years I owned Volvos. Volvo, along with other European car manufacturers were miles ahead of US manufacturers when it came to occupant safety. "Crumple zones became standard. One could look at a "pre-crumble zone car" and say that it didn't incur as much damage, and while that may be true, the occupants probably didn't fare as well. And if anyone thinks auto body repairs are expensive one should see how expensive human body repairs are! I don't like the idea of shelling out a ton of money to repair a banged up car, but it's more appealing that trying to shell out for a banged up human.

When teaching my ex how to drive I told her that rule #1 was: DON'T HIT ANYTHING! (if you're paying attention then it's really rare that you find yourself in a situation in which you have no control over avoiding an accident)

Sometimes there's a Bigger Picture out there.

 

[Midniteoyl]

It's illegal these days to pull a car with a chain? 'Back in the day', it was a lot better than pushing one. Maybe 'bumpers' were actually bumpers back then?

Remember Clamp on Bumper Tow Bars?