Possible mistake?

[arkslim]

Have sent 3 e-mails to Blue Ox to get info. have not had any reply. Thanks

[arkslim]

After using several lub. products and soaking 2 days (as recomended) I was able to get the arm to come out with some not so gentle pounding with a lardge hammer. I then sanded the rod untill all the rough places went away. greased it and slid it back and got it stuck about 21/2in away from going in completely. It will slide out and lock ok and does not stick if I do not try to push it in all the way. I think the rod may be bent? May look into trade in found 100 rebate on trading. Seemed to be rather involved and long process. Many thanks to all who provided help

[BCam]

Originally Posted by arkslim

May look into trade in found 100 rebate on trading. Seemed to be rather involved and long process. Many thanks to all who provided help

If you can trade it in, that's definitely your best option.

[Old Scout]

....like most manufacturers, I doubt if any of B/Os written or expressed liabilities or warrantees extend beyond the original owner. B/O does have a fairly aggressive trade-in policy--probably motivated by their desire to get as many of their older tow bars out of circulation as possible. You can only imagine the potential exposure based on all the used and abused bars that 2nd and 3rd owners are still using....

[wa8yxm]

Re THE WD suggestion...... Someone posted a video to You Tube. Different methods of freeing up a frozen nut and how good were they

Liquid Wrench was the best Chemical method.. Heat the best over all.

I'd use LW rather than WD which by the way came in last.

[Skipper Tom]

Originally Posted by RM travelers

Was this a new Blue Ox tow bar? We currently dolly tow our Toyota, but plan to buy 4 down vehicle. Have been looking different tow bar set-ups & was looking closely at Blue Ox system. Does anyone else have problems with Blue Ox?

I'm on my second year using Blue Ox system to tow our 2017 Lincoln MKT and I absolutely love it. I've never had a problem unhooking or hooking up even when on an angle.

[Quincy]

Originally Posted by wa8yxm

Re THE WD suggestion...... Someone posted a video to You Tube. Different methods of freeing up a frozen nut and how good were they

Liquid Wrench was the best Chemical method.. Heat the best over all.

I'd use LW rather than WD which by the way came in last.

Absolutely MR. wa8xym WD 40 is little more than a cleaner. That is why I question those who spray it on leveler pistons and things like that.

[Hit_the_Rhod]

As advised, best to have Blue Ox go through it and tell you if it is salvageable or not. Bad news, is there have been several posts stating that if Blue Ox "condemns" one of their tow bars after inspecting it, they will refuse to send it back to you, even though it is still your property.

If your tow bar is deemed to be not repairable, and you are looking into purchasing another, whether new or used, I suggest you google "tow bar failures" and do some research into which brand(s) feature more prominently in the results. One will stand out by a significant margin.

I don't have a dog in this fight, I've used three different types. They all have their ups and downs. Good luck in your repair/search!

[Oldman5145]

Originally Posted by Waiter21

I have the same tow bar and use it to tow our Saturn Vue...

One passenger side arm is welded to the hitch piece and cannot pivot, this is normal. The other arm does pivot with a bolt.

The telescoping tubes on both arms should move in/out if the levers are held in.. When the levers are released, the tubes should lock in the fully extended positions..

Parts are available to repair the bar. If you're not comfortable doing it yourself, Blue Ox will inspect and repair / or replace (at a reasonable charge)

Heres a manual for the bar:

http://1999southwind.com/DOWNLOAD/BlueOx_BX4330.pdf

..

Parts are available, the bushings will swell inside of the tube. DO NOT USE OIL!!! That causes the bushings to swell. My Roadmaster locked up closed. I installed new bushings for $35 and it is like new. Spray silicone on the bars and wipe them down before storing.
A tow dolly will come close to make you stop RVing!

[Waiter21]

[QUOTEDO NOT USE OIL!!!][/QUOTE]

Correct.. I keep a can of Silicon spray in the toad just for the bar.. I give it a squirt, also the pins and the electrical connectors and plugs when I hook it up.

[Ray,IN]

Originally Posted by mfire1339

If it were me , I'd drench it with WD. and let it sit for a day or two. Then tap it this way and that and make it move. Most likely got water in it.

I have the same bar with 40K on it and works great.


Mike

Nothing will restore that towbar, he said that side is welded in place, even with the sliding bar moving , it's junk. The trade-in he mentioned is his best option.

[TwiggieMom]

Originally Posted by RM travelers

Was this a new Blue Ox tow bar? We currently dolly tow our Toyota, but plan to buy 4 down vehicle. Have been looking different tow bar set-ups & was looking closely at Blue Ox system. Does anyone else have problems with Blue Ox?

We have had a B+ and now class A, we flat two our four-door Jeep and love our Blue Ox (I think we have the Alpha), easy to hook-up, very secure, and never had a problem. I would recommend in a heartbeat.

We also have the Blue Ox Patriot breaking system.

[arkslim]

I had the tow bar checked and thhe arm is bent. Could be straightened? but questionable. SOLUTION: Have ordered an Alpha model decided not to take a chance on repairing. Anyone want a slightly used tow bar. Can make you a good deal?

[Waiter21]

Nothing will restore that towbar, he said that side is welded in place, even with the sliding bar moving , it's junk. The trade-in he mentioned is his best option.

On the ball hitch version of the tow bar, the factory welds one arm where it attaches to the ball hitch, thats normal. Both arms can pivot, the arm thats welded pivots at the ball hitch, not the bolt. the other arm pivots at the bolt.

On the tow bar version that inserts into the receiver, the arms both pivot at the bolts