Building a trailer hitch for 525iT

[calmloki]

I'm in the process of building a reciever type hitch for my touring. I like my shins too much to go with a fixed hitch and don't want to spend a grand on the euro hitch. So here's what I've done: Remove rear bumper (remember the side lights and fender liners). Locate 2 "hidden nut" holes on L and R frame rail. The holes are in the same location on each side. I used a bit of paper as a pattern to find and mark the holes and trace some cutout areas. Using 2" angle iron I cut 2 11" pieces and used the torch to notch as required, then marked hole locations and drilled 27/64" holes in one and test fitted it. Then removed that piece and clamped it to the other piece so that they lay together in a "T" shape. Using the first hole set as a template I drilled the second piece and bolted both in place. On the back frame rail are 2 more holes - a couple 5 3/8" long angles were made for them. I then cut a piece of 2" square tube to go between the 2 outside mounts - about 57 3/8", but bear in mind that this is being test fit as I go, so don't build this on the floor and get pissy if it doesn't fit. Measure in 15" from each end on the square tube - you need to bend the tube at those 2 points about 3/4" - heat, tubing that fit inside the 2" to give me some leverage, and a hammer worked for me. The shallow "u" shaped 2" was then fitted inside the 2 angle iron side mounts and against the 2 end rail mounts. What I tried to do was get the 2" as close to the back frame rail as possible without touching it. Tack welded the mounts to the square tube, unbolted the assembly and did finish welds to join the mounts to the square tube. Bolted the assemnly back onto the car and remounted the bumper to check the fit - it JUST fits - the lip on the inner aluminum bumper tucks under the edge of the square tube at the outer corners - without the bends the bumper would be held away from the bumper shock mounts. My next step is to build a 1" spacer on which to weld the reciever. A 1" drop will bring the top of the reciever out right below the color on the plastic bumper - just a bit higher than the top of the cutout for the tow hook. I'm think I'll have my reciever visible because I don't want to lay on the ground to hook up the draw bar, but if one chose one could have the reciever behind the plastic bumper - betcha you can get a tow hook cover from BMW and end up with a total stealth hitch. More when I get more steel to work with...
Tom Walrod

[Rigmaster]

MMMM. Pic please!!! :)

[calmloki]

Ok, here's where we are so far - horrid camera phone shots, the Nikon is down in Cali right now. Bumper cover bolted over hitch: http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e73/calmloki/525iT%20Hitch/525.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e73/calmloki/525iT%20Hitch/H.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e73/calmloki/525iT%20Hitch/Hi.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e73/calmloki/525iT%20Hitch/Hitc.jpg

[calmloki]

Hmmm - seems to have stripped my descriptions - that was bumper cover bolted over hitch, back view of hitch showing bend, corner and rear frame rail mount, and tank corner mount with notch. Below are the rear frame rail mount and a picture from the archives that was invaluable.http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e73/calmloki/525iT%20Hitch/Hit.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e73/calmloki/525iT%20Hitch/e34_hitch.jpg
More as things develop - I may go ahead and make the reciever totally hidden - not sure yet... It has to be readily usable.
Tom Walrod

[Rigmaster]

Nice work Tom!! I saw a step by step E34 hitch install somewhere where the guy carefully cut out a small chunk of the rear bumper cover that was blocking the receiver hole, then he attached that piece to a square plug that was inserted into the receiver hole when the hitch was not in use. Basically he just removed this cover plug and inserted the ball mount whenever he needed to use the hitch. It was a very clean install.

Bret.

[skr]

don't know if it's gonna help anybody, but this is how it looks with the bumper off. it was in the proces of being painted in a nice matte black.

[Elekta]

This is the proper trailer hitch to use. I've seen them on ebay.de

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/ggil-tx/Westphalia3.jpg

I will have the oem bumper cover and hitch cover ready for sale in a few days

[calmloki]

According to my prior archive search, nobody in Germany wants to send the proper hitch to the states - since my car has to work for me this is my highly improper construction. :-) Had to be reciever type 'cause I don't like barking my shins, elected to have the reciever exposed since easy of hookup was important to me. End of reciever is below the black plastic bumper rub strip when installed. Note minimal bumper cutout - should be pretty discrete with the flat black paint. Cost about $25 for steel and a stupid amount of time - but a fun project!
Tom Walrod
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e73/calmloki/525iT%20Hitch/Hitch.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e73/calmloki/525iT%20Hitch/Hitch2.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e73/calmloki/525iT%20Hitch/Hitch1.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e73/calmloki/525iT%20Hitch/Hitch3.jpg

[Elekta]

Did you try westphalia? Canada? Shogun?

If you do not have LAD or a very small trailer, your ass is going to be dragging on the ground.

Still your hitch pretty good.

Best of luck

[calmloki]

True, I didn't get carried away trying for a higher budget Westphalia - and as luck would have it this '93 does have self leveling and my trailer is a small one. Looks to me like this hitch bolts up to the same points as the Westphalia hitch, and since the my hitch reciever exits through the plastic bumper rather than below it ground clearance shouldn't be any worse - height of the ball can be adjusted with the drawbar - the ball got moved to the other side of the draw bar since yesterday to lift the trailer tongue a bit. I am concerned about this thing dragging it's tail - I've been using a 1983 533i with a DaLan bolt-to-the-wheelwell-and-bumper hitch for the last 5 years and with the tool and part load I carry in the car it rides pretty low in the rear. This touring has just about identical HP and torque numbers but weighs at least 350# more. Time will tell if it is a reasonable replacement. Should drive a van, but have an unreasonable attachment to driving BMW!
It wasn't clear to me - are you going to be selling your complete hitch setup, or just the bumper cover?
Tom Walrod

[calmloki]

Hola Tejano - fine looking wagon you've got there - throwing stars, smileys, clear corners... and judging by the roofrack, hitch, and quail hunting pics you seem to be one of the few who actually USE your touring! Read somewhere that the Euro hitch uses a different ball size than we in the U.S. (makes sense - metric) and it doesn't look like it is replaceable in the pictures I've seen. Is that the case or is the ball replaceable or in your experience "close enough" that it corresponds to a common U.S. size? Pictures show a flat bottomed dome shaped ball versus the round ball I'm used to - no problems with American trailer attachment? What size ball does it correspond too?
I've never seen the Euro hitch in person...
Tom Walrod

[calmloki]

final hitch building pictures:
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e73/calmloki/525iT%20Hitch/Hitch6.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e73/calmloki/525iT%20Hitch/Hitch4.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e73/calmloki/525iT%20Hitch/Hitch5.jpg

[JAlfredPrufrock]

That is slick, very nice job.