Hi all,

First off, I'm new to this forum, although some of you already know me. I just picked up a new '06 base model RX8 yesterday that I will be using for Solo II...and, yes, you can get killer lease deals on the leftover cars, right now

Anyhow, I did a search on trailer hitches on this forum, after Jason advised me of the horrible luck he had with the Dalan. Sounds pretty discouraging.

Any updates or new designs regarding the use of any of the available hitches? I already have a tire trailer I pulled behind the Z06 and would really like to be able to use it with my new car!

Mike

 

I thought the problems with the Dalan were fixed, am I incorrect? Too bad http://www.izoomgraphics.com Tire Tails do not have a RX-8 option. I would be happy to stick my tires on that .

 

Welcome, Mike. Obviously I'm new myself but I recognized the name from sccaforums, and the Corvette trailer confirms it. Sorry, no info on trailer hitches. Seems like a lot of folks can get 4 tires in the backseat and don't use them. Could be handy driving all the way from California.

 

LOL, Z06 to RX-8 is gonna suck ...

a TireTail setup will completely compress the OE RX-8 rear springs onto the bumpstops while jacking the front sky high

you can get everything you need into an RX-8, no trailer required unless you want to transport more than 2 people

 

You'd be the one to know...

I guess I'm going to have to learn to drive with more than my right foot, huh?

 

Yeah, it requires HEART and not just brute force.

Do ya got what it takes to make a rotary sing as you dodge cones?

--kC

 

That's exactly what I thought when he said that.

But I suspect Team RX8 will soon be Team Z4M3Coupe or something similar since he likes BMWs and work is going well. That sounds like a pretty neat package and a bargain relative to a Cayman S from the road test I read. Only problem is, for $8 grand more, you can buy a C6 Z06!!

 

wtf? Isn't anyone going to answer my initial question?

 

Yeah... use the back seats.

--kC

 

Umm...I don't wanna?

JK, if the hitches out there are all pos's, then I guess that's what I'll have to do. I'm just looking for some quantitative info on whether or not the "new and improved" Dalan trunk plate works or if there's a better option. I'm kind of hesitant to weld a fabbed plate into a leased car...which would be my other thought...probably only add 40lbs. or so

 

Only other hitch I saw was custom fabricated to work with the rear bumper I think. A guy on SCCAforums was selling his 8 a while back, and he had a custom hitch setup.

Tires really fit pretty well in the back, but you should put a blanket down to keep them from rubbing the plastic (unlike me, theres another lease turn in charge). You could always put a safari rack on it, or a continental kit.

 

Yeah, Terry's hitch looked nice and it clearly took a lot of effort. I'm not sure it will stand up to a protest in Topeka, though, since they cut a hole in the lower panel on the bumper. (Someone please correct me if that fear is misplaced).



I put the tires in big garbage bags. Indentations form in the pad on the rear part of the console but they disappear within a day or so of the tires coming out (even after the tires have been left in there for a few weeks). No other marks that I've been able to find.

 

If the hitch stayed on for the event, I wouldn't complain.

Heck, even if it didn't 2oz of plastic like that, IMHO ain't worth protesting over.

--kC

 

Come to think of it, I wondered about the legality, but I think it would be a weaka$$ protest to say the least.

 

of course it would be a weenie protest, but that doesn't mean that it wouldn't happen

 

Weenie is right... considering that hitch in those pics still has the stock dual exhaust. Those with single exist exhausts have dropped more weight than what cutting out that one hole could provide in any benefit.

 

How does removing 2 oz. ( a guess, but it couildn't be much more than that) so that you can add 35+ lbs of trailer hitch hardware end up making a case for a protest of "unfair advantage"?

Just wondering. FWIW, I put the d'lan hitch on @ 18 months ago, modified it to allow the hitch to be made through the rear "rotor" emlem. I've take tires etc. to and from Heatland park with the hitch once; to MAM in Council Bluffs at least twice; to/from Las Vegas twice and to Miller in Utah once plus miscelaneous local area trips to & from Pueblo a number of times. Best guess would be something like at least 10,000 miles with trailer. So far as I can tell, with the auxilary reinforcing plates, the hitch is holding up fine .... at 80+ mph however, gas mileage sure suffers.

 

The protest isn't for an unfair advantage -- it's for breaking the rules. Besides, some cars benefit from adding weight over the drive wheels.

 

I'm assuming you are talking about the part where the rotary symbol is?

 

What exact rule would this be breaking? I know on the WRX/STI you have to remove both of the tow hooks to mount a hitch.

 

There is an allowance for tow hook removal for a trailer hitch install:

13.2.I. Cars may add one rear trailer hitch. The resulting weight addition
is allowed. The hitch may serve no other purpose. Factory
tie downs may be removed to facilitate hitch installation.

There is no allowance for modification to bodywork for a hitch in stock class:

13.2 BODYWORK
A. Accessories, gauges, indicators, lights and other appearance,
comfort and convenience modifications which have no effect on
performance and/or handling and do not materially reduce the
weight of the car are permitted. This does not allow driver’s seat
substitutions, or the removal of “tow hooks”, a.k.a. “tie-down
loops”. Delayed shutdown devices such as the “Turbo Timer”,
which perform no function while the car is in motion, are permitted.
This does permit the installation of an additional mirror
(e.g. a “Wink”), but does not allow the removal of the original
mirror. “Grounding kits” specifically designed to support sound
systems are permitted but may serve no other purpose.

My non-official non-SEB opinion would be that a protest for your rear bumper would most likely get you a "fix it" response and no penalty. I would say if you don't have one you should get a piece to fill in that hole when the hitch is not in use.

 

13. Stock Category

...Except for modifications authorized below, Stock Category cars
must be run as specified by the factory with only standard
equipment as defined by these Rules....

13.1 AUTHORIZED MODIFICATIONS
If a modification is not specifically authorized in this or previous
sections of these Rules it is not allowed....

13.2. Bodywork
I. Cars may add one rear trailer hitch. The resulting weight addition
is allowed. The hitch may serve no other purpose. Factory
tie downs may be removed to facilitate hitch installation.

The question isn't what rule prevents something, but what rule allows it?

 

Oh just a little to slow again.

 

Mid-post diaper change. What are you gonna do?

 

The hitch is sticking out of the hole at all times so if I was to have that piece glued to the underside of the bumper would that suffice the protest/fix it?

I ask because this is now my car and the last thing I want is to be at a tour or go to topeka next year and be protested for something like that. As assuming as it would be to be protested for something like that don't want to have to worry