Installing a towbar on a VAZ 2115: step-by-step installation of the device

• Models of towbars for VAZ 2115 (Samara 2)
• Do I need to register the towbar?
• Step-by-step instructions for installing a certified trailer hitch (using the example of a towbar model on a VAZ-2115 “Samara-2” 2115.R)
• AvtoVAZ plant policy regarding installation of trailer hitch
• Traffic police requirements for towbars in 2022
• Registration of an uncertified vehicle
• Penalty for violations when installing a tow bar
• Connecting a trailer socket to the electrical wiring of a VAZ 2115
• Seven-pin (7 pin) connectors of the European type (RF)
• Thirteen-pin connectors (13 pin)
• Type of towbars for VAZ 2115

AvtoVAZ policy

However, this policy of owners does not always coincide with the opinion of domestic automakers. For example, there was no provision for connecting a towbar to a VAZ of older years at all - the owners installed it at their own peril and risk. And even today AvtoVAZ does not recommend operating its cars with a trailer for the first 2000 km:

1. The body of most passenger cars does not provide mounting points for a towbar;
2. The standard wiring does not have free connectors for connecting the trailer's electrical equipment;
3. There is no way to connect the brake system of a trailer (camping car) to a car.

Features of installing trailer hitch on VAZ cars

Since traffic rules do not prohibit equipping cars with towing devices, owners are willing to re-equip their vehicles. Moreover, the price of towbars is affordable for many. (see also the article Features of installing a tow bar on a Renault Duster with your own hands: instructions)

However, in the AvtoVAZ line there are a number of models that have design features of the body, which affects the design of the trailer hitch.

For example, installing a towbar on a VAZ 2106 is distinguished by the fact that this car is rear-wheel drive, which means:

• It is necessary to provide a mounting method that would not limit the operation of the driveshaft and rear axle suspension;
• Provide access to the rear axle lubrication unit;
• Do not interfere with the removal of the resonator and exhaust system pipes.

When installing a towbar on a “classic”, you need to take into account the attachment points of other components and assemblies.
At the same time, installing a towbar on a Priora with your own hands is a simpler option, since the car is front-wheel drive. This means that there are much fewer components in the rear part of the body, and more options for attaching the trailer hitch.

It should be noted that AvtoVAZ has changed its policy since 2010, focusing on sales of its models abroad. Therefore, installing a towbar on Kalina or installing a towbar on Grant is often accompanied by official recommendations. Manufacturers of trailer hitches draw the attention of buyers to this fact.

Features of installing a tow bar on the Samara-2 family

It is no secret that the VAZ 2115 model is the successor to the “ninety-ninth”, which in turn inherited the platform from the VAZ-09. Therefore, installing a towbar on a VAZ 2109 at one time allowed trailer hitch developers to accumulate sufficient experience, offering do-it-yourself installation kits for free sale.

If you are the owner of a Samara-2 family car, then before you go to the store and purchase a towbar, be sure to find out the design features of your car.

For example, installing a towbar on a VAZ 2114 and VAZ 2115 differs in other methods of attachment to the body:

1. The automaker made changes to the body's power elements in 1997, 2004 and 2007;
2. For all the indicated years of manufacture, there are different towbars - towbars.

Installation of a tow bar – VAZ 2115, 2004

What to choose?

To connect a trailer, you first need to acquire the towbar itself. Today, VAZ 2110 owners are offered two options:

• Use a homemade device;
• Purchase a certified factory-made unit.

It is noteworthy that both options are worthy of each other, they have positive and negative sides. Let's look at them.

Homemade tow bar

To manufacture it, you will need the appropriate drawings, according to which the unit is assembled. Often their level of reliability is in no way inferior to their factory counterparts, and sometimes even surpasses them. Homemade does not mean you will assemble it yourself. Although some are capable of this. There are many workshops where you can order the production of a tow bar. The price depends entirely on your requirements and the manufacturer's conditions.

Drawing

This is due to the use of higher quality materials by craftsmen than those provided at the factory. But at the same time, the overall weight of the structure increases.

But the makeshift towbar has a weak point - the seams. They are not subject to control similar to the factory control. Therefore, in appearance the design may be reliable, but in reality the seam barely holds the towbar elements together.

Don’t forget that homemade towbars are often sold without anything, so all kinds of fastenings have to be purchased separately.

Factory tow bar

Factory products are more expensive than homemade ones. Actually, this is the only serious drawback of such towbars. Of course, if you don’t take into account potential marriage, which, unfortunately, you sometimes have to deal with.

Towbar

However, the price is actually not that high. A good towbar from the factory will cost about 1.5 thousand rubles. But you get a reliable design, matching elements, and a complete set of fasteners.

To summarize, we can say that it is better to choose towbars with a removable tow ball. Similar systems are provided on European cars from leading companies.

If the trailer part can be removed, this will allow you not to get dirty while in the garage and not have to deal with eternal grease on your pants. When required, the element is put in place, a trailer is attached to it and off you go.

But if you were unable to purchase such a unit, and the structure turned out to be solid, take into account protective caps and linings. They are affordable and can be found at any auto parts store.

Installation work

So, when the trailer hitch has been purchased and the time for its installation has been selected, you can begin installation:

1. We place the car on the inspection hole;
2. Disconnect the battery;
3. We remove the rear bumper of the car along with the bumper power beam (pictured below under No. 2).

Main parts of the rear bumper
Now we have to determine the mounting location of the towbar on the bottom of the car.

For this:

1. We place the transverse beam of the trailer hitch between the bumper mounting brackets;
2. We press the side brackets of the trailer hitch to the bumper mounting brackets, resting them against the stiffener;
3. Mark the drilling points;
4. We press the longitudinal beam to the bottom of the car;
5. We mark the points for drilling technological holes.

We arm ourselves with a drill and drill holes for the bolts.
We proceed to fixing the load-bearing structure of the trailer hitch:

1. We fix the trailer hitch corner with two M10x25 bolts;
2. We install the bushings from the kit between the walls of the bumper mounting brackets.

The only work remaining is to connect the plug socket to the standard electrical wiring of the VAZ.

For this:

• Punch through the rubber plug in the trunk floor for wires with a diameter of 12 mm;
• Connect the trailer hitch wires to the vehicle's electrical wiring. This is best done in the rear headlight wiring harness;
• Follow the connection diagram (pictured below).

In the diagram: 1 - left turn, 2 - fog light, 3 - weight, 4 - right turn, 5 - license plate light and right rear side marker, 6 - brake, 7 - left rear side marker

Equipment and tools

The towbar for model 2109 is usually powder coated, as it better protects against mechanical damage.

It includes the following installation components:

• the product itself;
• electrical package;
• fasteners.

Tow hitch manufacturers also supply their products with a technical passport and a quality certificate. The pinout of the socket is usually included in the package.

In order to install a tow bar on a car with your own hands, you will need:

• scrap;
• pencil (for marking);
• drill;
• corrugation;
• sealant.

What are the features when choosing a tow hitch for a VAZ 2115?

For a car of this model, a type “A” towball is used. Maximum loads on the ball vary from 1,000 to 1,500 kg horizontally and from 75 to 100 vertically. Loads are calculated individually, depending on the final weight of the car, trailer, and the towball itself.

Our company recommends a model from Bosal-Autoflex. This model has the best price-quality ratio, as well as a high reliability indicator. We draw your attention to the fact that it is dangerous to use used towbars, since it is unknown what loads they were subjected to and whether the loads were higher than permissible standards.

In conclusion

When choosing a tow bar for a Volkswagen Polo sedan or another European car brand, give preference to quality manufacturers and their products. Now, if you have a trailer in the garage, it no longer has to gather dust. All that remains is to carry out state registration and you can use it. Good luck on the roads!

The domestic automaker does not seem to know about the importance of maximizing the use of vehicles for cargo transportation, even if the model is passenger. Therefore, owners have to solve this problem on their own, fortunately, this is now quite possible. Right now, because older VAZ models did not provide for the installation of a towbar in their design at all. Therefore, car owners had to be willful at their own peril and risk.

Prices for towbars for VAZ 2115 1997-2012.

Installing a towbar on a VAZ 2115 with your own hands

1. Remove the bumper (rear).
2. Install the hitch between the holes and secure.
3. Drill holes in the bottom of the luggage compartment.
4. Install the bumper.
5. Secure the trailer hitch.
6. Be sure to tighten and tighten the nuts.

A more detailed description of the installation steps is provided in the instructions.

When operating a vehicle, situations arise when it is necessary to transport large items and some cargo. A car trailer is used for transportation. However, to make towing possible, a trailer hitch must be installed on the vehicle. To install a towbar on the VAZ 2114, standard places are provided for attaching a towing hitch, which allows motorists to equip their vehicles with this part.

• Removable.

Fairly easy to install. Thanks to this, they are very popular among owners of VAZ 2108, 2109, 2114 and 2115 models. They are mounted with 2 or 4 bolts. The process of installing or dismantling the product takes 20-30 minutes.

• Fixed.

They are a massive non-demountable structure. They are attached to the car by welding or “fitting” onto massive bolts. Devices of this type allow you to tow other cars and trailers with increased load capacity.

• Quick release.

Collapsible structures, often equipped with a mechanism that allows the towbar frame to be folded. The coupling ball is dismantled. Devices of this type are suitable for transporting low-capacity trailers.

Also, the tow bar for the VAZ 2114 has the following varieties:

1. With low load capacity. The total weight of the loaded trailer must not exceed the load rating of 1500 kg.
2. With increased load capacity. The curb weight of the trailer varies from 3000 to 3500 kilograms. To be able to transport such a trailer, you must have a category E driver's license.

When installing a towbar on a VAZ 2115, VAZ 2114, VAZ 2109 and VAZ 2108, the corresponding trailer hitch is used. Experienced motorists recommend purchasing traction coupling devices manufactured by "Trailer", "Leader-Plus". To determine which towbar to install on the car, you will need to study the markings. It is indicated on the body of the part.

As for the selection criteria, it is worth paying attention to the following factors:

• Manufacturing company.

How to purchase online?

In order to purchase a high-quality, certified tow bar for the VAZ 2114, you just need to visit our website and place an order for exactly the product that suits you. Only on our website you can purchase a high-quality towbar 2114, because we work only directly with the factory - the manufacturer of original spare parts for VAZ cars, and thanks to this we are able to avoid dealer markups and markups from intermediaries, which guarantees you the lowest possible cost of the product , which you purchase.

But in addition to the fact that you purchased the product on our website, you also need to install it, and we can also help you with this. Since installing a 2114 towbar is not an easy task, and without special skills and training it is almost impossible to do it yourself, there are specialized service centers that will help you install your towbar on your car.

Installation process

Installation of a towbar on a VAZ 2114 is carried out according to the following algorithm:

• The cross beam of the trailer hitch is attached to the side members. The rear holes are drilled using a drill with a cutter.
• Afterwards, you need to remove the soundproofing coating from the trunk side and place the plates in the rectangular holes of the side members. Fasteners are already welded to them. The holes are expanded using a drill.
• Next, a transverse beam is applied to the side members and secured with bolts. The nuts will need to be tightened, but do not tighten them.
• The final stages of installation will be the installation of a longitudinal metal part with a towbar. To do this, insert fasteners into the holes in the spare tire niche, attach the element to be installed to them, and lightly tighten the nuts. Two metal structures of the towbar are fastened together using 2 or 4 bolts, the hook is set according to the symmetry of the machine, the tow ball is installed, and the fasteners are completely tightened.

A little about self-production

I am categorically against assembling towbars and trailers with my own hands, since they extremely rarely meet the quality and safety requirements for such structures.

But I still think it’s correct to give an approximate manufacturing diagram. To get started, you will need all the consumables, tools and a welding machine. Each machine has its own coordination scheme, design features and other points. Therefore, even with a great desire, I cannot offer general assembly instructions for everyone.

Materials you will need:

• a ball mechanism that has built-in eyes (you will have to buy it on the market, otherwise there is no other way);
• a pipe made of durable iron about 1 meter in size;
• corner beam 0.5 meters;
• 2 nuts for tow bar;
• bolts with a diameter of 14 mm and corresponding washers for them.

In order to assemble a full-fledged trailer hitch from all this (preferably removable, since monolithic structures are not a priority now), you will have to put in maximum effort and caution.

Connecting the socket

After the tow bar has been installed, proceed to connecting the socket with wires. They provide an electrical connection to the vehicle's towbar. The pinout looks like this:

1. Yellow (Left turn signal).
2. Free.
3. Black (Mass).
4. White (Right turn signal).
5. Free.
6. Red (Stop light).
7. Blue (Parking lights).

After making the connection, the wires are pulled into the holes in the niche for the spare wheel. The socket is powered from the car's rear headlight connectors.

Recommendations for use

When operating a Lada car with a towbar, you must follow some rules for operating this part:

• After each trip, the traction element is treated with special anti-corrosion solutions, dirt and moisture are removed from it.
• The coupling ball, when not in use, is covered with protective lubricant and a special cap.
• When transporting a fully loaded trailer hitch, the vehicle speed should not exceed 90 kilometers per hour.
• Transportation of extra-heavy, large-sized trailers is carried out using a towbar with increased load capacity.
• After installing the trailer hitch, the part is registered with the traffic police.

The towbar expands the vehicle's capabilities. A machine equipped with a trailer hitch is capable of towing trailers or other vehicles. However, you should select towbars that are suitable for your specific vehicle model.

Registration of an uncertified vehicle

If a towbar is installed on the car, but there is no documentation for it, the procedure is as follows:

• Visit the local traffic police department to establish the possibility of installing a towbar in principle;
• If the decision is positive, receive a certificate with the result of the examination carried out on the basis of an accredited laboratory;
• Pass a technical inspection of the car;
• Re-issue the vehicle vehicle (a note about the installation of the vehicle vehicle must be entered in the “special notes” column).

This certificate must be presented along with your license and registration certificate.