Trailer hitch saves my car again!

[glock19]

Originally Posted By: Spillips
That's wrong.. youre enhancing them. Any energy that can be deflected away from the driver, in this case to under the car, is good. Might even save the grille and front end.. all depends on how hard hit.

Ever had a push bar or bull bar or bully bar or bumper guard - the proper ones, the frame-welded ones, not the dumb style ones that bolt on and don't offer any safety improvement - save a vehicle? Save a life? How about, for example, a drunk slamming into a tree? We can't account for all variables, but any layer of protection is good.


Sorry, but you're just wrong. Having solid steel welded to the frame doesn't "deflect" energy, it just makes you a human pinball inside the car.

Originally Posted By: hatt
Have you ever sit down and though about your "opinion." There's no way any of this stuff you're talking about is possible simply by having the hitch in. If the hitch isn't in it's not like you're crashing into pillows. There's a 3' wide piece of heavy duty receiver mount along with frame rails.


First, I haven't claimed it will do anything except make a crash worse. Secondly, it's not just my opinion, it's been proven to increase the energy transferred to occupants of the car.

I know how these threads go, people are passionate to the point of ignoring reason and science. I'll bow out now.

 

[hatt]

Don't bow out. Post this science you're talking about.

 

[HemiHawk]

Originally Posted By: hatt
Don't bow out. Post this science you're talking about.


here's one such source -

"Today, roughly 40% of the vehicles on the highway have receiver hitches – and although they are necessary for towing – they reduce rear end collision damage and INCREASE the risk of whiplash by creating a stiff "crash pulse"."

http://alerts.nationalsafetycommission.com/2011/04/how-receiver-hitches-affect-rear-end.html

It does kind of make sense that the receiver is still there, but usually they're under a bumper, I know in my jeep its recessed quite a bit from the bumper, but thats not true of all cars.

 

[hatt]

That link is talking about the receiver, not the ball hitch. I've read it before.

Quote:
You can decrease the risk somewhat by simply removing your ball mount, bike rack, cargo carrier or any other "fixed" or static (non-energy absorbing) receiver hitch product after use. It is a good first step in reducing the potential for whiplash because these products simply move the risk of whiplash outward. But the real problem still remains – the receiver hitch.


The author also sells related stuff/gimmicks. I'm still waiting on someone to post the physics of the little ball hitch injuring people in a crash. It's going to punch right through the bumper like an ice pick. If anything it will likely help by starting to slow the vehicle before it hits the substantial receiver hitch. In a decent crash I doubt it plays a measurable part.

 

[gman2304]

I never leave my receiver ball hitch in. Mainly to preserve my, as well as others shins.

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: gman2304

I never leave my receiver ball hitch in. Mainly to preserve my, as well as others shins.


That's a better argument to remove them than them being dangerous to other drivers...

 

[dlundblad]

I had a friend in high school rear end a truck with a hitch. He complained saying how if it wasn't for the hitch, his radiator wouldn't have gotten destroyed and the front of his car wouldn't have gotten as smashed in.

That mentality made zero sense to me.

If you don't want shot, don't break into someone's home.

 

[Nate1979]

There are still a lot of people who regularly tow and need the hitch, regardless if they are doing it at that instance. Yes, there are still people who do real work in this country....

(Not me, I remove mine because I only tow a travel trailer a few times per year. The rest of the time I sit behind a desk...

)

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: dlundblad
I had a friend in high school rear end a truck with a hitch. He complained saying how if it wasn't for the hitch, his radiator wouldn't have gotten destroyed and the front of his car wouldn't have gotten as smashed in.

That mentality made zero sense to me.

If you don't want shot, don't break into someone's home.

Unfortunately that's the attitude of a lot of today's society...nobody wants to be accountable for their own actions anymore...it's always someone else's fault...

 

[sciphi]

Leaving the ball in on a car can increase damage. Instead of the bumper and crumple zones taking the hit, the ball/hitch transfers the energy to the frame rails. Those take a hit they're not meant to, and the car can wind up more damaged as a result.

Lots of folks have a receiver for things like cargo racks or bike racks. More convenient than a roof rack or strap-on bike rack. Or for hauling messy stuff that would dirty up a clean interior.

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: sciphi
Leaving the ball in on a car can increase damage. Instead of the bumper and crumple zones taking the hit, the ball/hitch transfers the energy to the frame rails.


You're talking about higher speed impacts, which is true. In both of my cases, the drivers that hit me were going under 5 MPH. In these instances, it's far better to have the hitch on the vehicle. Had it not been on, my vehicle would have sustained some pretty severe cosmetic damage, and maybe even broken tail lights, all of which would've cost me money....