I can't find it anywhere in my Haynes manual or the Volvo service manual: what is the maximum weight that a 145 can tow? Mine is a 1970 with the B20B & M40 4-speed manual transmission, and I am looking at towing a maximum trailer size of about 2000lbs. Does anyone have any information/experience with this?

By the way - I have heard that this particular year/model needs a special hitch, because of the placement of the gas tank. Any thoughts?

Thanks everyone;


Ross in Lethbridge

Ross,
This picture from the net should be the original Volvo's hitch (1973). It matches my memory of what the one on my parents' 1974 looked like, anyway:



Edit: Found this one, too:



Erling.
--
My 240 Page

re: "...the original Volvo's hitch (1973). It matches my memory of what the one on my parents' 1974 looked like...."


Per my message below, I'm glad you could illustrate this. But your parents' '74 wwasn't really the same as this illustrated '73. The '74 had a drastically changed bumper (the thin, in height, bumper of the '73 that you see in your picture was changed to a bumper that was about twice as wide, or high). That means that the hitch you illustrated wouldn't fit -- the '74's hitch has to drop down further, to fit under the lower edge of the '74's bumper.

I towed a MG Midget on a tow dolly from Mass to Ohio not long ago. I would say that's about the max. It was dificult finding a 2" squaire receiver hitch for my 1972 145. Yo have to find one used cince i couldn't find one new and no one will make one for you.

John

that's a nice looking 145. i noticed the load in the trunk besides the MG. Volvos......
--
and the bricks keep on rolling....

The back of the wagon was full of a weekends worth of camping stuff for 3 people. We had just returned from the Vintage Racing weekend at Lime Rock Park. Pluss the fact that it has John Parkers springs in it which alreaddy lowers it.... Yea it was low, but the sound of the Webbers at 75mph pulling the MIDGET was great!

john
--
"After that last stage my tyres are really shaged out!" Peter Solberg

Volvo approve a max tow-weight for the 140's at 1200 kilos (I'm not sure exactly how many lbs that is..)

See my answer in this same thread.

A kilo is 2.205#.
A pound is 453.6 gm

Thank you very much, Soren. What do you know about the hitches for the 145s?

Ross in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

Let me just remind you, that I live in Denmark, Europe.

I guess a "hitch" is what I call a "tow-bar"? -or a in other words, "the thing mounted to the rear of the car, that makes a coupling with a trailer possible." ?? :-) Please excuse me..

Well, as others has pointed out, the 140's came with different types of bumpers, which matters for the design of the hitch.

If you had a '74 -> 140, you could probably find a hitch easier, since the hitch for the 240's pre '81 is the same.

Here in Denmark we have our "own" major producer of hitches, in Holland they have "Brink" - and I would asume that there would be several in US.

Anyway, these different producers each have their own way of making the hitch, due to engineering, regulations from car-factory and regulations from traffic-law in respective country. Therefore again, it would be a little difficult to make a drawing of it - their could be a regulation for some detail in your country that are different in other countries.
(I hope you get my point..)

If any help for others:

'66 - '73 140's in one type
'74 - '80 140/240's is one type
'81 - '93 240's is one type

I dont think that there was any special design of the hitch due to the placement of the gastank, but if I'm not wrong, you also have a different traffic-law/regulations regarding precisely that in the US.

Hmm.. Any help?

/Soren

Exactly right, of course! You wrote "I guess a "hitch" is what I call a "tow-bar"? -or a in other words, "the thing mounted to the rear of the car, that makes a coupling with a trailer possible.""

= Anhaengerkupplung (De)

I was amazed, years ago, after being a bicyclist in the U.S., to travel Europe, and to witness SOPHISTICATED trailers being pulled behind bicycles, from Sweden to Switzerland. Attached, of course, by a "Fahrradanhaengerkupplung." (I am not saying anything you don't already know, Soren.)

Fahrrad = bicycle
anhaenger = "on-hanger" = trailer
kupplung = coupling (doh!)

Gotta love the language with which one can build such words!
--
Gregg; Mpls, MN; 1987 745, 1967 Amazon 4-dr.

Danish:

Anhængertræk, (Anhaengertraek)("on-hanger-puller")

Swedish:

Draggkrok/Anhängarfästne, ("pulling-hook")/("on-hanger-bracket")

Latin: ???

:-)

Whooee! Latin? Dunno, not me.

But http://www.archives.nd.edu/cgi-bin/lookdown.pl?pull
which is an English-Latin dictionary, says:

traho trahere traxi tractum [to trail , pull along; to drag, pull violently; to draw in, take up] of air, [to breathe; to draw out], hence [to lengthen] [to draw together, contract]. Transf. [to draw, attract; to take in or on, assume, derive; to prolong, spin out; to ascribe, refer, interpret]. Hence partic. tractus -a -um, of speech, [fluent, flowing]. N. as subst. [a flock of wool].

Volvo et traho?

That trahere (infinitive?) is cool, since you'd guess (I'd GUESS) there was some t/d shift to drehen (modern German); we get "draw" from it in English, and use as in "drawbar pull."
--
Gregg; Mpls, MN; 1987 745, 1967 Amazon 4-dr.

Big laugh!

Isn't it then VERY funny, to brainstorm on to the word for "the thing that farmes pull their different kinds of machinery with"?

The tractor? !! (in danish, traktor)
(you know, the thing that REALLY can pull a lot of stuff!!)

:-)

Mean tungs in Denmark call Volvo's a tractor! But hey!!.. isn't THAT really what makes them what we love?
- the easy repairing, easy to understand, easy to drive
- simple, but REALLY functional mechanics,
- solid, will start every time, never let you down -??

Ohh...

/Soren

According to my Owners manual my 73 145 can tow a 2000lb trailer. Same for the 144 and 142.
--

2,000 lbs is what I also found for my '75 164's rating -- since the '75 (unique among 164's) has the same chassis (rear suspension, unibody design, etc.) as the 240's, I'm thinking that perhaps it's the BW-35 transmission that's limiting it's rating.

Silly me - I didn't check the owner's manual.

I am sure that a 2000lb. trailer should pose no significant problems - but I am a little concerned about the actual hitch setup, because of the awkward position of the gas tank in the back.

Thanks!


Ross

Hi. If a '75 164 is any indication (and many cars are limited by their chassis, not necessarily their engine size), I can offer that there's a plaque on the front passenger-side (left) fender in the engine compartment that includes various specifications; included in the list of things is the maximum towing capacity (btw, I have the BW-35 automatic). It indicates a mere 2,000 lbs.
You may have that plaque there, too.

I only say "mere", because my 240's (with smaller engines) with AW70's all are rated at 3,500 lbs (assuming trailer brakes which I don't have, and a transmission oil cooler which I do have); albeit only 1,500 lbs if I don't have both of these things :-).

And the reason that I say that sometimes the rating is based on the chassis, and not the engine size, is that, for example, the VW Taureg has the same 7700 lb max tow load, and the same 615 lb trailer tongue limit, whether it has a puny V-6 or a larger V-8 gasoline engine, or even the monster torque, giant V-10 diesel engine. So not always, but sometimes a tow rating is chassis limited (and sometimes it's engine, transmission, or axle ratio limited, instead).

Anyway, look for that plaque, if you don't have the owners manual.

2.2. 1KG=2.2lbs(approx). There, now you metric heads can go figure out your numbers.
--
and the bricks keep on rolling....

You are correct about the plate (on 1976 240's, on right hand side inner-fender)

A 1976 240's BTW (Brutto Train Weight) is 3500 Kilo's! -which leaves max 1500 kilos for towing.

According to Volvo:

(asuming pulling a trailer WITH own brakes and certified/approved tow-bar)

PV 1000 kilos
120/220 1000 kilos
140/160 1200 kilos
240/260 (1975 -1980) 1500 kilos
240 (1981-1993) 1600 kilos
740 1500 kilos
760 1600 kilos
850 1600 kilos
940/960 1600 kilos (BUT with Volvo's own enforcing kit, 6820174, 1800 kilos)

Sorry but I don't know the calculations for lbs.. ??

If you need to have registration made different or needs paper from Volvo stating the max allowed tow-weight - feel free to email me.

I would bet that the reason for the higher rating on a 240 is that the hitch is a good bit beefier.

I wouldn't have a problem towing a good bit more with a 140 (have many times in rope tow situations), but I wouldn't trust the stock hitch setup for more.

-Matt
--
-Matt '70 145s, '65 1800s, '66 122s wagon, others inc. '53 XK120 FHC

Matt - what does your hitch setup look like? Where is it bolted to the frame?

Just so I know what I am talking about when I go to the trailer hitch place to get one installed. I remember Bram talking about getting a 2" ball instead of a 1" - what size is yours?



Ross

I've got an original Volvo hitch for my 140 (1970...actually 'would fit '67-72 or maybe 73), but it isn't installed... it bolts twice right next the the fuel tank, and twice on the bottom of the bumper.

It is not a reciever hitch... just has a hole that accepts the ball of your choice. The 240 reciever hitches look tougher, but I'm not familiar with how they bolt to the chassis.


--
-Matt '70 145s, '65 1800s, '66 122s wagon, others inc. '53 XK120 FHC

That sounds familiar - last year I saw a 145, a 1969 or '70 I think - that was bolted to the bottom of the bumper. I thought it was strange at the time, but if it is how you describe it, then I suppose it would be fine.

Doesn't bolting it, even in part, to the bumper have repercussions on rigidity? And how well does the bumper stand up to this? I would hate to damage that rear bumper - those things are expensive to replace!

Thanks again Matt

Hi. I used to have a '73 (another 164, but it was the same as a 140 in the back), and it's rear bumper was unique to that single year -- absolutely no hitch compatibility with either earlier or later, according to Volvo parts department (I know because back in '76, I wanted a hitch for my 3-yr old car and Volvo didn't have any more for that year -- they had hitches for earlier and later ones, but they never had enough stock for that one year).