Dale Kirstein

Today I installed a Da'Lan Trailer Hitch on my 96 A4. Here's my installation FAQ, followed by 2 questions:<p>The trickiest part was removing the rear bumper. The 4 bolts that hold it on are easy enough to remove through the trunk, but then you have to unsnap the connections from the bumper cover to the body on each side near the wheel well. The best thing to do is look at the bracket from under the car to see how it works. Then you can see just how to tweak it to unlatch it. I found that grabbing the cover near the wheel well and pulling down HARD while also pulling out at the top will release the upper hook. Then, you can slide the cover out and over the fender to remove it from the lower hook. Repeat this on the other side and you can then slide the entire bumper assembly off the car. <p>Now that you have access to the work area, you can place the hitch in place, follow the measurement instructions and mark the location of the holes. Yes, I said holes. You have to drill 8 3/8" holes in the trunk. (Ouch!) Measure twice, maybe 3 or four times before you drill. Drill carefully. Start with a smaller drill for a pilot hole, and then enlarge it to the correct size. <p>Once I drilled the holes, (ouch again) I sprayed them with spray-on undercoating, to help protect against rust and corrosion. (This is a pretty thin coat, and shouldn't interfere with the mounting.) I gave them an hour or so to get tacky, and then bolted on the hitch. Be sure to follow the torque-specs in the instructions. You should also check the torque every so often, since the mounting will compress a bit over time. After the hitch is mounted, you may want to cover the bracket with the same spray on undercoating. That's what I did. Reinstalling the bumper is much easier than removing it, the side brackets snap in pretty easily. Line up the bumper and tighten up the 4 bolts. <p>The hitch is a receiver type hitch, and extends about an inch beyond the bottom of the bumper with the tongue removed. It is pretty noticeable. The tongue fits loose enough to rattle quite a bit over bumps when pulling a small trailer, so you will listen to lots of rattles with the trailer on. <p>Now the questions for anyone who has used this hitch for a while.<br>1. Geez, that sure is some thin sheetmetal that the hitch is bolted to. How has the mounting held up? <br>2. Do you have the same problem with lots of rattling noise being transmitted into the car? Any suggestions?<p>Thanks!<p>Dale Kirstein <br>

Josh Pinkert

Hmm...I didn't do the install myself. I had a hitch place do the entire install. So I haven't torqued the bolts down. What is the recommended torque spec? Also, the underside of the trunk shows no signs of damage. It's pretty damn sturdy. BTW, I just use it to tow my Sea Doo...which weighs in around 800 lbs with trailer, I guess.<p>Mine doesn't seem to rattle much. Sometimes, I can barely tell that I towing anything. Then again, I usually tow the boat on the highway. Just get up to speed and cruise.<p>Good luck!<p>- Josh<br>- '98 A4q 2.8<br>- '72 911T

Dale Kirstein

Thanks for the reassurance! <br>According to the instructions with the hitch, it uses 3/8" grade 8 bolts, which should be torqued to 31 ft-lbs. <p>Dale

John/TSR

I'd haven't done any research, but I'd like to pull my Force 5 (sailboat, ~500 lbs.) with the A4 since my van has a habit of sliding backwards down launch ramps.<p>How about posting a picture of the back of your car with the hitch and draw bar in place ?<p>FYI, you can eliminate the rattle two ways - either find an "anti-rattle" draw bar (has an expanding collet that tightens up when you twist an adjusting bolt), or just drill a 3/8" or 7/16" hole in the bottom of the receiver, weld the appropriate nut to the bottom of receiver, and then run a bolt and jam nut into the hole once the receiver is in place. Works for me on my van...<p>John<br>Trained Seals Racing

Dale Kirstein

The hitch is rated at 200 lbs tongue, 2000 lbs gross. I use it to tow a small tire trailer to autocrosses. (Sometimes I use the car as a support vehicle for the car I autox, an MR2). I don't have a digital camera, but I scanned in the instructions page, if that helps. You may be able to get more information at the web site that I bought the hitch at. See the link below<p>Dale <br><ul><li><a href="http://www.hitch-web.com">Hitch-Web</a></li></ul>

knh

I had it installed in Danvers, MA at The Trailer Shop and was quite happy with their service. I did require a higher rise than the hitch recievee that they gave me. I tow a Snipe (sailboat) which is 381 lbs. plus perhaps 150-200 lbs of trailer. I hardly even notice it back there. No problems so far, but this is my first season towing it with the Audi. <p> btw, we run the wires from the trunk to keep them out of the elements when not in use.

Zach

1

Josh Pinkert

Thanks for the info. I will check the torque on them tomorrow (Memorial Day).<p>- Josh<br>- '98 A4q 2.8