Installing a tow hitch on my E92 M3

[nsogiba]

I will preface this post by saying that installing a hitch on an M3 is not for everyone and will probably ruffle a bunch of feathers. That being said, I don’t really care since there are plenty of similar cars all over the world towing a lot more with far inferior brakes, power, and tires/suspension. The track guys tow small trailers loaded up with a spare wheel set, tools, fuel, you name it.

Anyhow - I am a firm believer in using fun cars to their full extent, so every fun car I buy usually gets a trailer hitch in order to haul my bike rack and tow a small trailer for track days, Home Depot runs, whatever. My Corvette towed great, with the towing package I installed (more power, stronger brakes, oil cooler, LOL).

Not only does it prevent me from having to use my wife's Rav4, but I love the looks I get and pissing off purists: "You're not supposed to tow with that car!!!!!!"

LOL, hold my beer. These cars are more than adequate for small loads.











Really I want to just get my bike back on there so I can start riding again, with the gyms still being closed.





The plan is to install a hidden hitch setup that has a vertical receiver behind the bumper cover. When I want to use the hitch I will install a 90 degree adapter, like this concept.



The problem is that nobody makes a hitch like this for the M3, so I bought a generic E9X hitch knowing it would have to be modified, and immediately proceeded to cut it up to clear the exhaust tips and bumper mounts.



So after a few nights of cutting and tacking, here’s where I’m at right now – one vertical receiver hitch for an E92 M3.







I should have everything mocked up later this week and drop it off at my welder’s for final welding as my little 110V MIG isn’t up to the task of burning in the thick steel.

[nsogiba]

Here is the system fully mocked up and just tacked together. It needs final welding and a coat of paint.

[SAMM3Y]

Did I miss the electrical? How you running lights? Looks awesome, 1/8th steel?

[nsogiba]

Originally Posted by SAMM3Y

Did I miss the electrical? How you running lights? Looks awesome, 1/8th steel?

Haven't tackled the wiring harness yet, I'll run a standard 4 pin connector by tapping into the tail lights. I'd like to use an OEM style connector where it taps in to keep everything totally reversible and avoid hacking up the wiring harness.

The majority of everything is 1/4", except for the square/rectangle sections that are 1/8" wall (still plenty strong).

[Cyberdemon]

Nice, I'm pro-hitch, I've done one on pretty much every car although at this point the X5 gets bike duty.

[OldenburgerM3]

Excellent work!

[nsogiba]

As I mentioned in my original posts I was pretty active in the LS community over the last 10 years. The Vette I sold didn’t fit my lifestyle anymore but I always loved the bang for the buck aspect of the performance. Most fun of all was my turbo truck, which was a basic 4.8 combo with a turbo and a reliable as a rock 4L80E.

Browsing Marketplace over a cup of coffee, I saw a complete LQ4/4L80E for a decent price about 15 minutes away. Since the hitch on the M3 was done, I figured it was the perfect opportunity to test it out.















Back home in the garage, I usually put some straps around the lift arms and use the lift to pick everything up and attach to engine stand.





The M3 pulled the trailer great, I estimate it was about 1000 lbs between the engine, trans, and the trailer itself.



Don't worry, I am not swapping the M3, been there done that. Thinking I might do an old cop car with a big turbo, fun street car that wastes tires at highway speeds.

[nsogiba]

My latest project was refurbing my trailer. Bought it new in 2016 and it has been incredibly useful as mostly a utility trailer but also a track day tool. The deck was rotten in one place (painted regular plywood) but the frame was salvageable despite having some rust/scale.

Back when it was new and nice:



Chinesium paint oxidized quickly and turned pink.



This was a bit on the heavier side for the C5, but just had to take it slow.





M3 putting in work too



Ok, damage report:






Bye Bye deck





The extent of the rust:





The insides of the tires were rough. Somehow outer sidewalls weren't so bad



The cost to buy/mount 2 new tires as well time to sand and repaint the old rims came out the same as brand new ones, so I picked up a set and will keep the old ones as spares.

As further rust prevention I painted the rims (also change up the color a bit from boring Trailer White).



Heavy wire wheel and needle scaler were essential for removing rust and scale. I also put in new hub seals and regreased the bearings since they were in good shape.






Primer and Black Gloss brushed on from Tractor Supply






That's as far as I am today. It has been a challenge getting the paint to dry with the very cold temps, but it's getting there when I run the heater for a bit. More to come.