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Blue Ox
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Original price was $699.99. Current price is $609.00.You save $90.99 (13%)
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Authorized Dealer1995 - 1998 Mazda Protege
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Custom Design: Specifically engineered for each individual towed vehicle to ensure a perfect fit and enhanced towing performance.
Material: Steel
Color: Black
Finish: Powder Coat
Mounting Type: Bolt On
Mounting Hardware Included Yes/No: Yes
The Blue Ox BX2511 Tow Bar Bracket is a premium, custom-designed automotive part that ensures a perfect fit for every specific towed vehicle. Made from robust steel and coated in a resilient black powder finish, this superior bracket offers enhanced durability and resistance to corrosion. It comes with all necessary mounting hardware and easy-to-follow DIY installation instructions, eliminating the need for professional assistance. The BX2511 bracket is designed for ease-of-use, with a simple bolt-on mounting type that ensures a secure fit for your towed vehicle.
Blue Ox is known internationally for recreational and commercial towing products, manufacturing in Pender, Nebraska since 1925. The line covers tow bars and vehicle-specific baseplates for flat towing behind a motorhome, sway control and weight distributing hitches, supplemental braking accessories and towing wiring, backed by patented designs and long-standing customer service.
Blue Ox has manufactured since 1925 and is recognised internationally for towing products and customer service. The company operates from Pender, Nebraska, where it grew out of Automatic Manufacturing Co., a business that started with cattle oilers and developed into agricultural equipment, tractor accessories and trailer towing hardware. That agricultural engineering heritage still shows in how the towing products are built, and the company holds patents across weight distribution, fifth wheel and tow bar designs.
Flat towing is the discipline Blue Ox is best known for. Towing a car with all four wheels on the ground behind a motorhome demands a system that stays rigid under braking, articulates properly over uneven ground, and connects to the towed vehicle at points strong enough to take the load. Blue Ox tow bars handle the first two, with self-aligning arms that latch under tension and release without a struggle when the load is off them. Vehicle-specific baseplates handle the third, engineered per make and model to tie into structural mounting points behind the fascia.
The wider flat towing range covers supplemental braking systems, safety cables and the accessories that make a complete legal setup, along with baseplate wiring and dinghy towing harnesses that pass lighting signals to the towed vehicle without back-feeding its electrical system.
For conventional trailer towing, Blue Ox weight distributing hitches with integrated sway control transfer tongue load onto the tow vehicle's front axle and resist the yaw that crosswinds and passing trucks induce.
The company describes its foundation as customer service, designing around what owners actually ask for, and it runs an RV park adjacent to the factory where customers can stay. Sister operations at the same Nebraska site include Automatic grain roller mills and MAD-RAMPS pivoting ramp systems.
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The BlueOx Tow Bar Base Plate, Front Mount, RV Flat Towing for Select, MAZDA PROTEGE (Part #FDRWBX2511) fits the following vehicles: 1995-1998 Mazda Protege. Always verify your specific year, make, and model before ordering.
Yes, the BlueOx Tow Bar Base Plate, Front Mount, RV Flat Towing for Select, MAZDA PROTEGE (Part #FDRWBX2511) is designed to fit the 1995-1998 Mazda Protege.
The BlueOx Tow Bar Base Plate, Front Mount, RV Flat Towing for Select, MAZDA PROTEGE (Part #FDRWBX2511) fits 1995-1998 Mazda Protege models. The 1998 model year is the last year covered by this part number. For newer models, check for an updated version.
The BlueOx Tow Bar Base Plate, Front Mount, RV Flat Towing for Select, MAZDA PROTEGE (Part #FDRWBX2511) Refer to the included instructions for installation details. Basic hand tools are typically all you need.
Yes, the BX2511 is designed specifically for 1995-98 Mazda Protege models. However, dimensional variations between otherwise identical cars can be considerable, and it may be necessary to file a hole slightly to allow a bolt to clear during installation.
The kit includes one weldment baseplate (part 61-5125), six 10mm-1.25 x 35mm hex bolts grade 8.8 (201-0423), six 3/8 flat washers (203-0003), and six 10mm lock washers (203-0104). You will also need to apply Loctite Blue to the bolts during installation.
You will need: 10mm socket, 14mm socket, 17mm socket, 8mm socket, Phillips screwdriver, flat screwdriver, and Loctite Blue. A 10mm wrench is also needed to remove the splash guard bolts during bumper removal.
Yes, the bumper cover and grill must be removed to install the baseplate. You will also need to remove the amber blinkers and headlights before the bumper cover can be taken off. The manual provides detailed step-by-step instructions for removing these components.
You must remove: the black plastic cover over the top center of the radiator (held by six plastic rivets), the center grill, the amber blinkers, the headlights, and the bumper cover. Additionally, a black plastic piece attached to the driver's side of the bumper must be removed and left off during baseplate installation.
Give the center of each plastic rivet a quarter turn with a screwdriver. The center will pop up, and the rivet can then be pried out of the hole.
The center grill snaps onto four plastic towers. To release the grill, locate the square holes in the top of each tower, push in with a screwdriver, and pull out on the grill to release each tower.
Remove the amber blinkers first. There is a Phillips head screw on the top outside corner of the headlight assembly; remove it and pull the amber assembly forward. A snap catch will pop loose as you pull. Then remove the three bolts and loosen the nut holding the headlight assembly. You do not need to completely remove the headlight assembly; you can move it aside to access the two Phillips head screws under it that hold the bumper cover.
Remove: two screws under each headlight, two screws in the top center of the bumper cover, three plastic rivets in each fender well, the screw at the tip of the bumper cover (access by pulling back the fender well skirt), and the large plastic rivet in the top center opening (screw out the center, then pry out the outside). On the bottom, remove six bolts from the black splash guard using a 10mm wrench, and remove one Phillips screw on each side just outside the splash guard. With all these removed, the bumper cover will slide forward and off.
On the outside of the frame on each side of the car, there are shipping tie down plates bolted with four bolts. The baseplate bolts to the car using three of the four bolts from each tie down plate. Remove the lower two bolts and the front bolt from each tie down plate. The tie down plate remains on the car, and the bolts supplied with the baseplate are used to mount the baseplate.
Slide the baseplate over the tie down plates and start the 10mm bolts, lock washers, and flat washers into the car. Apply Loctite Blue to the bolts. When all bolts are started, tighten them completely. The manual does not specify a torque value but references 'recommended specifications' in the General Instruction Sheet included with the baseplate.
Yes. On the driver's side of the bumper there is a black plastic piece attached to the bumper. Remove it and set it aside; it must be left off while the baseplate is installed.
Dimensional variations between otherwise identical cars can be considerable. It may be necessary to file a hole slightly to allow a bolt to clear. The manual does not specify how much filing is acceptable; consult the General Instruction Sheet or contact the manufacturer if you are unsure.
Replace the bumper cover and lights by reversing steps 2 through 4. This means reinstalling the headlights, amber blinkers, grill, and radiator cover in the reverse order they were removed.
The permanent baseplate safety cables must be connected from the baseplate to the frame rail or cross member of the vehicle's frame. Do not mount the cables against wires, hoses, or brake lines, as improper installation could cause fluid leaks or electrical shorts. The manual provides illustrations showing recommended cable arrangements.
Permanent baseplate safety cables are strongly recommended when towing a vehicle with a tow bar. Their function is to prevent the towed vehicle from breaking loose if the connection between the frame and baseplate fails or becomes disconnected. However, they are to be used in conjunction with, and not as a replacement for, legally required safety cables attaching the towed vehicle to the towing vehicle.
Utilization of the Blue Ox baseplate with any tow bar not approved by Automatic Equipment Mfg. Company invalidates the limited warranty. Additionally, do not substitute other devices if the tow bar pin and clip are lost.
It is the owner's responsibility to inspect all towing equipment for cracked welds, missing or worn parts, and loose bolts before each towing trip. Be sure to use Loctite Red on all bolts and tighten to the recommended specifications.
Yes. It is crucial to register your product online at www.blueox.com so that you may be alerted of product offerings, updates, upgrades, maintenance and safety bulletins, and/or recalls.
Remove the attachment tabs when not in use, if applicable.
Yes, the BX2511 is designed for 1995-98 Mazda Protege. Dimensional variations may require minor filing of holes.
Yes. You must remove the bumper cover, grill, amber blinkers, and headlights before installing the baseplate.
You need 10mm, 14mm, 17mm, and 8mm sockets, Phillips and flat screwdrivers, and Loctite Blue. A 10mm wrench is also needed for the splash guard.
The kit includes six 10mm-1.25 x 35mm hex bolts (grade 8.8), six 3/8 flat washers, and six 10mm lock washers. Loctite Blue must be applied to the bolts.
Yes. Using any tow bar not approved by Automatic Equipment Mfg. Company invalidates the limited warranty.
Permanent baseplate safety cables are strongly recommended. They prevent the towed vehicle from breaking loose if the baseplate connection fails, but they do not replace legally required safety cables.
Inspect all towing equipment for cracked welds, missing or worn parts, and loose bolts. Ensure all bolts are tightened to recommended specifications.
1 compatible vehicles
| Year | Make & Model | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 - 1998 | Mazda Protege | Comes with Standard Attachment Tabs Install Rating 3 Bumper Fascia Must Be Removed/Replaced During Install |
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