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Blue Ox
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1998 - 2000 Mercury Mountaineer
Confirmed to Fit
2001 Mercury Mountaineer
Confirmed to Fit
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Made from high-quality steel for ultimate strength and durability.
Material: Steel
Color: Black
Finish: Powder Coat
Mounting Type: Bolt On
Mounting Hardware Included Yes/No: Yes
The Blue Ox BX2140 Tow Bar Bracket is a robust and reliable solution for your towing needs. Expertly crafted from durable steel and finished with a protective black powder coat, this base plate provides a solid and secure connection point for your tow bar. Designed with a bolt-on mounting type, the BX2140 ensures an easy and hassle-free installation process. The package includes all necessary hardware and clear instructions, making it an ideal solution for do-it-yourself enthusiasts. The custom design ensures a perfect fit for your specific towed vehicle, ensuring optimal safety and performance.
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.
Experts available to answer your questions
Call 888-634-94943 Years
2 compatible vehicles
| Year | Make & Model | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 - 2000 | Mercury Mountaineer | Comes with Standard Attachment Tabs Install Rating 2 Bumper Fascia Must Be Removed/Replaced During Install Requires Some Trimming of Bumper Fascia/Plastic/And/Or Grill Minor Drilling Required |
| 2001 | Mercury Mountaineer | Minor Drilling Required Requires Some Trimming of Bumper Fascia/Plastic/And/Or Grill Bumper Fascia Must Be Removed/Replaced During Install Install Rating 2 Comes with Standard Attachment Tabs |
Yes, the BX2140 is designed for 1998-01 Mercury Mountaineer models. However, the manual notes that dimensional variations between otherwise identical cars can be considerable, so it may be necessary to file a hole slightly during installation to achieve proper fit.
No. The manual states that use of Blue Ox baseplates with any tow bar not approved by Automatic Equipment Mfg. Co. invalidates the limited warranty. You must use a tow bar approved by the manufacturer.
Three modifications are required: (1) Remove the lower plastic bumper by removing four nuts from the frame brackets behind the bumper molding and disconnecting the running lights. (2) Remove the black plastic rock guard under the radiator. (3) Trim the side rock deflectors: starting at the front corner, notch out a piece 2½ inches up and 5 inches back to accommodate the baseplate's cross tube.
Yes. When removing the four nuts from the frame brackets behind the bumper molding, you must disconnect the running lights before pulling off the molding/bumper from the vehicle.
Half-inch (1/2") holes need to be drilled. The rear holes on the baseplate are drilled using the baseplate itself as a template. A 1/2" drill bit is required.
Yes. The rear holes on the baseplate must be drilled into the vehicle frame. Use the baseplate as a template for drilling each hole. A 1/2" drill bit and drill are required tools.
Yes. The side rock deflectors need to be trimmed to accommodate the baseplate's cross tube. Starting at the front corner, notch out a piece 2½ inches up and 5 inches back. A utility knife or hack saw can be used for this task.
The following tools are required: 10 mm wrench, 3/4" wrench, 18 mm wrench, utility knife, hack saw, 1/2" drill bit, drill, and Loctite. These tools are needed for removing fasteners, trimming plastic components, drilling holes, and securing bolts.
The BX2140 kit includes: one baseplate (61-5236), four 1/2" nut plates with wire (61-5237), two 1/2" wire nuts (61-4029), six 1/2"-13 x 2" hex bolts Grade 5 (201-0283), six 1/2" lock washers (203-0012), and four 1/2" flat washers (203-0005).
The 1/2" nut plates are inserted through the front of the frame rails into the slotted holes on the outside and bottom of the frame rails. The baseplate is then bolted to these nut plates using 1/2" bolts, lock washers, and flat washers. Loctite must be applied to the bolts before tightening.
Follow this sequence: (1) Remove the bumper molding and disconnect running lights. (2) Remove the black plastic rock guard and trim the side rock deflectors. (3) Install the baseplate using nut plates on the front holes with Loctite-applied bolts. (4) Drill and bolt the rear holes using the baseplate as a template. (5) Replace the bumper molding and rock guard. (6) Install the tow bar and safety cables per their instructions.
Yes. Some models have hoses extending up in front of the radiator. These must be pushed back during installation, but you must be careful not to bend the machined fitting or tubing on the lower piece of the hoses.
The manual states that each bolt must be torqued according to the torque guide included in the General Instruction Sheet, which is not provided in this installation manual. Contact Automatic Equipment Mfg. Co. or consult the General Instruction Sheet for specific torque values.
The BX2140 uses 1/2"-13 x 2" hex bolts Grade 5 (part 201-0283), 1/2" lock washers (203-0012), 1/2" flat washers (203-0005), and 1/2" nut plates with wire (61-5237). All bolts must be secured with Loctite before tightening.
Permanent baseplate safety cables are strongly recommended. They must be connected from the baseplate to the frame rail or cross member of the vehicle's frame and must have an adequate weight rating for the towing system. The two cables together must meet the weight rating requirement. Safety cables are supplementary to, not a replacement for, legally required safety cables attaching the towed vehicle to the towing vehicle.
Safety cables must be connected from the baseplate to the frame rail or cross member of the vehicle's frame. Do not mount the permanent baseplate safety cables against wires, hoses, or brake lines, as this could cause fluid leaks or electrical shorts.
Before each towing trip, inspect all towing equipment for cracked welds, missing or worn parts, and loose bolts. Ensure all bolts are tightened to the recommended specifications using Loctite Red.
After installation, verify that the baseplate is not installed against any wires, hoses, or brake lines, as this could cause fluid leaks or electrical shorts. Ensure all bolts are tightened to specification with Loctite applied. Check that the bumper molding and rock guard are properly replaced. Confirm the tow bar and safety cables are installed per their manufacturer instructions.
Register your baseplate online at www.blueox.com to receive alerts about product updates, maintenance, and safety bulletins. Before each towing trip, inspect the baseplate and all towing equipment for cracked welds, missing or worn parts, and loose bolts. Tighten all bolts to recommended specifications using Loctite Red. The permanent baseplate safety cables should remain installed as long as the baseplate is on the vehicle.
Yes. It is crucial to register your baseplate online at www.blueox.com so that you may be alerted of product offerings, updates, upgrades, maintenance and safety bulletins, and/or recalls.
Yes, the BX2140 is designed for 1998-01 Mercury Mountaineer models. Dimensional variations between vehicles may require slight hole filing during installation.
No. Use only with tow bars approved by Automatic Equipment Mfg. Co. Using non-approved tow bars invalidates the warranty.
Yes. Half-inch holes must be drilled in the rear frame for the baseplate. Use the baseplate as a template and a 1/2" drill bit.
Yes. The lower plastic bumper must be removed, the lower rock guard removed, and the side rock deflectors trimmed (2½ inches up and 5 inches back) to fit the baseplate's cross tube.
Required tools: 10 mm wrench, 3/4" wrench, 18 mm wrench, utility knife, hack saw, 1/2" drill bit, drill, and Loctite.
Torque specifications are included in the General Instruction Sheet (not provided in this manual). Contact the manufacturer or consult that sheet for specific values. All bolts must be secured with Loctite.
Permanent baseplate safety cables are strongly recommended. They must connect the baseplate to the frame rail or cross member and have adequate weight rating. They supplement, not replace, legally required towing vehicle safety cables.
Before each towing trip, inspect for cracked welds, missing or worn parts, and loose bolts. Ensure all bolts are tightened to specification with Loctite Red applied.
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