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Blue Ox
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2003 - 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer
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Custom Designed: Each Blue Ox BX1960 Tow Bar Bracket is uniquely designed to perfectly fit each specific towed vehicle, ensuring a secure and stable connection.
Material: Steel
Color: Black
Finish: Powder Coat
Mounting Type: Bolt On
Mounting Hardware Included Yes/No: Yes
The Blue Ox BX1960 Tow Bar Bracket is a robust and reliable towing solution engineered meticulously for your specific towed vehicle. Crafted from high-quality steel, this bracket guarantees longevity and resilience against wear and tear. Its premium black powder coat finish ensures resistance to rust and corrosion, preserving its sleek look. With a bolt-on mounting type, it's designed to be easily installed by any handy do-it-yourselfer. Every purchase includes all the necessary mounting hardware and comprehensive installation instructions.
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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Call 888-634-94943 Years
1 compatible vehicles
| Year | Make & Model | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 - 2005 | Mitsubishi Lancer | Comes with Standard Attachment Tabs Install Rating 3 Bumper Fascia Must Be Removed/Replaced During Install Requires Some Trimming of Bumper Fascia/Plastic/And/Or Grill Minor Drilling Required Headlights Must be Removed and Replaced During Installation |
Yes, the BX1960 is designed for the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer. The attachment tabs are 24 inches center to center with a height of 16 inches. The BX8869 is also available as an accessory for this vehicle.
The manual specifies the BX1960 is for the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer only. Do not assume it fits other model years without confirming with Blue Ox or a fitment database.
The headlight assemblies, front fascia, and metal bumper must be removed for baseplate installation. The headlight assemblies are removed by taking out metric bolts with a 10MM socket and unplugging electrical connections. The fascia is removed by taking out metric bolts and push pins from multiple locations. The metal bumper is removed by taking out two metric bolts from the bottom of the frame with a 12MM socket.
Yes, drilling is required. You must drill one hole in the bumper bracket on top of the frame and one in the bumper bracket and webbing. You must also drill out an existing hole and drill all the way through to the back side of the radiator cross member on both sides. The baseplate is then used as a template to drill the remaining holes through the cross member and support plate on the back side. A 13/32" drill bit is required.
Yes, trimming of the lower grill opening is required. The fascia must be laid face down on a soft surface and the back side of the lower grill trimmed off with a utility knife on both sides. The lower grill must then be marked and trimmed while the fascia is held in its original position to allow the baseplate to come through.
Required tools are: 10MM socket, 12MM socket, 13MM socket, 15MM socket, 9/16" socket, needle nose pliers, flat screw driver, Phillips screw driver, vise grips, 13/32" drill bit, and Loctite. A utility knife is also needed for trimming the fascia.
The kit includes: one baseplate weldment (61-5918), six weldments with 7/8 OD tube and 10" wire (61-5942), four spacer tubes 1 OD x 7/32" wall x 3/4" (107-2611), two support plates (101-6562 and 101-6561), four 3/8-16 x 4" hex bolts Grade 5 (201-0618), six 3/8 flat washers (203-0003), eight 3/8 lock washers (203-0010), eight 3/8-16 hex nuts (202-0003), two 10MM-1.25 x 140MM hex bolts Grade 8.8 (201-0612), two 10MM flat washers (203-0103), two 10MM hex nuts (202-0119), four 8MM-1.25 x 50MM hex bolts Grade 8.8 (201-0419), four 8MM flat washers (203-0107), four 3/8-16 x 1" hex bolts Grade 5 (201-0443), two 4-way connectors (101-5822), two 36" safety cables (226-0046), and two 3/8" quicklinks (229-0359).
1. Remove two metric bolts and two push pins from the top side of fascia tabs and one metric bolt by hood latch using a 10MM socket. 2. Using a flat screw driver, pull the top fascia edge back to expose and remove two push pins that release the inner fascia brace. 3. Remove two push pins just forward of the front tire on the fascia edge, both sides. 4. Pull the wheel well cover back to remove the metric bolt from the fascia top corner with a 10MM socket. 5. Push the grill back to expose and remove two push pins from the lower opening with needle nose pliers. 6. Remove two push pins from tabs on the lower fascia edge using needle nose pliers. 7. Remove eight push pins from the lower fascia edge, pull the fascia forward and set aside.
The baseplate is attached using multiple bolts at different locations: (1) At the bumper bracket, use 3/8-16 x 1" bolts with 3/8" hex nuts and lock washers, applying Loctite before tightening. (2) At the top passenger side, insert a 3/8-16 x 4" bolt through the baseplate hole, align with the drilled hole in the frame, insert a spacer tube inside the frame to align with the hole through to the back side of the cross member, then tighten the 3/8-16 hex nut, flat washer and lock washer on both sides with Loctite. (3) At the lower holes, insert a 3/8-16 x 4" hex bolt through the lower hole in the baseplate end with spacer tube, wire and plate support, then tighten the hex nut and lock washer with Loctite. (4) At the center hole, insert a 10MM hex bolt through the center hole in the baseplate end with spacer tube, wire and plate support, then tighten the hex nut and lock washer with Loctite. (5) Reinstall the metal bumper and align small spacer tubes and plate supports with existing holes on the bottom of the frame, then tighten 8MM-1.5 x 50MM bolts and lock washers on both sides with Loctite. All bolts must be torqued according to the torque chart in the General Instruction sheet.
The manual states that all bolts must be torqued according to the torque chart in the General Instruction sheet, which is not included in this installation manual. Contact Blue Ox or your dealer for the specific torque values for each bolt size (3/8-16, 10MM, and 8MM-1.5).
Loctite must be applied to all bolts before tightening to secure them and prevent loosening. The manual specifies using Loctite on all bolts at the bumper bracket, frame, cross member, and metal bumper attachment points.
Reinstall the headlight assemblies and fascia, ensuring all electrical components are plugged in properly. The manual notes that 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.
Before drilling out the existing hole and drilling all the way through to the back side of the radiator cross member on both sides, be sure there is nothing behind the cross member. This prevents damage to components behind the cross member.
Do not substitute other devices if the tow bar pin and clip are lost. Obtain replacement parts from Blue Ox or an authorized dealer.
No. If a bolt is lost or needs replacement, use a replacement bolt of the same grade as the original, usually Grade 5. Using a different grade may compromise safety and the preservation of the baseplate. Repair parts may be ordered through your nearest Blue Ox dealer or distributor. Only use genuine factory replacement parts; do not substitute homemade or nontypical parts.
Spacer tubes are inserted inside the frame to align mounting holes with the baseplate and radiator cross member. They are used at the top passenger side mounting point (inserted inside the frame to align with the hole through to the back side of the cross member) and at the lower mounting points (aligned with existing holes on the bottom of the frame when reinstalling the metal bumper).
After drilling is complete, reinstall the metal bumper into the vehicle openings. Align the small spacer tubes and plate supports with the existing holes on the bottom of the frame, then tighten 8MM-1.5 x 50MM bolts and lock washers on both sides. Apply Loctite to all bolts before tightening and torque according to the General Instruction sheet.
After reinstalling the headlight assemblies and fascia with all electrical components properly plugged in, install the tow bar and safety cables according to the instructions included in their packages.
The BX1960 is designed for the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer. Attachment tabs are 24 inches center to center with a height of 16 inches.
Yes. Drilling is required in the bumper bracket, frame, and radiator cross member. Trimming of the lower grill opening is required using a utility knife. A 13/32" drill bit is needed.
The headlight assemblies, front fascia, and metal bumper must be removed. All are reinstalled after baseplate installation.
10MM, 12MM, 13MM, 15MM, and 9/16" sockets; needle nose pliers; flat and Phillips screw drivers; vise grips; 13/32" drill bit; utility knife; and Loctite.
Yes. Loctite must be applied to all bolts before tightening at the bumper bracket, frame, cross member, and metal bumper attachment points.
Torque specifications are in the General Instruction sheet (not included in this manual). Contact Blue Ox or your dealer for specific torque values.
Do not substitute other devices. Obtain replacement parts from Blue Ox or an authorized dealer.
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