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Blue Ox
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1998 - 2002 Subaru Forester
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Always the correct part
We know our products
Quality Products
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Custom-designed for each specific towed vehicle, ensuring a perfect fit and optimal performance.
Material: Steel
Color: Black
Finish: Powder Coat
Mounting Type: Bolt On
Mounting Hardware Included Yes/No: Yes
The Blue Ox BX3605 Tow Bar Bracket is a custom-designed, robust automotive accessory that delivers superior towing capabilities. Sporting a sleek black powder coat finish, this high-quality steel base plate not only looks good but also offers optimal resistance to rust and wear. It comes complete with all necessary mounting hardware and clear instructions for easy DIY installation. The bolt-on design ensures a secure and stable connection, providing you with peace of mind when towing your 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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Call 888-634-94943 Years
1 compatible vehicles
| Year | Make & Model | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 - 2002 | Subaru Forester | Comes with Standard Attachment Tabs Install Rating 2 Requires Some Trimming of the Belly Pan |
Yes, the BX3605 is designed for 1998-02 Subaru Forester models. However, the manual notes that dimensional variations between otherwise identical cars can be considerable, so you may need to file a hole slightly to allow a bolt to clear during installation.
You will need a 14mm wrench, 6mm wrench, Loctite, and a utility knife. The utility knife is used to trim the belly pan during installation.
The BX3605 includes: one baseplate (61-5225), two 6mm-1.0 x 30mm hex bolts (201-0655), two 1/4" flat washers (203-0001), two 1/4" internal tooth lock washers (203-0087), two 36" Class III baseplate safety cables (226-0046), and four 3/8" zinc-plated quicklinks (229-0359). The original tie down bracket bolts are reused for baseplate installation.
Yes. The belly pan must be removed and trimmed for baseplate installation. It is held by four 12mm bolts and two plastic push pins. After the baseplate is installed, you will hold the belly pan up to locate where it needs to be notched around the two rear braces, then reinstall it.
Remove the plastic push pins in the front of the tires that hold the bumper molding to the fender well (two on each side). Remove the plastic belly pan (four 12mm bolts and two plastic push pins). Locate and remove the tie down brackets (three bolts each) and save the bolts, as they will be reused for baseplate installation.
Yes. The belly pan needs to be removed and trimmed for baseplate installation. After the baseplate is bolted in place, you must hold the belly pan up and locate where it needs to be notched around the two rear braces, then reinstall it. A utility knife is required for this work.
Yes. The original bolts from the tie down brackets are reused to bolt the baseplate to the existing holes. The manual instructs you to locate and remove the tie down brackets (three bolts each), save the bolts, and then use them to bolt the baseplate to the existing holes from the tie down brackets.
Yes. Use Loctite Blue or Red on each bolt to ensure the bolts do not loosen while the car is being towed. The manual emphasizes this is important for safe towing operation.
Permanent baseplate safety cables are strongly recommended when towing a vehicle with a tow bar. The BX3605 includes two 36" Class III baseplate safety cables (226-0046). These cables must be connected from the baseplate to the frame rail or cross member of the vehicle's frame and must not be mounted against wires, hoses, or brake lines. 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.
The permanent baseplate safety cables must be connected from the baseplate to the frame rail or cross member of the vehicle's frame. The manual states that illustrations showing possible recommended arrangements are provided, but you must ensure the cables do not mount 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 and use Loctite Red on all bolts. It is the owner's responsibility to perform these inspections.
Yes. Blue Ox strongly recommends registering your product online at www.blueox.com. Registration is crucial so you may be alerted of product offerings, updates, upgrades, maintenance and safety bulletins, and/or recalls.
The hardware from the bolt bag is used for the rear braces extending to the existing holes and nuts on the radiator support frame. The manual does not specify the exact part numbers or quantities for this hardware in the parts list.
Yes. The BX3605 baseplate is installed first, then the tow bar and safety cables must be installed according to the instructions included in their separate packages. The manual instructs the dealer or installer to ensure the customer receives the tow bar instruction sheet.
The installer must watch for oil cooler and air conditioner lines, electrical wires and hoses, and missing parts or attaching points on the frame. If the baseplate is improperly installed and is against a wire or hose, it could cause fluid leaks or electrical shorts some time after the actual baseplate installation.
Yes, the BX3605 is designed for 1998-02 Subaru Forester. Dimensional variations between cars may require minor hole filing during installation.
You need a 14mm wrench, 6mm wrench, Loctite, and a utility knife for trimming the belly pan.
No drilling is required. The baseplate uses existing holes from the tie down brackets. However, the belly pan must be trimmed with a utility knife to fit around the rear braces.
Yes, the belly pan must be removed (four 12mm bolts and two plastic push pins), trimmed around the rear braces, and reinstalled after the baseplate is mounted.
Yes, use Loctite Blue or Red on each bolt to prevent loosening during towing.
Yes, two 36" Class III permanent baseplate safety cables are included. They must be connected from the baseplate to the vehicle's frame rail or cross member and must not contact wires, hoses, or brake lines.
Before each towing trip, inspect for cracked welds, missing or worn parts, and loose bolts. Ensure all bolts are tightened and use Loctite Red on all bolts.
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