Connecting the Chevrolet Niva towbar socket: trailer connection diagram, pinout, how to connect it yourself

Chevrolet Niva is one of the most popular domestic vehicles. This is greatly facilitated by its performance qualities. The machine is characterized as durable, which means that the installation of a towbar is quite possible. However, this may pose some difficulties.

Niva Chevrolet

The fact is that this device is specialized. It should be used mainly for towing not too heavy trailers. This constructive “gadget” is especially relevant in the summer season. But such a vehicle with a trailer places increased demands on its movement. Therefore, the choice of a towbar designed for a Chevrolet Niva must be approached very responsibly - for this brand of car it must have the appropriate standards.

Do-it-yourself towbar installation

The basic set has everything you need, so there is no need to buy anything additional.

Before installing the towbar, the vehicle should be positioned so that you have access to its lower part. Also make sure there is good lighting so you can see all the mounting holes. Next you need to do the following:

clean the mounting area from dirt and remove the factory tape;
all elements intended for fastening must be lubricated with graphite grease;
Carefully insert the bolts into the pre-prepared holes and tighten the nuts tightly in order to secure the towbar well. First, a transverse rail is attached to the spar, and then a longitudinal one;
Lastly, install the removable ball.

Installation

The towing device is sold in a complete set, which consists of the towbar itself, a socket, wires, a cap on the ball, special nuts and screws (3 pieces each), 6 bolts, 6 spring washers and 6 regular graphite lubricants.
Before installing the towbar, the vehicle should be positioned so that you have access to its lower part. Also make sure there is good lighting so you can see all the mounting holes. Next you need to do the following:

clean the mounting area from dirt and remove the factory tape;
all elements intended for fastening must be lubricated with graphite grease;
Carefully insert the bolts into the pre-prepared holes and tighten the nuts tightly in order to secure the towbar well. First, a transverse rail is attached to the spar, and then a longitudinal one;
Lastly, install the removable ball.

Among Niva Chevrolet car owners, the installation of such an additional component as a towbar or, as it is also called, a towbar, is very common, since the manufacturer does not equip this car with this option, and often requires additional space for transporting various cargoes.

Therefore, the installation of a towbar on a Chevrolet Niva is carried out independently. Not many people know that this element serves not only as a device with which a trailer is attached to the car, but also as protection for the bumper and exhaust system from unwanted contact with the ground. This is due to the fact that the car is often used off-road.

By installing a towbar on a Chevrolet Niva, the motorist has the opportunity to transport trailers and other vehicles. The manufacturing plant of this model intends to make similar modifications to the design of the car, therefore it equips the car with standard places for attaching the trailer hitch. Installing a towing hitch has some nuances.

Before installing a tow bar on a Chevrolet Niva with your own hands, you need to prepare the car:

Place the car on an overpass or inspection hole.
De-energize the vehicle.
Remove the luggage compartment trim.

Next, for successful installation, you need to find the mounting points on the bracket. To do this, the trailer hitch is applied to the spar, then the mounting holes are found. They are sealed with special tape; after removing it, the car enthusiast can begin installation:

The fasteners are lubricated with graphite grease supplied with the trailer hitch.
The product is applied to the rail from behind, bolts are inserted into the holes and secured with nuts. The operation is performed in the following sequence: initially, a transverse nut is installed, intended for mounting the trailer hitch mount, then this rail is connected to the longitudinal one.
A removable ball is installed, and a hook to which the trailer is attached.

After completing the installation of the traction hitch, proceed to connecting the electrical outlet.

The Chevrolet Niva SUV has long established itself as a powerful and reliable car that can overcome almost any off-road terrain. Therefore, he will be able to pull a towbar with him without any problems. But for this you need a tow bar - a special tow device. Machines produced at the factory are not equipped with such a part. Therefore, all car owners have to install the tow bar themselves or seek help from specialists at a service station.

Almost everyone knows why a towbar is needed. In most cases, it is used to be able to attach a trailer to the vehicle. Also, in addition to this, the device allows for towing. For most cars that are used in rural areas, such an accessory is simply necessary.

Installing a towbar does not require extensive engineering knowledge, as when setting up gas-cylinder equipment. The main part of this assembly is a metal base that must be attached to the body. But during installation, it is necessary to connect a special socket through which a signal is transmitted for the light indication on the trailer.

You can order the installation of a tow bar at the manufacturer as an additional option or do it yourself. This procedure is quite simple. Because the car manufactured by AvtoVAZ already has the necessary holes into which the fasteners are installed. This is very prudent, since factory production involves high-quality application of paint and varnish material and does not violate the integrity of the body.

A kit for installing a towbar can be purchased at any nearby store or car market. But you need to make sure that the model is suitable for this car. It is advisable to know the year of manufacture of the car or its model index. It is also necessary to pay attention to the manufacturer. Original accessories are sold under the BERTONE brand and their cost varies between 4000-5000 rubles. When purchasing, you need to pay attention to the quality of the metal, its thickness and the condition of the welds.

A standard tow bar installation kit consists of several components:

Towing device
Socket
Set of wires
Fastening nuts and screws, bolts
Washers
Protective cap for the ball
Installation instructions.

Chevrolet Niva is one of the most popular domestic vehicles. This is greatly facilitated by its performance qualities. The machine is characterized as durable, which means that the installation of a towbar is quite possible. However, this may pose some difficulties.

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The basic package of the Chevrolet Niva does not include a towbar, but installing a towbar on this car with your own hands is simple, because there are holes specially designed for this in the body.

A towbar on a car is needed not only to attach a trailer, but also to protect the exhaust system and bumper from contact with the ground. Since such a car is used for trips to the country, to nature, such a device would be appropriate.

The Chevrolet Niva SUV can be described as a durable and powerful car, so the presence of such an additional device as a tow bar or, in our opinion, a tow bar, is very necessary. Coming off the assembly line, not a single car model is equipped with a factory tow bar, so the only option is to install it yourself. This article will tell you how this is done, what is needed for this and what else is important to know.

You can order the installation of a tow bar at the manufacturer as an additional option or do it yourself. This procedure is quite simple, since the car manufactured by AvtoVAZ already has the necessary holes into which the fasteners are installed. This is very prudent, since factory production involves high-quality application of paint and varnish material and does not violate the integrity of the body.

How to make a tow bar yourself? Let's consider the option of making a tow bar using an “A” ball; let us remember that it is attached to two bolts and can be removed.

The type of car to which the towbar will be attached does not matter, since they are individual in their features and dimensions.

You will also need materials without which it will not be possible to make a towbar:

hook with ball and two eyes;
metal sheet 2 mm;
corner;
pipe or square profile;
trailer power socket;
several meters of five-core cable;
soldering iron

First of all, you need to remove the car’s bumper, no one will have any problems with this, after that you will be able to understand what we will attach the tow bar to. Basically it is attached under the bumper reinforcement, for this you will also need to remove it.

When we have removed everything we need, we begin measuring the future fastening of the tow bar; it is advisable to do this carefully, measuring everything several times. We start by measuring the plates for mounting the bumper amplifier to the size of the mounts and drilling holes in them for the amplifier mounting bolts.

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When these blanks are ready, we proceed to the manufacture of fasteners, for this we take a tube and a square profile and, using corners, weld them to the plates that we made earlier. This is best done using gas welding. When we have welded the plates to the pipe, using pieces of angle, we try on the fasteners along the holes on the bolts of the bumper amplifier.

Operational risks

For this reason, towbars were not produced either, which provoked the growth of all kinds of handicraft industries.

Their “products” suggested 2 types of do-it-yourself installation of a trailer hitch on a car:

Attaching the towbar to the rear bumper guides;
Attaching the trailer hitch to the side members and the car body.

The photo shows how to install the trailer hitch on the bumper brackets

In addition, the “handicraftsmen” also took into account the desires of the owners to equip their Nivas with gas cylinder equipment, which included installing a cylinder in the rear of the body. For this reason, the design of the trailer hitch attached to the side members looked rather unusual.

Installing a towbar on a Niva 21214 with gas equipment provided only this option

Note! Naturally, no one has carried out any dynamic tests of the trailer hitch, carried out according to GOST R 41.55-2005 standards. And car owners exposed their cars to danger, which often caused accidents.

Towbar attachment points that have been torn out “with meat” are a natural result of incorrect installation

Towbar on a Chevrolet Niva

The Niva towbar is a special coupling device designed to connect a car and a trailer.
Such a device allows you to transport additional cargo that does not have room in the cabin or luggage compartment of the car. If a vehicle itself is a source of danger on the road, then a car with a tow bar is a double threat. For this reason, the selection and installation of equipment must be taken very seriously.

have the appropriate specialized equipment, all parts undergo quality control and have the necessary certificates of conformity.

The first Niva models did not have the necessary mounting points for the towbar; for this reason, car owners had to develop and install the equipment themselves or turn to artisanal workshops, which created significant risks.

1.Installation and fastening on the bumper guides.

2. Installation and fastening to the side members and body.

Such structures did not undergo any testing, and therefore often became the cause of road accidents. In addition, the appearance of the installation itself sometimes caused bewilderment among passers-by. Often the client expressed a desire to use gas equipment, the cylinders of which were installed just on the back of the car. For this reason, the structure was attached to the side members, and its appearance was quite strange.

1. There are attachment points that are reinforced with threaded connections.

2. Towbar mounting points are available on any Chevy, but when selling a model without a towbar, they are simply sealed with tape.

It is for this reason that the owner of an SUV can independently handle the installation of a tow bar, following all the necessary requirements. Now the towbar on the Chevrolet Niva perfectly complements the car, guaranteeing safe operation on the road.

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The improved model of the machine made it possible to make the towbar not only a means of securing a trailer, but also an element of bottom protection. The ease of use of the design is felt upon first use. The updated SUV will be able to handle any distance.

The equipment installation process is simple and does not take much time. Some craftsmen cope with the procedure on their own in 10-15 minutes. The main rules for reliable installation and subsequent operation are compliance with installation rules and the use of only certified components.

1. Installation of power elements.

Recommendations for using the tow bar

If you have correctly installed the towbar on the Niva, you should adhere to the following recommendations for using the trailer hitch:

It is prohibited to tow cargo weighing more than 1300 kg.
It is necessary to adhere to a certain speed limit when towing a trailer (no more than 90 km/h).
The load on the coupling ball should not exceed 50 kg.
At each vehicle maintenance, it is necessary to tighten the connecting threads.
If the load extends beyond the trailer by 1 meter at the front or rear, or 40 cm from the outer edge of the side light, it must be marked with special identification marks.

You should also adhere to the rules for placing cargo in a trailer. It should be evenly distributed, that is, the center of gravity should be above the axle (if we are talking about a single-axle trailer) or between the axles (if you are using a two-axle model).

These rules should not be neglected, since in a situation where the load is shifted forward, the load on the coupling device and the rear of the machine will increase, which will lead to poor traction with the road surface. It is also impossible to allow a shift back, otherwise the rear part of the car will rise, which will also worsen the vehicle’s handling.

What to choose

In this article, we specifically did not describe the technical characteristics of each product. The thing is that for the average person this information will be like an explosion in the head. All the numbers are intertwined there and you can get confused. We can give you advice on how to proceed easier.

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Ask yourself what do you want from a tow bar? What will you carry on it?

If you are looking for a budget model, this is definitely the Trailer! One of the advantages is the price from 2500 rubles. and technical characteristics, the disadvantages are the short-lived coating

The highest quality, toughest and most durable towbar is the Bosal VFM tow bar. But the price also corresponds, starting from 3200 rubles.

The average option, which combines good technical performance, reliability and durability, is Leader Plus. This manufacturer offers the maximum range of types of balls. The line includes a towbar for gas-cylinder equipment. Prices start from 2500 rubles.

Bertone equipment

Requirements for a towbar on a Niva Cheverol

The proprietary device that is planned to be installed on this car model must meet all the necessary standards. Typically, before it goes on sale, it undergoes tests that check metal fatigue and all important loads.

Before the towbar is installed on the Chevrolet Niva, you need to ensure that it meets the following requirements:

Be sure to purchase an original tow hitch.
Towing weighing more than 1300 kg is not allowed.
When traveling, you must not exceed a speed of more than 90 km/h.
It is imperative to monitor the load on the coupling ball - it should not exceed 50 kg.
With each subsequent maintenance, tightening of thread connections is necessary - it is better to do this at a service station.

Towbar on Niva Chevrolet

Installation of power structures

The tow bar on the Niva is installed with your own hands as follows:

The car is installed on bridges over the pit.
Equipment installation sites are washed.
The adhesive tape applied at the factory is removed.
The towbar is applied directly to the Niva.
The bolts supplied with the tow bar are treated with lubricant.
Install the equipment carefully, tightening the bolts well and securely.
To reduce corrosion, the mounting points should be treated with a special compound.

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Connecting the towbar socket

When connecting the towbar socket, you need to know the wiring diagram of your car. Usually it has 7 contacts, 6 of which are in a circle and 1 in the middle. But please note that in imported trailers there are 9 such contacts, of which 2 more are designed to provide additional lighting and operation of household appliances. Before connecting the equipment, check that there are no burnt contacts anywhere and disconnect the car battery. Further:

strip the insulation on the wiring of the rear headlight;
Carefully solder one of the wires to the contact in the socket using the pinout diagram, then solder the next 6 contacts;
carefully wrap the wire insertion points with insulating tape;
return the headlamp to its place and connect the battery.

Once completed, check all of the vehicle's lights.

About electrics

All towbars are equipped with a standard set of electrics. The kit includes a wiring harness, socket and necessary mounting bolts. The wiring diagram is included in the kit, but we will duplicate it here. See the drawing below.

We would also like to say a special word about such a thing as the standard electrics for the Chevrolet Niva tow bar. For many cars, electrics are available as an option. The point is that it is connected without inserting into the wiring, that is, without violating the integrity of the protective coating of the wire.

Electrical connection

An electrical connection is necessary for the operation of additional lighting on the trailer. For this purpose, a 7-pin socket is used, which is supplied with the towbar.

The socket connection diagram is in the towbar instructions and looks like this:

Left turn signal.
Fog lamp.
Weight.
Right turn signal.
Reverse.
Brake signal.
Parking lights.

Connecting the socket to the wiring is carried out according to the following algorithm:

The rear headlight is removed and the insulation on its wiring is stripped.
The wires are soldered in accordance with the pinout diagram.
The places where the wires are inserted are wrapped with electrical tape.
The headlight is installed in place.

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After completing the work on connecting the socket, check the functionality of the trailer lights.

The emergence of a new Niva

Everything changed with the appearance of a new model in the AvtoVAZ lineup - the Chevrolet Niva:

The manufacturer has provided attachment points for the trailer hitch;
They have been reinforced and equipped with threaded connections;
For operation without a towbar, the attachment points were initially sealed with special tape.

Factory instructions allowed towing trailers weighing up to 1300 tons

Note! The automaker entered into agreements with trailer hitch manufacturers, which led to the unification of parts for the coupling device, thereby protecting the cars and their owners. This applies not only to the Chevrolet family - installing a towbar on a Priora station wagon has also become safer.

Thanks to this, every owner of new AvtoVAZ cars can independently purchase and install a trailer hitch kit. In addition to towing, the towbar often serves as additional protection for the underbody, as well as making stickers for the headlights, protecting the glass from flying stones.

Installing the tow bar

The standard trailer hitch set for the Chevrolet Niva includes:

set of wires and socket;
screws and nuts (3 pieces each);
6 bolts;
6 regular washers and 6 spring washers;
ball cap;
graphite lubricant.

Having prepared everything you need, position the car so that you have access to the underside of the car and perform the following steps:

Place the towbar against the mounting location to determine where the mounting holes are located.
Clean the mounting points from dirt and remove the factory tape from them.

Healthy! There is no need to remove the bumper, which significantly speeds up the installation process.

Lubricate all fasteners with graphite grease.
Attach the hitch to the spar and apron, after which you need to insert the bolts into the holes and secure them tightly with nuts in the following sequence: first, attach the transverse beam, which is attached to the spar (inside the rear bumper), then this rail is connected to the longitudinal one.
Install the removable ball.

This completes the mechanical installation. Now you need to connect the electronics responsible for the light elements of the trailer.