What is Needed to Flat Tow a 1988 Suzuki Samurai  

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There are no special modifications or anything out of the ordinary to flat tow your 1988 Suzuki Samurai. Most flat tow set ups will involve bolting a base plate on, running wires, tapping into the tail light circuit and mounting all the components to the vehicle. Fortunately all the components will bolt on, and can be removed and put back to stock fairly easily. There are several components needed to have a complete flat tow set up, a base plate, tow bar, tow bar wiring, a braking system, and safety cables.

The base plate I recommend is the Roadmaster Crossbar-Style Base Plate Kit # 1003-1. The base plate bolts to your frame, and gives your Samurai a solid connection point to be towed with. I like Roadmaster base plates the most, they seem to install smoother than others in my experience. When installing any base plate you want to use Loctite Threadlocker # LT37420 on all the bolts.

For a Tow bar I recommend the Roadmaster Falcon All Terrain, Non-Binding Tow Bar # RM-522. This is a motor home mount tow bar, which means it doesn't require a ball mount or any other coupling device, it simply slides into the receiver tube of the tow vehicle's hitch. When not towing, you can keep it stored in the hitch. It's a non binding design, so hooking and unhooking will be easier than standard tow bars because there is a built in lever to take the tension off the arms.

If you prefer a tow bar that uses a ball mount to tow, I recommend Roadmaster StowMaster Tow Bar # RM-501. The Stowmaster can also be put into a stored position without removing it completely, however it's designed to store on the front of the car with arms folded. It's also a standard tow bar, so I recommend RoadMaster Release Tool # RM-066 to make it easier to unhook.

Both Roadmaster tow bars are rated at 6,000 Lbs, which is more than enough for your Samurai.

Tow bar wiring allows your towed vehicle to send the lights to your Samurai so they will work together, just like a trailer. That way everyone around you on the road knows if you are braking, changing lanes etc. I recommend Roadmaster 4-Diode Universal Wiring Kit. It comes all the diodes, wires and connectors to get installed. But which kit you get depends on the tow bar you choose.

If you have a tow bar with guides on the arms you will want to use # RM-152-98146-7 the straight cable version, that way you can run the cables through channels and keep them from dragging the ground.
If you don't have channels on your tow bar you want to use # RM-15267. This comes with a coiled cable, it will naturally stretch and retract to keep it off the ground. Other than the umbilical cord being straight or coiled, the kits are work and install the same.

For a braking system, there are a few things to consider, if your tow vehicle has air brakes or not, and if you want to have a portable or permanent system installed. All braking systems are going to let your Suzuki slow itself down, rather than just relying on the towed vehicle's brakes. Which means less wear and tear on the tow vehicle, less stress on the Samurai's front end, and more time to enjoy your flat tow.

If you tow vehicle has air brakes I recommend the Air Force One Supplemental Braking # SM99243. It's a permanent braking system, so no set up after the initial install, and it's a proportional braking system. It uses the pressure from the air brake system, to apply pressure to your Samurai's brake pedal. After installing numerous braking systems, this is my favorite for air brakes.

If you don't have air brakes on your towed vehicle, I recommend the Stay-IN-Play DUO Supplemental Braking System # SM99251. This is also a permanent installation and a proportional braking system, It's very similar to the air force one in how it operates and installs.

For a portable braking system I recommend Brake Buddy Classic 3 # HM39494. Since it's portable it will need to be set up each time you want to tow, and taken out when you want to drive your Samurai. But it's lightweight and very easy to set up. Most portable systems will need to be plugged into a 12V power source, but the Brake Buddy Classic 3 hooks directly to the battery, and comes with a battery charger so you won't ever have to worry about a dead battery when towing.

Safety cables are a must when your towing, just like a trailer they are the secondary safety device in case of a disconnection. For your tow bar with guides on the arms I recommend RoadMaster 76" Single Hook, Straight Safety Cables # RM-645-76.

If your tow bar doesn't have arms I recommend RoadMaster 68" Single Hook, Coiled Safety Cables # RM-643.

One thing you will want to check is the height of your hitch on the tow vehicle, and the attachment point of the base plate. You want the set up to be as level as possible, but there can be a height difference. A high low adapter takes up the extra space and levels the tow bar out. However when you add a high low adapter it can lengthen your system. Sometimes a little extra length can help with maneuvering and making turns, but it can also lead to your safety cables being too stretched. Longer cables or safety cable extensions would be needed in this case. I linked our selection of high low adapters, safety cable extensions, ans several videos for you to reference.

expert reply by: Robert C

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