I remember the post from last week that they are discontinued, sigh I wish I knew for sure that I was getting the AR then becuase I would've purchased one.

Thank you for your help!!

I located one from a dealer but I think it was one of the last in the country. I was also going to look around for one at shokan possibly as a last resort. Sorry to hear about your bad luck. I got extremely lucky finding my hitch. It should be here next week. You just have to call around to any supplier you can think of.

how hard is the de install. I might be interested in pulling it off the car in order to finace some go fast mod's for the allroad. I think the advantage of not being able to pull something to pulling something is better for me. Everyone else is the wife's family has a hitch and i would rather have them tow and get bad gas mileage them me.

The ar hitch behaves as/replaces the factory bumper.

So if you remove the plastic bumper cover, and then unbolt the hitch and remove it from the vehicle, you will need to find the aluminum bumper to slide into the holes where the hitch used to be.

You could not drive around without the bumper. It wouldn't be safe.

So the question to ask is, "How much does a replacement bumper cost?" Compare that to the price people would offer to you for the hitch/bolts/13-4pin cable and determine if there's a net positive for you.

On the other hand, I bet a generous and capable ar owner would be willing to drive to your house, swap your hitch for their bumper AND pay for dinner and beers and maybe some mods for you!

Hmmm interesting. Well we will see if there is any intrest on here, and if i think it would really be worth all the time and effort. A chip or h-sports for my car would be nice though.

The aluminum bumper reattaches to the hitch (early bumpers required drilling new holes). What you do need is the compression bumper brackets that hold the bumper on that the hitch takes the place of in the frame holes.

looking for a huge favor.<ul><li><a href="http://forums.audiworld.com/allroad/msgs/170954.phtml">Here</a></li></ul>

I can see in one pic, it looks like they show reattaching the aluminum bumper onto the hitch with 2 top bolts after the hitch is inserted.

But in subsequent pictures, they only show the hitch, without the bumper. Gragravar didn't have a pic for that step.

I guess the bumper helps hold the fascia out in the right position...? Is there still enough clearance for it after the hitch is in place?

Also, noticed my hitch shipment is missing the interchangeable balls.

Most of us have used cell weatherstrip as padding between the hitch and bumper, as suggested in the picture of the manual. Early cars require drilling new mount holes, with the included template, in the bumper to match up with mounts on hitch.

Be careful when tightening bolts; the hitch mount ears are not that strong and will bend.

Audi's pulling of the trailer hitch was as much of a surprise to us as it was to you. Since Rigid Hitch Corporation was the manufacturer you might try them. 3301 Burnsville Pkwy., Burnsville, Mn. 55337-4290 612-895-5001.

Baz<ul><li><a href="http://www.clairparts.com">http://www.clairparts.com</a</li></ul>