Thanks dam ur close i bowl in milton. But i only see maybe 3 fits around here

 

I've seen blue ones around here!

Its my opinion that if the shocks are too weak, you're towing too much.
Keep the springs and keep honest. My car didnt sag at all with the KLX250 on it. The trailer hitch is rated for 150 pounds tongue weight(max). (picture someone sitting in the rear of the car)

Also, with the metro, It was slower up hills with the trailer, but you just had to rev a little more and plan ahead. The fit has twice the horsepower.

How do I post pictures on here? Its asks for a URL

 

I think the tie downs are more important than the trailer. Thats just a board with wheels!

 

U have to take them and post them on one of those pic posting forums and than copy the image cod from them and post it here.

 

I'll take some "real" pictures soon. The 3 I have are BAD!

 

Go to photobucket or snapfish or whatever...upload your photo onto that site. Then when it gives you the code for your photo, press the "post a photo" button above your reply post, paste in the code, and it will show up as a photo.

Clear?

 

Wires hide nicely under to floor when not in use. Warranty? Wires? Oh!
I have lights on my cargo carrier or bike rack for saftey.

 

I took it for a test drive. I drove it over our bay bridge where the speed limit is 70 mph and its always windy. No problems. It never even unlocked the torque converter cruising at 70 on the highway in 5th.
The trailer weights 120lbs and the fit doesnt feel it at all.

Notes:
This has been tested with no load on the trailer.
You really hear the trailer road noise transmitted through the car frame.
Backing up is as easy as it gets - if you open the hatch. If you dont open the hatch, you cant see the trailer at all unless you make sharp turns.

Based on my experience towing with other vehicles, this setup will have no problem towing 400 + pounds (the motorcycle is only about 260).
If you were only going a short distance with speeds around 40, I dont think it will have much problem up to 1000+ pounds.

I'll post back later after I tow with a load

P.S. I have a sport Auto

 

I have a 2009 Fit Sport Manual - about 7000 miles on it now. I just got back from a trip to the Florida Keys - 1500 miles one way. I towed my trailer I built on a Harbor Freight kit. Here is some info for you:

1. My trailer. Harbor Fright 4x8. I built a box on it that was 4 by 9 feet and 42 inches high - so it is about 4 inches below the roof line of the Fit. It weighs (with my box) 515 pounds unloaded. Loaded trailer weight was 950 pounds - toungue weight 125 pounds.

2. My son and I were on the trip About 350 pounds of people, another 100 pounds clothing, sleeping bags, etc. in the car). We took out the bigger back seat - put a good sized cooler there. One of us could sleep in the back comfortably.

3. Air shocks were at 90 pounds on the way there, and I went with 60 pounds on the way back. 90 gave noticably better handling, but stiff ride (felt bumps) (big rigs passing us didn't rock the rig). 60 was a better ride - but I felt it when we were passed by big rigs (smoother ride) (not bad - but had to steer to compensate).

4. Some roads have poured cement perpendicular to direction of travel. Sometimes these "scallop" with use and weather. This set up a bouncing oscillation that was uncomfortable and made me worry about the hitch. This happened to a lesser degree when I towed with my Honda Odyssey - and I never noticed it when towing with my full size Chevy van. The shorter wheel base tow vehicle is impacted greater. Thank goodness these were few and far between.

5. Plenty of power to tow this weight. Braking was adequate - felt the same as when I towed my 2,000 pound boat with the Odyssey. Would prefer trailer brakes - but I never worried about it.

6. With manual tranny, I had to downshift to 4th only when going over the mountains right before Chatanooga. Left it in 5th all the time. Engine temps never varried (I have a Scan Guage). Now, with an auto tranny I could see there might be problems towing this weight - it would probably down shift a lot. I don't know that I would tow that much with an Auto Fit - for sure I would have a Tranny temp guage, tranny cooler, and really watch it.

7. Mileage really proportionate to speed. At 55 mph got 35 mpg, 65 mph got 30 mpg (no wind and flats), down to 25 mpg with lots of hills and 15+ headwind (at 65 mph). I never went over 65. All of the above with the cruise control. Better mileage if you take it off cruise and coast down hill, allow up to 10 mph speed drop up hill, etc.

8. Hitch mounts and everything look fine - no frame dents or any sign that the hitch shifted in its mounts, etc. Handled the toungue weight and the bouncing, etc. no sweat. No loss of air in the shocks at all. Considering the goofy bouncing in some roads, I was pleased.

Coming back to Illinois we hit heavy rain, 20 mph headwinds, sleet, heavy snow, slop. Went through it all fine.

I think 1,000 pounds is a definite limitation without trailer brakes. I wouldn't tow a trailer that extends above the roof line or outside the width of the car - not enough horse power to over come the wind resistance. If you do tow this high profile - I can't see going over 55 mph (maybe even less).

All in all, it did fine. I was as confident with the Fit towing this 900+ pound trailer as I was towing my 2,000 pound boat with the Odyssey. I tow this trailer regularly during the summer at a loaded weight of about 700 pounds.

 

Hi Dave-

Thanks for the very detailed report. This should put a lot of people's worries to rest, and should increase sales of the Monroe Air Shocks- you demonstrated their value quite well.

To address mahout's complaints about fitment problems with the shocks, would you please repeat the details about your purchase? Monroe part number, your fix for the lower eye that is too large (id) for the lower bolt (od), comparison of the stroke length between stock & Monroe, and any other comments on the shock install that you may have? Thanks in advance!!!

Another Dave

 

The shocks are Monroe MA793. The MA811's for the 2008 FIt (and earlier) are 1.5 inches too short. The MA793 lower mount is a size larger than the bolt on the Honda Fit. I shimmed it by wrapping some cut up Coke can until the bolt fit pretty snug (shock removed from car) - then you pull the bolt out leacing the shim inside the mount on the shock.

From there it is a regular install just like the MA811's.

Monroe has a spec sheet for all their shock on the internet and you can compare lengths, mount types, and mount sizes.

 

Thanks for the extra info. When I get around to doing this mod, I will look for a bushing to enlarge the bolt dia. to match the hole in the lower eye, or wrap the bolt with stainless steel HVAC tape to get it to the right diameter (using a caliper to get the exact diameter I want). I don't mean to put down your Coke can idea, but I think that eventually you may get some rattles as the can-wrap gets squashed to a smaller diameter.

Again, thanks for confirming to all who are not "experts" like mahout that this is the right model number for stroke length, and for describing one method to get the right fit for the too-small stock lower bolt.

 

Great info. Not sure I like using Coke can rolls as sleeves but it would work, just keep a close eye on it. Cheap Al does not last long under impact pressure.

And dazager's post on his towing to FL and back is required reading for Fit towing.
So that's where the spec sheet went; they took it out of the application manual. Thanks for the info. We do a lot of this on many vehicles and have since 1982.

 

Trailer is now functional. All that is left is to paint it to match the fit. I bought the paint already.

 

 

Great info dzager!!!

Great pics StillHaveaFit!




Looks like I will add a hidden hitch, and Monroe air shocks in the future.

 

It's time for me to get on this too. My use is primarily for bicycles, but I also have a small sailboat. Nearly all cars smaller than trucks or SUVs that are sold in this country prohibit towing according to manufacturer. I'm pretty sure this policy comes from legal departments and 20 years ago, such a thing would have been unheard of.

Aforementioned sailboat was towed by a 1985 GTI for years. That car weighed about the same as the Fit and made 7 less HP. Foreign spec on the Fit is further confirmation that the issue is not a technical one.

FWIW, my 300+ HP 2008 STI that weighs over 3300 lbs and has big Brembos all around also says no towing. That's just silly.

 

Finding the right Monroe shocks------
Looking for MA 811's for my '07 was easy- Amazon popped up first in a Google search and I bought them there cheap. Finding MA 973's is not so easy. Most Monroe dealers including Amazon don't have any info. on that part number. I found them in stock at
Clearly Auto - Discount Auto Parts Online for $66.00. They shipped next day after the order was placed.

 

Jazzs (Jazzi?) have a different stuff/guts (suspension i think) is different than usdm fits, with make the jazz able to tow safely. if the jdm/edm (european) jazz were imported here in the usa it would be allowed to tow w/o void warrenty.



AGAIN, WHY DOES EVERY OTHER FREAKING COUNTRY GET THE BETTER FITS!?!??!??!??

 

I disagree. It's not a technical issue.