1991-96 Ford Escort Baseplate BX2112 Installation Instructions

Installation of this baseplate requires removing the plastic belly pan. The brackets attached to the vehicle's frame and the tie down brackets also need to be removed. They will be replaced with the baseplate's side mounts. The plastic around the tie down brackets will need to be trimmed.
1. Read the General Instruction Sheet included with this baseplate.
2. Under the front corners of the car there is a stamped metal bracket that protrudes down with a slot at the bottom. These are called the tie down brackets. The baseplate mounts to the outside of the tie down brackets and to the center engine support bolts, using ten bolts, eight of which are supplied with the baseplate.
3. There are three pieces of plastic bolted to the bottom of the car that form a belly pan under the engine. Remove all three of these plastic pieces to allow access to the tie down brackets.
4. On the outer side of each tie down bracket there is a bracket that bolts to the tie down bracket and to the car frame. Remove these brackets and set the brackets and their bolts aside. They will not be used in the installation.
5. Replace the brackets removed in Step 4 with the side mounts provided with the base plate. Place the spacers between the side mounts and the tie down brackets. The 10mm x 30mm bolts, flat and lock washers hold the side mount to the frame. The 10mm x 35mm bolts, nuts, flat and lock washers hold the side mount to the tie down bracket. Apply Locktite to these bolts and start, but do not tighten.
6. Using a jack, apply up pressure to the bottom of the center engine support beam. Raising the body of the car a couple of inches should be sufficient. With the jack in place, remove the two bolts holding the support to the frame.
7. Let the jack down until there is about a 1/4" gap between the frame and the engine support. With the attachment tabs on the base tube assembly pointing forward and up, slide the center mount between the frame and the engine support. Apply Locktite to the bolts removed in Step 6 and start them through the engine support and baseplate into the frame.
8. Using the 1/2-13 x 1 1/2 bolts, nuts, flat and lock washers, align the base tube assembly and the side plates and start the bolts. When all bolts align, tighten securely, make sure Locktite was used on all bolts.
9. The dimensional variations between otherwise identical cars can be considerable. While the location and size of the holes in the baseplate were designed to allow for easy installation, it may be necessary to file a hole slightly to allow a bolt to clear.
10. With the baseplate completely installed, remove the jack and replace the plastic belly pan. The plastic around the tie down brackets will need to be trimmed to allow for the baseplate side mount.
11. Install the tow bar and safety cables according to the instructions included in their packages.
12. Do not substitute other devices if the tow bar pin and clip are lost.

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