DIY Baseplate Install Observations
Setting 2006 Corolla up for towing. Used Roadmaster Blackhawk II towbar, used Roadmaster 1165-1 baseplate. This is the fifth baseplate I've worked on and the most difficult. Some of it was the bar was a one-piece welded assembly, not the usual multi-part design typically used by RM. It fit very tightly into place. Took jack, prybar and of course hammer to get it in place. That may be unique to Corolla or the bar being used might have been sprung from the original install. What I want to offer here is more generic:
1. That cheap-looking unit body frame is made of some very tough steel.
3. If the install includes drilling the bumper "core" or "bar" or whatever it's called, THAT steel is even tougher.
3. Must have a good quality bit/bits.
4. Must have a powerful LOW SPEED drill for large holes. I have a 1/2" hammer drill from HF that has lots of power, TILL I slow it down. NO torque at low RPM to keep from burning up the bit. Luckily I have a 70-year-old B&D 1/2" 375-RPM antique. That, with heavy pressure and grease on the drill bit, got me through. Actually lowered the car onto it to drill one of the vertical holes in the bumper bar.
5. Don't trim the Fascia till the very end of the install. In the case of the Corolla, instructions were to cut a "+" shaped piece out of the fascia, both horizontally and vertically. Once it was all in place, all I had to cut out was one vertical piece.
Nice thing about Corolla is the whole bumper structure goes back in place. Some baseplates for other makes require leaving a piece or two off.
1. That cheap-looking unit body frame is made of some very tough steel.
3. If the install includes drilling the bumper "core" or "bar" or whatever it's called, THAT steel is even tougher.
3. Must have a good quality bit/bits.
4. Must have a powerful LOW SPEED drill for large holes. I have a 1/2" hammer drill from HF that has lots of power, TILL I slow it down. NO torque at low RPM to keep from burning up the bit. Luckily I have a 70-year-old B&D 1/2" 375-RPM antique. That, with heavy pressure and grease on the drill bit, got me through. Actually lowered the car onto it to drill one of the vertical holes in the bumper bar.
5. Don't trim the Fascia till the very end of the install. In the case of the Corolla, instructions were to cut a "+" shaped piece out of the fascia, both horizontally and vertically. Once it was all in place, all I had to cut out was one vertical piece.
Nice thing about Corolla is the whole bumper structure goes back in place. Some baseplates for other makes require leaving a piece or two off.
"Step Bits". 
