Detachable tow bars replacement query

There will be (or there was when fitted) a type approval sticker on the rear of the beam. Find this and it should tell you the part number and hence the manufacturer. You need to lie down with head under car and look backwards.

Also, looking at your pic, there seems to be a logo on the cover cap, this may give you a clue.

To be honest it doesn't look like a standard receiver I have come across.

Without knowing the part number it would be far easier to get a new one fitted.

This is the way I feel about detachable tow balls.  Having had two cars with them fitted at new (my choice), one Brink and one Westfalia,  I learned the disadvantages as opposed to the superiority of the 2 bolt flange ironwork.   For those owners who keep their vehicles for several years, whether a detachable tow ball is removed or not when not needed, mating connections of the two components do eventually suffer wear and some degree of rusting.  When the time for replacement of worn items becomes necessary, the significant high cost of new components compared to the comparatively economical changing of a flanged tow ball should be not be ignored.

Some car owners might be concerned about the looks of their vehicle, and remove the tow ball when it isn't needed (although the number of detachable tow balls which are left on permanently is quite surprising) - perhaps bothering to fiddle with the tow ball eventually gives way to fading obsession with the new toy.

For myself, my vehicle is my servant with a job to do.  One of its chores is to pull our caravan, and towing equipment to do it has been chosen with the best safety arrangement in mind, which includes the economic option of fitting a new tow ball before any worrying signs of wear become obvious.

I've had two detachable bars. Neither suffered any wear and both were a good few years old when the cars were replaced. Use them as intended  ie remove them when not in use & don't let them rust solid to the car. 

I have kept my detachable towball for years now.  Just change the Land Rover into which it is plugged.

With both my detachable tow balls, even with the 'protective covers' for the sockets in place, water and dirt got in during bad weather, particularly when on M-ways. A light coating of oil or grease resulted in dirt ingress sticking to the surfaces and the need to thoroughly clean before attaching the tow ball.  I finally solved that problem by stuffing the socket with an oily piece of cloth.

The fact is, some degree of wear does eventually occur, albeit very small and not easily detectable.  I have read somewhere that a "slight rocking" of the tow ball in its socket is acceptable. But how slight?  I never had this happen, and i would have been very concerned if I had. With the tow ball fitted, I used to grip the spherical end and forcefully try to feel any degree of 'play'.

When I see new cars fitted with fixed tow balls, I do wonder if any of the owners have reverted from detachable ones because of problems.