Mounting Rennline Front Tow Hooks
 

I'm mounting a pair of Rennline Tow Hooks that bolt at the end of the torsion bars. However, I noticed in the instruction it doesn't mention re-using the covers. I would think you can get a bunch of road grit in there and it looks like the bushing is protected by the cover. I only eyeballed it and didn't try and and grind off the protective bar loop off the cover but any of you do this before?

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Solved my problem. I remeasured things and it looked like they would fit over the tow hooks.

I cut off the loops and ground down the stubs.

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Looks good Jeff! Post more pics of the install as you progress. I'm interested, because I also thought that you'd lose the covers to install the Rennline tow hooks.

- Craig_D

I also used slightly longer bolts.

Here's how it all went together. I will need some longer bolts for sure per Sergio's suggestion. The existing bolts are 35mm and 45mm will get some 5mm longer.

I also took the opportunity to teach my son how to use a grinder and throw in a gratuitous picture of my 900/944SS :)




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If you noticed the floating nut stuck to the center bolt in the right side of the photo, good on you. I dropped a smaller nut in the socket to raise the bolt up enough to push it a bit to get it going. Another good hint they are too short as I barely could get them threaded. there's maybe 5mm screwed in.

I would not recommend them for anything but a track car that is always on very level terrain. I installed these on my lowered 89 DE car for a season that I also drive on my Western PA streets which are poor at best. I had a couple run ins with curbs and such, the last one hitting the hard enough to bent the floor pan in. After that, I took them off and tried to bend what I could back and installed the OE ones. I still have the rear ones on and like how they work. I just think the front ones sit too low, especially since I was already banging the original ones.

I have the Rennline hooks on my car. The original ones were toast, however, I never thought of using the old bits as covers over the new Rennline parts. Good idea; very creative thinking.

Yes, the Rennline hooks stick down farther, but after a couple loud scrapes I quickly learned to be a bit more careful and have not had a problem since.

Nice work, theclaw.

This concern has kept me from fitting a set as well, I'd think you could fabricate a set that is hinged, that can ordinarily lie flat against the pan, but rotate down when you need to tie the car down to a trailer

I've always thought of these as more bling than actual function. My idea was to simply have two heavy duty hooks or eyelets just welded onto the nerf bar that protects the AC condenser. probably 20 bucks worth of parts and labor and you could play with whatever height you wanted.

My couple of scrapes showed me that they are tougher than the original 'loops', so in my view they are not just bling. A person could simply paint them black = no bling any more.

The first reason I got these was the chance I might be trailering my car and since the suspension was coming apart for new TBars and shocks I put them on the list of ToDo's. The originals were pretty scraped up. One was about halfway gone. If a part or upgrade is more show than go or has very little practical use except to look good, then it's Bling. My carbon fiber cover for the rear fuse and relay panel is all Bling. But's it's cool. Besides, who's gonna see these except me or the tow truck.

Would not recommend using these as tie downs. I've seen I've seen the metal there completely torn out.

Good to know. Thanks.

ipapilot suggests, I imagine, that you be totally sure that the sheet metal, and all metal down there, be absolutely sound. Rusty metal can, and does, rip. If it is in perfect shape, not so much, but use good judgement always.

Stock bushings are bonded to the a-arms, so road grit can't really get in to damage anything under there.

Graham! Where were you before I went thru all of this? Oh we'll. at least I got my bling quotient upgraded! :)

Here is what happens when they hang up on the street.

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ouch