Front Tow Hook - how to bend back?
 

My 89 has the two front tow hooks that have seen better days and one is bent slightly. I wanted to put the skid plates on to help save from damage due to steep inclines and my lower front end (whenever I get that figured out, damn screw makes no adjustments).

What method would you suggest to bend it back to its original form? I do not have a picture, but its bent sort of in the middle and is bent up towards the side slightly. Not real bad, but not flat enough to accomodate the skid plates.

Jack up the front of the car and put it on stands. Take these front A-arm retainers off (don't worry, this won't affect your alignment). Three easy bolts. Smack the eyes straight in your vise with a baby sledge hammer. If no vise, try the concrete floor with a piece of plywood for cushion.

One thing is that depending upon how they are bent you might not be able to get a wrench on the bolts. I used an old fashioned tire iron as a lever arm and laying on the ground on my back with the tire iron through the hole was able to bend them mostly back into shape on my 88. I need to put some of those guards on mine too. The tire iron would get them straight enough to put the guards on or at least straight enough to get to the bolts to take them off and put in a vise.

I wouldn't risk damaging the car - just buy new ones. I think that these are in our catalog somewhere...

-Wayne

Thanks guys and Wayne, I had no idea they came off and were easily replaceable!

OK, so how do they come off? I want to refinish mine and would rather not spray them while they're still on the car

They're a piece of cake to take off. Jack up the front of the car and put it on stands (A MUST). There's three bolts that hold each of them in place. Take the bolts out, and off they come. Like I said, piece of cake. Really!

Kevin - doesnt Waynes book tell you to put the jack stand right on the spot that has two of the three bolts that you have to remove to take them off? I looked at it last night and your right...easy 3 bolts, but where to move the jack stand? I can access the bolts with the car on the ground. Is there a reason not to do it with the car on the ground?

Yeah the front a-arms will fall onto the ground., if you don't lift the car and support it with stands. That's why you jack the thing up and hold it up with jack stands. trust everyone on this.

Matt - where is the best place to put the front jack stands for support?

Any body have the Porsche part number for these? Both of mine are the same way as PDACPA only worse...severly bent. Local P dealer and I couldn't find them on thier parts schematic for 86s.

Thanks...
Ted in So Fla
86 Carrera Targa Blk/Blk

Wayne says he sells them but I cannot find them either!

Here's where I place the jack stands (ignore the yellow jack stand, it's just supporting the oil cooler lines because I didn't have the lines completely bolted in place at the time of the picture):

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads/MVC-848F.JPG

And the part numbers for the brackets are:

911 341 037 02 for the left and 911 341 038 02 for the right.

The above numbers apply to the 84-89 Carreras. Earlier cars (83 thru 74) have the same first 9 digits, but end in 00, not 02. Pre-74 cars have a 901 part number, I believe.

Hope that helps.

HUGE help Kevin !

Many thanks,
Ted
So Fla
86 Carrera

I concurr. Thanks Kevin