Tow hooks, Where to mount?

[jpnovak]

I am in the process of trying to buy and mount some tow hooks to my ST replica. There will be one front and rear. I see many cars with nice slots exposing the tow hook. Question is how do they mount from behind?

Are these typically bolted in place? What about welded in place?

On the front can I mount to a batt box? What about the front bumper mounts? Inner fender well next to the horn grill (between the fender and body). What about the rear? Use the threaded mounts for the rear bumpers? rearward cross member? Inside edge of TS bucket?

If you have done this please post some pics or a good description.

Thanks

Jamie

[cstreit]

Jamie,

There's an easy way which is to bolt a 1/8 x 2" piece of steel to the existing tow hook underneath. Use a hole saw to drill trhough it and make an eyelet.

The way I've done it for customers was to weld a steel plate to be body behind the bumper. To that an inside threaded pipe is welded (maybe 1/2" diamter). to the plate. It protrudes 1/4" past the bumper front. A steel ring with the thread welded to it is then screwed into the pipe. (Removable if you have to remove the bumper).

You have to gusset the pipe where it meets the car for when the tow-trucks try and pull you sideways out of the gravel. (Not that it EVER happens to me.)

[jpnovak]

Is 1/8" thick enough? Will a 1.5" hole (in a 2" stock) be large enough for a tow hook if needed? Thanks, I like the pipe idea.

[cstreit]

I've been pulled out by the first setup *ahem* a few times. I used a 1" hole say which was plenty big. Gives 1/2" of metal around. 1/8" was plenty thick.

[cstreit]

The only issue with the pipe is that if they pull sideways and you get distortion/ending at the mount, it can crack your bumper. The plate sites below the bumper...

[jpnovak]

Thanks Chris,

Anyone have ideas for the rear? I was thinking of welding a similar plate to the outside of the longitudinal. The tow hook would exit between the rear light housing and the (fiberglass) bumperette.

[cstreit]

Couple easy ideas there too...

Make a hook that bolts on to the lower engine carrier mount bolts (that's what I did). If you do it extra beefy you can also use it as an easy jacking point...

or...

A similar plate or rod that bolts on where the bumper bolts are on the rear "frame rail".

[ipapilot]

Chris, any chance you can snap a pic of that rear setup?

[cstreit]

I may have one, let me dig around, otherwise I'll take a picture later...

[cstreit]

Okay, here's the rear hook. THere's a piece of 1/2" square bar bolted to the lower engine carrier. To that I welded a half-loop of quarter inch round bar. The center piece keeps it from collapsing or bending during tows...

[ipapilot]

Thanks Chris!

[jpnovak]

I guess I have to get some open pipes to run that setup. I wonder if You could L bracket down and under the muffler.

[sundevil64]

Jamie,

What did you end up doing? I havent' noticed since I wasn't on the "dark side" yet.

[Walt Fricke]

If I ran on tracks with gravel traps (or ones which I expected I might very well visit), I'd think twice about the 911 rear engine mount approach.

What the tow truck guy and the stewards/race control want is to be able to snatch the car from the gravel muy pronto. They don't want to have to dig around under the gravel you are buried in to find and attach to the thing.

Something through the bumper (or its replacement) is best for this. Though the side loading issue is a very real one there unless you have a stock bumper

Some race organizations have a spec for tow hook height (and eylet opening). But not all who require tow hooks do.

My first introduction to side loading was hearing of a 911 which was tipped on its side by the tow vehicle.

[moneymanager]

On a 74 the bumper is mounted on a shock bolted securely toward the front (of the car) and held at the side by a largish bracket which clamps around the round shock.

It looks like I could use this setup for a tow bracket. The plan would be to use a piece of 1.75" steel pipe with ends welded on and tapped for bolts. This "pipe" would be bolted at the front (the left in the pic) then secured by the clamping bracket. A tow hook would be screwed into the other end thru a hole in the glass bumper.

The pipe and bolt look plenty strong enough to pull the car in a straight line but I'm wondering about a pull from the side. I'm less worried about the steel pipe crumpling than the clamp just being pulled out of shape. Anyone had any experience with a setup like this?

[Tom '74 911]

That's what I did. . . however. . . untested as of yet. . . perhaps I don't drive "flat out" (reference to a funny Rennlist thread).

Front:



Rear:

[moneymanager]

Thanks Tom. Is the bracket at the top a part of the towing system or just helping hold the bumper? It doesn't look like it contributes much. You wouldn't mind having a tow truck pull you sideways for a few feet would you? I'd love to know if this holds! Jim

[Tom '74 911]

Originally Posted by moneymanager

Is the bracket at the top a part of the towing system or just helping hold the bumper?

Exactly right - the brackets are to support the fiberglass front & rear bumpers. I think it would hold up to a fairly good sideways jerk. I hope to never find out!

Tom

[agrimmitt]

Tom: Nice work and gives me some idea's of how to change or "adjust" my set up!
Thanks for the post
art

[Tom '74 911]

One thing to consider; the first photos were of V1 where I cut out small circles that fit inside the tube diameter. I then ground down the weld to make them pretty. Don't do that! The weld will lose too much strength.

Here are photos of V2 where I made the circles bigger than the tube diameter so I could lay a nice strong bead and not do any grinding. Both versions have nuts welded to the back of the circles that the tow hook screws into.: