Tow Hooks on old Racing Cars

[Al Weyman]

....... that hook on the front, I have a problem on my black Camaro, long plastic nose as standard in the front and no where to fix a towing eye, I have painted red the orginal OEM towing eyes which are under the car and will put a vinyl sticker saying TOW use OEM towing eyes, do you think that is acceptable as they will be far stronger than anything I could fabricate or do I have to make something like that (I do hope not as it is not very pretty).

[zefarelly]

sounds good to me !

I suppose its all relevant to the weight of the car, therefore you need a meaty tow eye !

[Peter Mallett]

A suggestion (I've seen this on Dave Thomas' Group 2 Capri).

Attach a high strength wire rope with a D shackle to the crossmember and provide a hook for it under the front bumper. This means you are using the crossmember to tow but the connection is at the front of the vehicle. You've no idea how marshals complain if they have to bend down and reach under the car to attach a towing eye.

[Eddy V]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

You've no idea how marshals complain if they have to bend down and reach under the car to attach a towing eye.

If it is a warm sunny day you'll have no or not much complaints, if it p****s down, now then you'll have....
We're all getting a bit older Peter.

[BFC]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

A suggestion (I've seen this on Dave Thomas' Group 2 Capri).

Attach a high strength wire rope with a D shackle to the crossmember and provide a hook for it under the front bumper. This means you are using the crossmember to tow but the connection is at the front of the vehicle. You've no idea how marshals complain if they have to bend down and reach under the car to attach a towing eye.

our theory here in AUS....if it is wet and they are parked in the puddles we get the driver to hook up ....they put it there they can help get it out otherwise get a decent tow eye

[Eddy V]

Al, I may have the proper hook for your black one. I'll make a picture and mail it.

The picture that is, not the hook.

[Al Weyman]

OK Thanks guys, I don't mind getting out to hook up in fact I would prefer to but as often as not they make you stay in the car. I see an old post of Dtype's saying something similar to Daves arrangment and I think he held the rope end up with a tiewrap with a small instruction to the marshall to cut the wrap to release the rope.

[Stephen Green]

Al, a couple of points.

Try to make sure that wherever the tow hook/eye is placed, it doesn't damage your bodywork when you need to use it. You would be amazed at the number of cars that get damaged by being towed. Also bear in mind that at most circuits the recovery crew attach the tow rope, not the marshals.

Whether you are asked to stay in the car, strapped in, is often decided by the series regulations. If for example there is a safety car in your series, we will often ask you to stay in the car while a snatch vehicle is called to get your car to a place of safety. In addition, if there are enough marshals on the day and you are not too far into the gravel trap, we will try and get you out by pushing the car so that you are able to rejoin the race. It is more common to get you out of the car in practice sessions as it is easier to red flag them than it is a race.

[Stephen Green]

If you have a spare weekend and fancy standing with us for a day to see it 'from the other side' drop me a note and I will arrange for you to spend a day with me if you wish.

[Al Weyman]

Yes thats a good point about the damage Stephen, and one of the reasons I would prefer to use the manufactures eye as the strap would come below the flexible nose section and should not be a problem.

I thought of attaching a steel strap to the chassis member and running it through the front nose of the car and forming a hook then I thought hang on, as soon as we turn a corner that will rip the nose off or badly damage it, not a good idea!. The rear is not so much a problem so i may at least do something more accessable there it is the front that is the real problem especially as in the Classic Touring and TRC I am obliged to run a grill as before it was no problem, just hook up to the front bumper behind the nose section through the grill aperture.

i may take you up on that offer to sit in with you during the season.

[Steve Wilkinson]

Originally Posted by BFC

our theory here in AUS....if it is wet and they are parked in the puddles we get the driver to hook up ....they put it there they can help get it out otherwise get a decent tow eye

Priceless! Once again Australia lateral thinking finds a solution!

[BFC]

Originally Posted by Steve Wilkinson

Priceless! Once again Australia lateral thinking finds a solution!

especially if the car is sitting in 6 inches of water and u cant see under it .......the driver is already soaked

[John Turner]

Yeah, I really chuckled at BFC's post; actually doesn't seem an unreasonable stance to take, though.

I'm still trying to picture Stephen just letting Al 'sit in'; I can't help feeling that is a marshal's euphemism for 'mucking in' especially when it came to pushing wayward racing cars!

[Eddy V]

Don't mention pushing cars when Al's car is concerned, John. Me back still hurts from the WHT push and shove in the paddock.

Must go and lie down now.

[b1ackcr0w]

Further to Stephens comments which are 100% spot on, the other little nightmare we often run into is that there often isn't anywhere to tow a car from the rear with. Towing eye's at the front are all very nice, but when the cars nose is buried in tyres/armco, you've got to tug it from the rear. Another strongly mounted eye at the rear is a massive help.

We do put as much effort as we can recovering cars without increasing the damage, but you can help us to help you.

[Al Weyman]

In the rear chassis of my car is a large OEM slot which a standard towing hook fits into nicely and gets a real nice purchase for a good tug, I have marked this up as well hopefully it will be OK. Oh and the black car is a lot easier to push Eddy!

[Eddy V]

Probably very true Al, but don't forget that I've become an this month.

[BFC]

Originally Posted by b1ackcr0w

Further to Stephens comments which are 100% spot on, the other little nightmare we often run into is that there often isn't anywhere to tow a car from the rear with. Towing eye's at the front are all very nice, but when the cars nose is buried in tyres/armco, you've got to tug it from the rear. Another strongly mounted eye at the rear is a massive help.

We do put as much effort as we can recovering cars without increasing the damage, but you can help us to help you.

we have that exact problem with our v8supercars......alot use seatbelt webbing (looped) threaded thru the front and rear bumpers.......maybe ok for flat towing but no good for extracting from the kitty litter......we now have slings we attach to rollbars inside boot to pull them out.......open wheelers with no toweyes we use small slings around the bottom rose joints to tow them.......some are even towed by the rollover bar above drivers head

[Stephen Green]

Towing using the roll hoop in inherently dangerous and should only be used if the car is in a perfectly straight line with the tow vehicle, otherwise its upside down before you know it

[Steve Wilkinson]

Originally Posted by Stephen Green

Towing using the roll hoop in inherently dangerous and should only be used if the car is in a perfectly straight line with the tow vehicle, otherwise its upside down before you know it

Speaking from personal experience?

[Stephen Green]

Sort of. The recovery guys towed a Caterham at Brands Hatch that way and lets say the car ended up on its roof. Thankfully no one was hurt. That is one of the reasons marshals no longer sit in cars being towed.

[Tim Falce]

If you towed a car from it's roll cage it would dig in to gravel even more. My car needs to be towed from as low as possible to lift it up, I found that out at Paddock bend Brands when I ended up buried up to the doors .
I have a strap going from the chassis attached to the front of the bonnet with a cable tie. The only problem is that it needs quite a long tow bond from the truck to keep the angle low so it doesn't raise the front of the bonnet when the slack is taken up.

[BFC]

Originally Posted by Stephen Green

Towing using the roll hoop in inherently dangerous and should only be used if the car is in a perfectly straight line with the tow vehicle, otherwise its upside down before you know it

mainly for just flat towing.......if pulling out of kitty litter there is no one in the car......tow rope has strap on end that is put thru roll bar and wrapped round its self that driver holds if something happens he lets go and it releases its self from car .......works quite well for low speed towing.......mind u most times open wheelers usually hurt themselves when they go in so are usually put on a tilt tray

[zefarelly]

bumpers and their irons do have a use, other than parking aids!

[zapparacing]

A suggestion to you Al,
I had some time on my hands one weekend and decided to fabricate my own tow hook. What I did on my TVR was MIG weld a large nut to the chassis. Then got a nice 12-18" piece of steel barstalk and threaded to the same size as the nut. On the end of the barstald, I welded a D-ring to it. I did this for 2 reasons.
1) the front end tilts forward for access to the engine
2) i carry it in the car and if I ever go off (hopefully not) but if I do I can just get out and screw it in.

A picture of what I'm talking about can be seen by the left front a-arm right by the red taped wiring
http://www.albumtown.com/showpic.php...632&pid=902547

I would imagine you could do the same on your Camero. Just a thought!!