So... like... where does one mount a tow hook on a Mustang to allow ones vehicle to be extricated from a gravel pit without ripping the front bumper off (or worse)??
Talk amongst yourselves....
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
The Mid-Atlantic Weekend Warriors are a group of "Normal" guys who are car enthusiasts and respect the education and skills needed to drive fast on the weekends. Sharing lessons learned and leaning new lessons along with the camaraderie make this a great group to be a part of!
Rick, I have been shopping tow hooks as well. I have seen where you have to cut a slit in the bumper for the hook/strap to come out of..
ReplyDeletea dangling strap vs. a ring protruding is better for bump drafting..depends on how Kyle Busch you wanna be like.
I'm exploring the idea of having it centered, so I can have the tag holder over it.
ReplyDeleteThis is what David at RennenMetal was looking at as a possibility for Mustang tow hooks. He says they're similar to what they make for Corvettes.
[IMG]http://www.maca-online.com/uploads/gcassidy/Tow_Hook.jpg[/IMG]
Lets try that again...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.maca-online.com/uploads/gcassidy/Tow_Hook.jpg
These are some made by IOPort...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ioportracing.com/images/product/tsr.gif
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThere are two very long threads on SVTPerformance in the open track section on the difficulties of mounting a tow hook on a Mustang. A couple companies were going to make some prototypes, but they haven't shown up on the market yet. There's always adapting one made for another car or a universal mount, but you need to be careful where you mount it. The bumpers in a Mustang are only strong enough for a flat tow, not for extrication. Most view using the bumper support (the arm that ties the bumper to the frame) as a strong enough mount, but that puts the hook off center to the right or left, and smack dab in the middle (up and down) of the bumper, so you have to cut a hole. Or you can offset it downwards, but then you have a levering action on the bumper. If it's designed right it can work.
ReplyDeleteYou'd think with more Mustangs showing up at track days someone would want to sell an unobtrusive tow hook to them. Most cars should have one in the front, where most flat tows hook onto. But you may need a strong one at the rear if you're nose first into the tires. I'm lucky that my trailer hitch will more than suffice for that.
As for the front, I'm still looking.
Here are the links to SVTP....
http://www.svtperformance.com/forums/open-track-racing-203/360212-tow-hooks.html
http://www.svtperformance.com/forums/open-track-racing-203/446653-tow-hooks-04-cobra.html
Just remember, if you wanna go all Kyle Busch out there, make sure that you remove your airbags. One solid bump draft and you're liable to get a rude response from your car.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of unintentionally deploying one's airbags, I saw something similar once. For those who are not familiar with the split to go North on I-270 from the outer loop of the Capital Beltway, the right lane splits off to go up I-270 while the second lane can go either direction. There is a bit of a pothole right in the crook of the curve where the pavement finally diverges to the right - obviously people have been making a late decision on whether to exit and have been catching the grass there.
A lady driving a Chevy Trailblazer decided at the last minute that she too wanted to go up I-270, so she swerved from the third lane and managed to catch the edge of the grass/dirt where that nice mud hole has been created. BAM! The impact from her front wheel hitting the back side of the hole (or more likely the edge of the pavement) was enough to set off her airbags. The sight of her coming towards us was enough to make my passenger scream (but that's another story - and no, it wasn't my wife - she knows better).
As I drove off up the spur towards I-270, I could see her vehicle pulling over on the shoulder, airbags deployed, interior light on...
That was an expensive pothole.
ReplyDeleteAnd the thought of a tow hook sticking straight out where it can punch another car's bumper is why they prefer that European cars leave them in the trunk or somewhere else securely tied down until needed. Another plus for a folding type.
Greg Cassidy? That you? Jon Dawes here.
ReplyDeleteI found this thread while also looking for a tow hook solution. My 1994 Cobra had the 'universals' welded to the front and rear somethingeruthers..I think it was the bumper support as mentioned by Greg.
I'll see what I can scrounge up as far as ideas/solutions and report back.
Jon, here's what I did for the rear...
ReplyDeletehttp://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq12/gcassidy/Misc/hook2.jpg
http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq12/gcassidy/Misc/hook1.jpg
Still working on the front.
Greg,
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly what I'm gonna do w/the rear. I have the hitch but haven't installed it yet.
If I were a welder, I'd fabricate something for the front...maybe in the future I'll grab one of these http://www.millerwelds.com/products/autoset/.
JD
That would do the trick.
ReplyDeleteI have a couple friends that weld, so I leave it up to the experts. I could never do it as well as them. But its a good skill to have. Go for it!
I just hope I get a hook on the front before I need it.
What about a hook at the cowl, maybe attached to the firewall or ???? Like the MM Fox AI car pictured here http://image.mustang50magazine.com/f/9903040/m5lp_0706_09_z+american_iron_extreme+fox_mustang.jpg. You could possibly make it a 'bolt on' with some heavy duty hardware, but some that would permit removal of it for driving on the street. Just brainstorming... JD
ReplyDeleteI saw one like that (might have been that car) in a thread about tow hooks in the SVTPerformance.com open track section. It would work and could be easy to install. But, there's the danger of a metal tow hook or clamp damaging the paint on the hood during a tow, as it will likely be pulling downwards on it.
ReplyDeleteBest way to avoid damage to your paint/hood is 1) don't drive on track, 2) don't hit anything on track or 3) don't get stuck in the gravel trap lol. :-)
ReplyDelete