tow hook

[kevinatfms]

what is everyone using for a tow hook? i never really needed one but lately they seem to be asking more and more about getting one installed in case of an offtrack excursion.


oh and i have had a few off track excursions


post them up where you purchased and how you installed. pics would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Marc s]

I got to the point where I had to have hooks too. The clubs that I run with require them on cars in certain classes. If nothing else, it really helps when winching the car onto the trailer. I bought generic hooks off of Ebay and made them work. I welded a nut to a steel plate and then welded the plate to the factory front bumper support and screwed the hook into it. while I was at it, I made a stainless plate to trim the hole and cover the license plate holes.

 

[knownukes]

what is everyone using for a tow hook? i never really needed one but lately they seem to be asking more and more about getting one installed in case of an offtrack excursion.


oh and i have had a few off track excursions


post them up where you purchased and how you installed. pics would be greatly appreciated!

Mine are from Rehegan Racing. Go to Mustang Don's Garage Facebook page and you can see the install. In the photo section select "What i am working on in November" and you all the install photos. Mine are welded in as opposed to bolted.

BJ

 

[SoundGuyDave]

Easiest and simplest is probably the Ford Racing bumpers and hook eyes from the FR500S program. You just swap out the bumper beams, cut the fascias, and you're essentially done. When I did my front, Philostang fabbed up a mount for mine that was MORE than sufficiently stout. The FRPP brace can apparently bend upwards under lifting conditions (not a flat tow, in otherwords), but mine held up to what you COULD call, ahem, extreme duty...

Here it is under more normal circumstances:

I looked for some fab photos, but I don't have any, unfortunately. Maybe John does, though. For what it's worth, when I do the back this spring, I'm just going to replace the bumper beam with the FRPP part.

 

[Philostang]

Yep. Got some fab photos, but this one pretty much shows what counts.

We went with an 1/8" plate as the foundation, full-seam welded top and bottom and plug welded along the inside rail-ridges of the bumper beam. If I recall, we used something like 2" x 1" x 1/8" wall rectangular tube for the arm and gussets and the appropriately sized tube for the hook-bolt receiver (Dave sourced it, and my recollection was that it was about 1/16" wall tube). FWIW, the FRPP hoop is 1/4" thick.

I'll be doing mine this summer just as soon as I figure out how to stop time. Until then, I'm hopelessly swamped.

Best,
-j

 

[kevinatfms]

ive beek looking at the FR500s bumper beam and hook. thanks for the ideas, im going to start looking into making something work.

i have seen a few screw in mounts and am going to take measurements for a screw in front and rear mount. ill post up when i come up with something.

keep posting guys, more future reference will help others!

 

[kevinatfms]

did you modify the bumper foam on the above setup? or just remove it all together?

im thinking that i would like to mount it flush to the bottom of the bumper beam and have it stick out in the lower grille, so im thinking of a plate that will sandwich the bumper beam and hold the tow hook. im am just a little worried about torsional rigidity of the bumper beam with 3k+ pounds being pulled or snap pulled with a winch, wouldnt want it twisting on me.
the one posted above mounts to the dead center of the beam so i wouldnt see it deforming at all but i dont want to chop the bumper too much.

 

[SoundGuyDave]

A couple of things led me to the final location that I used... First, there's a lip on the top and bottom of the bumper beam, so any bottom-mounted hook will first have to have a spacer between it and the beam. That puts quite a cantilever load on things, particularly when you look at the frame horns that the beam mounts to with their pre-accordianed crumple zones. I was more than a bit worried that any sort of lifting load would wind up twisting the thing. Second was the wording in the NASA CCR, where the tow point "must be capable of supporting the weight of the vehicle." I guess John and I took that literally! My hook is actually at the stock location for the FR500S, and I used their template for the cut in the fascia.

I still have the foam behind the fascia, I just relieved the center section to accomdate the battering ram... er, I mean tow hook mount. As for the fascia itself, the only cut made was a small slot to let the tube poke through, maybe 2"x.5", easily done with a razor knife. This pic will show how tight the hook is to the fascia. Trail-braking like a mo-fo leading into a left-hand carousel, the hook itself actually lays flat, not sticking out at a 45* angle. I used two small strips of rubber on the backside (epoxy) to protect the fascia.

 

[Philostang]

the one posted above mounts to the dead center of the beam so i wouldnt see it deforming at all but i dont want to chop the bumper too much.

Just to clarify, we didn't actually "chop" the bumper at all (a bit of grinding for welding, but no cutting). The 1/8" plate was simply welded directly to the face of the bumper beam.

Also, one thing that really surprised me was just how small a slot was needed in the fascia. Once the hook is in place, it's a very clean looking install.

Best,
-j

 

[Reno Stack]

I bought the ford racing hook off ebay and the bracket it connects to from a gentleman named Terry. He makes and sells them on another forum...PM me if you would like his contact info, it's a very solid piece. Sorry the picture stinks, the sun was playing tricks with my phone's camera.

 

[NEMustang]

I bought the ford racing hook off ebay and the bracket it connects to from a gentleman named Terry....

PM coming...

Kevin, Thanks for this thread...I had a suspension failure last year that caused me to go into a gravel pit and stop inches from the wall...with my car lowered 2 inches, it was tough for the crew to get a winch on the front.

 

[Reno Stack]

PM's answered. His name is Kerry not Terry, sorry about that.

 

[kevinatfms]

PM coming...

Kevin, Thanks for this thread...I had a suspension failure last year that caused me to go into a gravel pit and stop inches from the wall...with my car lowered 2 inches, it was tough for the crew to get a winch on the front.

no problem, i actually had a huge outing into a tire wall about a year ago. we had to remove my front bumper on the side of the track and then winch it out to the grass, then tow me back to the lanes. it was a pain since it was buried in like 2" of gravel/sand.


and to the other member, any photos of the setup without the bumper on? i like how "kenny" made it so that it sits right below the license plate area. i really dont want to have to add removing my license plate onto r&r wheels and tires and prep the car before i go out.

 

[Ch4r1ie]

Easiest and simplest is probably the Ford Racing bumpers and hook eyes from the FR500S program.

^This

 

[Reno Stack]

Sorry, I do not have any other pictures, but if you go to that link I sent you you will see the bracket. I'd post it but I'm not sure what the "rules" are here for posting to other forums.

I originally was going to go with the Ford Racing bumper too, but those are pretty tough to find these days, at least it was for me.

 

[eddieval5]

If your scared go to church. Post it id like the link also.

 

[Reno Stack]

Definitely not scared, just courteous as I'm new around here. Getting alot of PM's so here's the link: http://www.fnsweet.com/forums/05-09-roush-mustangs/53566-tow-hooks.html

 

[Ch4r1ie]

did you modify the bumper foam on the above setup? or just remove it all together?

I missed this. Here's what I did...

I originally was going to go with the Ford Racing bumper too, but those are pretty tough to find these days, at least it was for me.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/FMS-M-17954-A/

http://rehagenracingproducts.com/product.sc?productId=1780&categoryId=18

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/FMS-M-17906-A/

 

[Red06GT]

Mine started like this (close encounter with the wall at Waterford Hills):

All apart:

Modified bumper bumper absorber:

Final product:

I left the scratch on the hood as a reminder to stay out of the marbles... That's how far the front compressed into the wall, enough to scrape the metal but not enough to deform it. I hit the wall nose in at about a 30 degree slip angle.

 

[STEVE_POE]

I'm in the process of making the factory brackets from the fr500c cars "front and rear" price should be $200 for brackets and hooks. should be ready next month.