Tow Hooks

[Equinox]

What are you guys who have low front bars running in terms of tow hooks?

My stock one is completely inaccessable and the front rails on the S14 run right behind the front bar's lower extensions so any tow hook I run needs to basically move 4 inches to the right and then another 4 inches out to clear the front bar.

I CADed up something similar to this item tonight:


But after doing some FEA on it it seems I'm going to have to make it very thick and heavy to withstand the massive bending loads it will see.

Hopefully someone here has a good idea which will make my life alot easier. :P

[2Fass240us]

Do you mind sharing some of the FEA pictures? I took a grad-level class in school as an elective and always like to look at them.

[jmauld]

What is a low front bar?

I have no problems accessing the front factory tow hooks on my S14.

[Equinox]

I guess it's not that low. It's a GP Sport G-Sonic Bar. Basically the stock JDM Bar with a larger opening and a lip. But it's still about an inch lower than the tow hook.

[nismofly]

Wouldn't care to cut a slot in it to run it straight out I suppose? This is what most people do but you appear to keep your car looking nicer than most so not sure you consider this an option.

[Equinox]

Is the reo bar strong enough to mount a tow hook to though? Yeah I'd prefer not to cut a hole in the bar as it cost me a fair bit.

[jmauld]

Okay so you're talking about the bumper cover/fascia. I've never heard it referred to as a bar.

[Equinox]

Sorry. Aussie slang I guess haha.

[jmauld]

Do you have trouble getting it on an off the trailer? The best fix I've seen for this is to jus take it off when transporting the car. It'll be safe inside the car. That one you have pictured doesn't look very strong.

[Equinox]

Well the car is still street registered so I just drive it to events. (It only gets driven to events and back though. Not really streetable).

I want it for when I end up getting stuck in the sand and need to be towed back onto the track or back to the pits. I've been lucky so far that I've never actually gotten bogged or had a failure but I know that time will come eventually!

[jmauld]

ohhhh. Okay. That thing you posted would probably work for that. I wouldn't trust it for towing on a trailer though.

Some of the local racers use these.

http://www.ioportracing.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=TSL&Category_Code=IOPP

[eye-5]

I like those ^^^. I acutally just ran a braided steel line rated for 3000lbs through the stock tow hook and out the bumper with a loop on both sides. I got the idea from club racers.

[T-Rex]

I built something for the 240sx similar to that first picture that I tied directly into the frame rail. It worked well. I was pulled out of a few gravel traps with it.

But for the Z I just went simple. Drilled through the bumper and into the heavy bumper bracket.

[Matt93SE]

Couple of the S13 guys I know just used the cable thing with an eye bolt on their reinforced strut tower. Then they pop the hood and run it out the front somewhere if they need towed. I forget where it protrudes- maybe where the headlight is???

[Equinox]

Hmm I never thought of that. Sounds like a good idea.

I'll see if I can find some locally.