Towing Tech Discussion

[bucket]

Not to be a smart ass, just for clarification purposes... I guess I could be an ass about this since I drive a tow truck, but these are referred to as RECOVERY Hooks, rather than tow hooks. In the occupational tow world, there is a difference between tow and recovery hooks and you must use the right hook points for the right purpose or you will tear stuff up. Just sayin...

The stock hooks are fairly stout (not shown in above pic). Do you not use them for towing purposes because they aren't strong enough, or just because they are frame mounted and using them will compress the suspension? I know when I tie one to a trailer I tie them down by the axle housings.

 

[HotRodPC]

A 12,000 lb wench can rip them off when when cross chained in the rear to the tow hooks. And it's DOT illegal to use them. Accoring to DOT, Recovery points are recovery points, tow hook points are tow hook points. MAnufactueres also claim the same. So if we hook to recovery hooks and do further damage to a vehicle, we COULD be held liable and if I DPS, DOT, or HiPo pulls us over for inspection or the scales, then yes we can be cited. If a vehicle is over a reveen, or rolled over, then we can use RECOVERY hooks to RECOVER the vehicle. Just the way it is. Some states may be different too.

 

[bucket]

A 12,000 lb wench can rip them off when when cross chained in the rear to the tow hooks. And it's DOT illegal to use them. Accoring to DOT, Recovery points are recovery points, tow hook points are tow hook points. MAnufactueres also claim the same. So if we hook to recovery hooks and do further damage to a vehicle, we COULD be held liable and if I DPS, DOT, or HiPo pulls us over for inspection or the scales, then yes we can be cited. If a vehicle is over a reveen, or rolled over, then we can use RECOVERY hooks to RECOVER the vehicle. Just the way it is. Some states may be different too.

How about foreign cars with the threaded eyelet that screws right into the unibody, after removing the little plug/cover? Are you allowed to use those? I'm fairly certain they are used as tie downs when the cars are shipped here, and the eyelet is often stowed away with the spare tire.

 

[HotRodPC]

The stock hooks are fairly stout (not shown in above pic). Do you not use them for towing purposes because they aren't strong enough, or just because they are frame mounted and using them will compress the suspension? I know when I tie one to a trailer I tie them down by the axle housings.

BTW, on a roll back we are to use the 2 finger Ovals in the frame or body that designed to be used as hook points aka anchor points. Every car has them, they are just in different spots, and there are different type hooks for different type anchor points. The big J hook everyone is familiar with like the old school wreckers use, is that, old shcool. Now there is Mini J, R Hook and T Hook. Usually you will have what's called Cluster hooks on the end of your chanis and they have all the different hooks on them. Mini J is the most common, but alot of guys don't trust them and will use the T hook as the most common. A T hook has to be turned to get it in, then turned back and tightened down. Virtually impossible to come out, but a Mini J does have potentional to come out if your vehicle isn't anchored at the right angles and it moves on the deck, then you drop a mini J, and you can potentially lose a car off the back of your roll back. Not a good sight to see.

Here is the chain I like to use. I carry 2 10ft of these,, 2 6ft of these, My bridle on the winch has these 3 hooks on it, and then I also carry 2 10ft chains with the old shcool big Js and T Hook and Mini J on the other ends, and I also carry a 15 or 20 ft 5/16 gold chain with Clusters on both ends. Many times I can use that one chain to anchor both sides of the vehicle as if its 2 short chains. Much faster at hookin and bookin and another piece of equipment I don't have to make sure I have before I move.

 

[HotRodPC]

How about foreign cars with the threaded eyelet that screws right into the unibody, after removing the little plug/cover? Are you allowed to use those? I'm fairly certain they are used as tie downs when the cars are shipped here, and the eyelet is often stowed away with the spare tire.

BMW, Mercedes, VW, Some Nissan and Toyota etc, use those eye hooks. I have about 8 different ones because the cars only come with 1, so to anchor at front and rear, you need 2. Are we allowed to use those? To get the car ON THE DECK AND LOADED ONLY. Then it's to be anchored with alternative methods like straps at all 4wheels. My bossman doesn't even supply us with the stuff, so yes, we do it illegally, and against mfr suggestions. I do throw a safety around an axle or something solid. Granted it's going to tear up the car bad, but it beats having one roll off the back of your truck.

 

[bucket]

I had never really thought about what you may or may not legally use to tie a car down. I'm very familiar with the different style hooks to use on different holes in a frame or unibody, I have to use those for frame pulling. We don't have a fancy drive-on frame machine, we just have to tie the car to the floor and use a pull post.

 

[HotRodPC]

I had never really thought about what you may or may not legally use to tie a car down. I'm very familiar with the different style hooks to use on different holes in a frame or unibody, I have to use those for frame pulling. We don't have a fancy drive-on frame machine, we just have to tie the car to the floor and use a pull post.

Oh yeah, you don't need anything fancy. We've helped a few guys with bending stuff before. I once straightened out a guys bumper who got rear ended. Put his truck on the roll back, anchored it with chains and used the winch to pull it out, and then twist it. I was just trying to kill the eyesore for him, and he didn't want it hitting anything else or vibration on the exhaust. I surprised myself even and he was happy with the way it turned out and didn't even replace the bumper. It didn't look wrecked unless you knew it had been wrecked.