skxf430

I did a search for front removable tow hooks but it seems most of the photos have been deleted. I want to be able to remove the hook when I am driving on the street.

Someone mentioned that the Corvettes exported to Europe actually have a removable tow hook like Porsches and BMW's. Has anyone performed such a mod to their Z06?

Please post up any pictures or suggestions for a removable tow hook.

Thanks for any help.

Bill Dearborn

Check with Phoenix Motorsports. Most installations including the stock European Tow hook will require removal of the front fascia.

Bill

Mardis Gras

What he said.....I have 2 of them.

skxf430

Yep, I just received the photos from Joe @ Phoenix and it looks like a good solution.

Thanks for the help.

agentf1

I CANNOT believe that in this day and age that the Corvette, especially models like the Z06 and ZR1 do not have a removable Tow Hook from the factory. This is pathetic, I think like 99% of the cars on the road have these. What do you do if you break down and have to pull it up on a flatbed. I am guessing if you hook it from underneath you will mess up the bumper or the plastic spoiler at the very least.

Z06Ronald

My 2006 Z06 export model does not have a removable tow hook, at least as far as I am aware of. Maybe they were added on later model years?
I have the (non removable) front and rear tow hooks from Pfadt instead.

Bill Dearborn

You should have a screw in mount behind the grille. The attached picture from the 06 Service Manual shows where the mount is welded to the frame front cross beam.

Bill

harrydirty

Just to confirm, this is not available on domestic cars?

Z06Ronald

OK, cool. I never knew this.
Thanks for your clarification.

Ludedude

I was just thinking the same thing the other day

What I've learned since though is that a savvy flatbed operator will use T hooks and put them into both sides of the frame into the holes where the jacking points are. Same place you put jacking pucks apparently. They can use a Y harness or bridle that goes towards the front of the car and then hook their winch cable onto that to pull onto the deck. Not exactly convenient though for a quick pull off a soft runoff area or gravel trap if you happen to get stuck.

If you don't have one of the export models with the built in screw points I guess the only option is something like Pfadt's unit.

383 Z06

THAT"S what I was thinking!

cebars

2013 Production - RPO- V76 - tow hook option on 268 cars produced.

95.9% (12,918 cars) of total production goes to US
1.6% (213 cars) of total production goes to Canada
1.3% (169 cars) of total production goes to Europe
1.2% (166 cars) goes to other destinations [(Japan 30), Middle East (62), Mexico (67) and Chile (7)]


It would appear that the cars with factory tow hooks went to:
Europe 169
Japan 30
Mid East 62
Chile 7
Total 268

I guess regulations in US, Canada and Mexico don't require tow hooks.

Surprising that ZR-1's and Z06's don't have tow hooks.

My CTS has a tow hook opening in the front bumper like one finds on BMW's and Mercedes. Never pried the small square off so don't know if there is anything behind the bumper to which I could attach a tow hook. No OEM tow hook came with the car.

The stats came from
corvetteactioncenter.com/specs/c6/2013/2013-corvette-production-numbers.html

Z06Ronald

As a matter of fact, export Z06's do have a tow hook, but it's delivered separately (i.e. not mounted).
It fits on the front right side of the car and the tow hook screws in through the grill. Looks neat, but I imagine you'd have to take the front off to fit it and then drill a hole through the plastic behind the grill to get the hook to fit. Because of this, the export Z06 is not 100% compliant with European regulations.
I went the easy way and have Pfadt front and rear tow hooks: installation is a snap-on.

cebars

Thanks for the info.

If I understand you correctly, the export Z06 come with an eye bolt that (after the new owner has to take the front off to fit it and then drill a hole through the plastic behind the grill to get the hook to fit) screws into a factory welded eye bolt receiver that is welded to the frame front cross beam as shown in Bill Dearborn's post above.

Does the tow strap to which the tow hook is attached thread through the front grill or is the eyebolt shaft long enough and strong enough to allow the the tow hook on the tow strap to be attached to the eyebolt at some point in front of the grill.

Looks the Pfadt has the solution. Too bad the factory didn't adopt this for all Vettes. Cars that are tracked aren't the only ones that need to be towed onto a flat deck.

GM saves a few bucks on non-export vehicles as they don't have to provide the eye bolt and the eye bolt receiver welded to the front cross beam....on a $100,000 car.

The C5's didn't have an eye bolt that screwed into the a factory welded eye bolt receiver but had a loop welded to a mount on the rear frame cross beam to which a hook (no screw eyebolt system here) could be attached. Don't know where the strap from the hook would exit the rear fascia on the C5.

Dre01SS

I run the Pfadt front and rear, and mine is a DD. The front hook is not obtrusive at all IMHO.

When skills run out, ya gotta tow it out...

Chance42

Nowhere near 99%, less than 10% is more like it. All of your vw products (porsche, lambo) have them, except maybe the suvs. One or two of the Hyundais have it, no Chevy or Ford has them (In the US anyways). I think the jaguars might have just started using them, but if so it's in the last year or so (Haven't seen one with it yet). It's more of an exception than the rule with the majority of vehicles on the road today.

The "Jack puck" slots... aren't meant for that originally, they are transport tie down locations. It's a reinforced slot for a t or mini j hook. Thats what they use to tie down the vehicles during transport. When loading something such as a corvette, lambo, ferrari, etc... you use lumber or premade ramps to gain clearance to get it on a rollback deck. So, you can use those slots if the car has them (Lambos, and most vw products don't.. they use over the tire straps for transport usually). A lot of the times, we will use two endless loops around the control arms (If all 4 tires roll, there is very little pressure, not near enough to hurt anything). This also brings the hook further back and if something is going to touch the splitter, its the soft nylon on the endless loops (I place a towel between it still, for extra care) and not a steel wire rope. After getting it on the deck, I secure the vehicle with an 8 point tie down system that goes over and behind the tire.

Lower load angle beds make it easier, but you'll still need at least one set of 2x4s or 2x6s to load anything such as a vette or any other supercar.

Would a tow hook up front make life easier, and reduce risk of damage from a bridal, hook, or wire rope? Of course. Is it 100% necessary for loading when not on a track? Nope.

duhveed

I've got a front tow hook by Powell Race Shop

It's already saved me once already

Skylane765

We make tow hooks for the ZO6 C7. And soon receivers for non ZO6