SWB rear tow hook

[JohnT]

PCA Club Racing wants a rear tow hook on my car. Being a 912 there are no trick jack point - tow hook packages that bolt to the engine. Most of the steel plate hooks that I've seen bolt to the rear bumper shock moint points but I don't think a SWB ever came with these. I'll take off the rear bumper guard tomorrow and search for something solid, but I fear there's nothing there. Anyone ever navigated this course before? I realize that having a tow hook for tech (after all I'm never going off course and visiting a gravel trap, am I?) and having a tow hook for towing may be two different things, but I'd prefer the functional route if at all possible.

Thanks for solutions, ideas and/or advice.

johnt

[edmayo]

John, Porsche had one for the rear of our long hoods, go to post 6 of "oil hose to tank routing" in this section. (If I knew how to move that picture around I'd do it for you)

[304065]

I'm not really a fan of metal tow hooks particularly in the context of PCA club racing when things get close. Hit somebody's protruding tow hook and you get a 13. Also, I usually walk into tow hooks and get a bloody shin.

How about a piece of web strap that loops around the rear crossmember and is zip-tied to make a handy loop sticking out under the rear lid? If you need a tow you pop the rear lid to get a nice angle of pull. Nothing to hit, easy for corner workers to find (the 911 rear hooks are pretty useless when you are in the gravel) light weight and cheap.

[Grady Clay]

I’m with John.

There is not a single ‘strong point’ on the perimeter of our early cars that can handle the entire weight of the car.
I suspect the bumper mount of an impact bumper car (’74->) can handle the car dangling from a tow hook.
To pull an early car from the rear, the torsion bar tube (at the outboard ends) is the only really strong point.
A strap is the appropriate device.

If you must have a rear tow hook sticking out the back, find a ‘junk’ quarter bumper and modify it for clearance.
The ‘hook’ can be mounted between the quarter bumper mounting and the chassis (two M8 bolts) and stick out between the tail light (body) and the modified quarter bumper, outboard of the bumper guard.
Mounting at the bumper guards will end up bending something.

The Factory Tow Hook (that mounts to these two bolts above) will bend sideways with the slightest off-center tow.

Best,
Grady

[JohnT]

John, Porsche had one for the rear of our long hoods, go to post 6 of "oil hose to tank routing" in this section. (If I knew how to move that picture around I'd do it for you)

Ed,

That's perfect! Thanks.

I crawled under the car this afternoon and it seems a simple installation using the two existing cap screws that hold the underside of the bumpers in place. Our first attempt wil be using flat stock for the tow eye rateher than the round bar stock in the photo. Doning this tat way we hope to avoid fabricating and welding in the reinforcements that the engineers called out for the hook in the photo. Hope is doesn't screw up my under car aerodynamics.....

Thanks again for the pointing the way. I'll post photos of the completed article.

johnt

[JohnT]

Here's what the finished article looks like! Anybody else need one?

Thanks again to Ed Mayo for pointing us in the right direction.

johnt