bmw tow hook

[stockguru]

Is it only me or is there really only 1 tow hook provided even though we have two tow hook slots and would be using two if we were to do any towing. Did other people just buy another or am I imagining things.

[soldmystang]

Originally Posted by stockguru

Is it only me or is there really only 1 tow hook provided even though we have two tow hook slots and would be using two if we were to do any towing. Did other people just buy another or am I imagining things.

OK Big Guy. what exactly do you think a BMW tow hook is for?

don't bother to answer, because you obviously don't know.

the tow hook is designed to be installed into whichever bumper happens to be closer to the tow truck when they yank you out of the ditch.

you, and especially you, are not supposed to tow anything with it.

[stockguru]

Ouch. Thanks for the additional unnecessary commentary.

I understand what the tow hook is used for, but I would think you would like your X5 towed from the ditch using both sides rather than them risk yanking your car sideways and rolling over from a one sided pull. I believe the tow trucks with a flat bed usually have two hooks for an even pull.

[70Sixter]

Originally Posted by stockguru

I believe the tow trucks with a flat bed usually have two hooks for an even pull.

They just hook the other side to an aluminum suspension piece.

[FunfDreisig]

Originally Posted by 70Sixter

They just hook the other side to an aluminum suspension piece.

.... really close to an, expensive to replace, rubber CV boot.

Funf Dreisig

[FunfDreisig]

Originally Posted by stockguru

... I would think you would like your X5 towed from the ditch using both sides rather than them risk yanking your car sideways and rolling over from a one sided pull. I believe the tow trucks with a flat bed usually have two hooks for an even pull.

I've never seen a vehicle in a ditch that was very well aligned (e.g. perpendicular) to solid, level ground. So I'm betting that it would be pretty hard to get an even pull using two tow eyes when the truck is at a angle to the X5.

FWIW I think the reason you have four locations for a single two eye is to allow you to install the tow eye to get the straightest pull from the tow vehicle. Which could be an SUV, etc. that only has a tow location on one side. For example, so that the tow strap does not go from the left rear of the tow vehicle to the right front of your X5.

Funf Dreisig

[soldmystang]

Originally Posted by stockguru

Ouch. Thanks for the additional unnecessary commentary.

I understand what the tow hook is used for, but I would think you would like your X5 towed from the ditch using both sides rather than them risk yanking your car sideways and rolling over from a one sided pull. I believe the tow trucks with a flat bed usually have two hooks for an even pull.

Please forgive me. but the way you stated your question it did appear you were attempting to use the hooks to tow something.

[JCL]

Originally Posted by stockguru

I would think you would like your X5 towed from the ditch using both sides rather than them risk yanking your car sideways and rolling over from a one sided pull. I believe the tow trucks with a flat bed usually have two hooks for an even pull.

I would call it winching when referring to getting it out of the ditch, as towing implies going down the road. I used to do a fair bit of both regular and offroad recovery, with a 4x4 tow truck. I always used a single attachment point, not two, unless I was extracting a vehicle using two separate winches. If you don't pull on them straight, the screw-in hooks break off really easily. Constructing a yoke with two attachment points reduced the load on each hook, but resulted in a pull on an angle.

If the vehicle is not level when it is in the ditch, and it usually isn't, you pull from the higher hook and the vehicle will remain very stable. You don't select which location to use based on getting the straightest pull, but rather on getting the most stable pull, and on bringing the vehicle back out on the identical path it went in on (which results in much less damage than creating a new path)

[soldmystang]

Originally Posted by JCL

I would call it winching when referring to getting it out of the ditch, as towing implies going down the road. I used to do a fair bit of both regular and offroad recovery, with a 4x4 tow truck. I always used a single attachment point, not two, unless I was extracting a vehicle using two separate winches. If you don't pull on them straight, the screw-in hooks break off really easily. Constructing a yoke with two attachment points reduced the load on each hook, but resulted in a pull on an angle.

If the vehicle is not level when it is in the ditch, and it usually isn't, you pull from the higher hook and the vehicle will remain very stable. You don't select which location to use based on getting the straightest pull, but rather on getting the most stable pull, and on bringing the vehicle back out on the identical path it went in on (which results in much less damage than creating a new path)

JCL. He's my favorite Canadian.

[Fredflf]

Just pulled from a ditch with one hook and it it worked great