turbobuick33

I hope I have never have to call a tow truck but I'd like to know ahead, what is the proper way to tow a C4 Corvette without damaging the car? Where exactly should the tow hooks be placed? In front or rear of the vehicle? Should the tow truck driver pull the car from the rear or the front onto the flat bed?

c4cruiser

As far as getting the car on a flatbed, it will depend on which end of the car the driver can get to.

Most flatbed rigs will have lengths of boards and blocks to create less of an angle as it is winched up to the bed. And most beds can be lowered and moved away from the truck chassis. The winch cable can be connected to a number of frame locations but the angle will still be very important. This where wood blocks come in so they can keep the winch cable away from the body. Too bad that GM didn't think of adding screw-in towing eyes to Corvettes, especially the C5 and later cars. For cars like BMW, Mercedes, and some others, towing eyes make it easy to load those cars on a flatbed. I believe there is a CF Supporting Vendor that has towing eye kits for C6 and C7 cars.

81c3

flatbed

Tom400CFI

There are tow points in the frame for the tow trucks "T-hooks"; front are located just rear of the front suspension, rears are located just ahead of the rear suspension.

Front, just rear of the lower control arm




Rear by the trailing arm mount;





.

PLRX

turbobuick33

So if possible, it's better to pull the car from the front onto the tow bed, so it will less likely scrap anything.

Tom400CFI

I don't think it matters with regard to that; it's got to traverse the same angle regardless of which why it's facing.

If I could choose, and I were pulling it from the factory tow points, I'd do it backward so that the tow chain didn't try to crush the air dam. Although I don't think pulling it forward would do any more harm to the air dam than any of us do when we ram them into gutters trying to negotiate normal driveways, businesses, etc.

383vett

Mr. Peabody

Ahhh yes. Both of my vettes have taken this ride at one time or another. The flatbed is the way to go. At least on the occurrences with my cars the flat bed driver was experienced enough that he always had an assortment of wood blocks, boards and straps there was never an issue pulling the car up onto the flatbed.

When the sprag in the trans went on the C4 I was able to put the car in neutral and the pull really didn't put any strain on the car. I was aware of the tow locations that Tom400CFI shows in his excellent pictures. In talking with the driver and looking at the size of the hooks we decided to go with straps wrapped around both lower A-arms. The straps and two pieces of wood ....no problem.

Paul Workman

In an emergency, the FLATBED is THEE way, of course. But, if you are scheduling the hauling and have access to a 1/2 ton pickup truck with a tow hitch, I've have had great success with a U-Haul car hauler trailer: used them on my Vettes and friends' Vettes on several occasions. .

If the car couldn't be driven onto the trailer, I use my "Come-along" winch and a tow strap and pull it on that way. (Those trailers pull like a dream - hardly know they're back there on level roads.)

Renfield

I daily drive a C4. Which is why I have AAA on speed dial.

As it turns out, a rollback won't fit in a parking garage.

Good luck telling a tow truck driver how to do his job.

So far, not enough damage for legal action.