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Has anyone installed a front tow hook? I can see on the rear bumper where the hook will go, but the front doesnt seem to have one.
You’ll be disappointed when you find below what appears to be a cover for the rear toe hook does not have the treaded nut on the inside! Only the European cars have both, the hook and the place to insert them!
You’ll be disappointed when you find below what appears to be a cover for the rear toe hook does not have the treaded nut on the inside! Only the European cars have both, the hook and the place to insert them!
And if you are lucky enough to have a 2015 Z06 you will have a place for tow hooks.
You’ll be disappointed when you find below what appears to be a cover for the rear toe hook does not have the treaded nut on the inside! Only the European cars have both, the hook and the place to insert them!
I have not pulled the front fascia off yet (my garage is not heated) to investigate but I am hoping I can do a minimally invasive "sandwich approach" of the front impact bar. I'm thinking maybe a front steel plate ~ 2' x3" with a nut welded on the back sized to accept the OEM hook and a matching sized backer plate located on the backside of the impact bar (I do not know if back side accessible of if any space conflict) and simply thru bolt the four corners of the plates and sandwich the front frame structure. This would avoid removing some components and needing to gain access to the "interior" of the front impact bar. I prefer to mod as little as possible and keep with OEM hook as GM put some thought into structural integrity but I must say I am extremely frustrated they did not leave the threaded provision in the US model.
I am also swapping out the grille to Z06 so it will give me the opportunity to align with grille work.
If anyone has had the fascia off and can provide feedback on feasibility/ space access on backside of impact bar would be appreciated- not getting warm around here anytime soon
I tried to get 2015 Z06 "tow hook bracket" (F & R) part # to see if they might be able to bolt onto base frame. Parts guy at Chevy said he could not see the 2015 part #'s. Has anybody else tried to track down tow hook bracket # for 2015 Z06
Phoenix Performance sells the brackets you need. They are a PITA to install-mostly because of all the extra stuff you have to remove to get to the actual bumper.
Don't even attempt this project unless you have the proper trim removal tools. I bought this set off of Amazon.
I tried to get 2015 Z06 "tow hook bracket" (F & R) part # to see if they might be able to bolt onto base frame. Parts guy at Chevy said he could not see the 2015 part #'s. Has anybody else tried to track down tow hook bracket # for 2015 Z06
It appears as the tow hook provisions are integral to the F & R bars (assume welded on) they are not available as an item you can bolt on as in other GM models that have a seperate tow hook bracket #.
No diagram nor picture available but part # descriptiuon seems to suggest you get the entire frame rail bar.
#23136263 rear compartmental panel cross bar with V76 EXPORT option code. #22980023 front end lower rail cross bar with V76 EXPORT option code.
It appears as the tow hook provisions are integral to the F & R bars (assume welded on) they are not available as an item you can bolt on as in other GM models that have a seperate tow hook bracket #.
No diagram nor picture available but part # descriptiuon seems to suggest you get the entire frame rail bar.
#23136263 rear compartmental panel cross bar with V76 EXPORT option code. #22980023 front end lower rail cross bar with V76 EXPORT option code.
Thanks- I have looked into that and studied the photo's. Not a big fan of putting that much pull pressure onto just one side of the alum front frame rail- surface area only appears to be a few inches. Only have one frame so I am procedding very carefully. I have the Z06 grille to install when I pull off the front facia I am going to see if I can come up with a solution that does not involve interior access to frame rail and utilizes the entire structure of the front frame rail. I am hoping I can install a backer plate on the back side of the front rail and mount an external threaded fitting on front that is thru bolted to the backer plate effectively sandwiching the front rail and pulling across the entire structure. I do not know if this will fit till I get into it- but car is stored for winter so I hcae some time to play around. Will post if I come up with a non-invasive easy solution.
In past 5 years I used tow hook on previous car 4 times- 2 track & 2 just on the road. Not used often but even that one time breakdown on road it would be worth it as I do not see any other easy pull points on C7 to get onto a flat bed IF needed.
Thanks- I have looked into that and studied the photo's. Not a big fan of putting that much pull pressure onto just one side of the alum front frame rail- surface area only appears to be a few inches. Only have one frame so I am procedding very carefully. I have the Z06 grille to install when I pull off the front facia I am going to see if I can come up with a solution that does not involve interior access to frame rail and utilizes the entire structure of the front frame rail. I am hoping I can install a backer plate on the back side of the front rail and mount an external threaded fitting on front that is thru bolted to the backer plate effectively sandwiching the front rail and pulling across the entire structure. I do not know if this will fit till I get into it- but car is stored for winter so I hcae some time to play around. Will post if I come up with a non-invasive easy solution.
In past 5 years I used tow hook on previous car 4 times- 2 track & 2 just on the road. Not used often but even that one time breakdown on road it would be worth it as I do not see any other easy pull points on C7 to get onto a flat bed IF needed.
I'll be very interested in what you come up with. Be sure and report back.
It unscrews from the bracket when not on the track
For sure. And very useful on the track. Sorry, I thought you were referring to having it for show on the street like a lot of the S2000 guys do. My bad.
Thanks- I have looked into that and studied the photo's. Not a big fan of putting that much pull pressure onto just one side of the alum front frame rail- surface area only appears to be a few inches. Only have one frame so I am procedding very carefully. I have the Z06 grille to install when I pull off the front facia I am going to see if I can come up with a solution that does not involve interior access to frame rail and utilizes the entire structure of the front frame rail. I am hoping I can install a backer plate on the back side of the front rail and mount an external threaded fitting on front that is thru bolted to the backer plate effectively sandwiching the front rail and pulling across the entire structure. I do not know if this will fit till I get into it- but car is stored for winter so I hcae some time to play around. Will post if I come up with a non-invasive easy solution.
In past 5 years I used tow hook on previous car 4 times- 2 track & 2 just on the road. Not used often but even that one time breakdown on road it would be worth it as I do not see any other easy pull points on C7 to get onto a flat bed IF needed.
Here is the Phoenix model-exactly what you are referring to : Backer plate with a grade 8 nut welded on it. It's a rather large backer plate as well. I'm more concerned about the rear hook and mount VS the front.
Here is the Phoenix model-exactly what you are referring to : Backer plate with a grade 8 nut welded on it. It's a rather large backer plate as well. I'm more concerned about the rear hook and mount VS the front.
I got the impression that the OP was talking about mounting the backing plate (and receiver nut) not inside the crossmember, but behind it; that is, as you look at the end-on view of the crossmember in your photo, behind the left verticle wall of the entire structure. Hence his concern about whether there was sufficient clearance to fit it back there. I believe his thinking was that this would add structural strength, since we still don't know exactly how GM engineered the european solution. (I've asked Chevy customer service about it. They had no info)
Would you be willing to compare the length of the tow hook from your Phoenix kit to the length of the factory one (using the cutout on the battery cover)? This might allow us to make some reasonable guesses as to whether GM thought mounting the receiver behind the front wall of the crossmember was sufficient. Or it may just confuse things, I dunno.
Just a thought.
Last edited by Magister Ludi; Jan 5, 2015 at 08:13 PM.
I got the impression that the OP was talking about mounting the backing plate (and receiver nut) not inside the crossmember, but behind it; that is, as you look at the end-on view of the crossmember in your photo, behind the left verticle wall of the entire structure. Hence his concern about whether there was sufficient clearance to fit it back there. I believe his thinking was that this would add structural strength, since we still don't know exactly how GM engineered the european solution. (I've asked Chevy customer service about it. They had no info)
Would you be willing to compare the length of the tow hook from your Phoenix kit to the length of the factory one (using the cutout on the battery cover)? This might allow us to make some reasonable guesses as to whether GM thought mounting the receiver behind the front wall of the crossmember was sufficient. Or it may just confuse things, I dunno.
Just a thought.
Correct. I am envisioning a full size plate the height of the frame rail on the engine side of the frame rail to get benefit of complete structure. It will be a week or two before I am able to work on my car and mock something up but think I can get something simple to work and be robust. Will use OEM kook eye and also incorporate GM tow hook bracket from XLR
I have attached my CONCEPT for front tow hook bracket that tries to replicate the "export version". I have not removed front facia to see if this approach is feasible. This to me would be minimally invasive and pretty structurally sound. I do NOT know if the thru hole already exists in the front frame rail or if need to drill thru to insert "threaded stock". Again this is prelim concept idea and ballpark size I would envision.
