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Newbie here, if it's in N is it ok to tow with rear wheels on the ground?, anything else I should know about when watching the tow guy tow the C8?
Link to buy that hook please.
Which 25 bucks ones do you guys have? it surely beats one 4x the price!!
Neutral can be used to "move the car" like in your driveway or onto a roll-back. I don't believe it should be used for towing any distance. Take note that the hook has metric threads, not SAE. A SAE hook will screw in put will have play in it. I bought the GM one, to be sure that the hook was actually suitable for pulling the car.
It is M20-2.5. Its about 9 5/16 long from the top of the eye to the end, and about 6 1/4 in from the bottom of the eye to the end.
Last edited by Andybump; Dec 15, 2021 at 11:00 PM.
Reason: added the tow hook dimensions
And here are the dimensions of my GM supplied tow hook: It is M20-2.5. Its about 9 5/16 long from the top of the eye to the end, and about 6 1/4 in from the bottom of the eye to the end.
This is the one I have. I haven't tried it yet, but I asked the seller about the thread size. His answer was
Thread measurements: M20 x 2.5
I believe that's the correct size.
Beware of the cheap aftermarket hooks made overseas. The OEM GM Recovery Hook can be bought for $95 that is before any discounts that can be applied. Yes it is universal and will work for the front or the rear of the car.
The only use I have seen for them is at car shows where the Corvette owner thinks he is cool by driving around with one. Not for me. I have AAA.
A tow hook will be very useful if they have to pull your car up onto a rollback. Simple and will protect from damage. They will have to attach straps under your car to pull it.
A tow hook will be very useful if they have to pull your car up onto a rollback. Simple and will protect from damage. They will have to attach straps under your car to pull it.
And the rest of the 99.99% of the non-track time they do what, exactly, besides serving as a harpoon?
You can get by with one. Most owners just get one and keep it in the glove box or cargo nets and hope it is never used. You can also find them on eBay for about $25, so check there before you drop $100 for the "official" tow hook. Good luck!!
You usually get what you pay for. Be careful, I've seen cheap ones that are for show only.
So, how do you know that hook meets the requirements for actual use? In any case, I don't like the three piece design. The entire force from pulling the car (say, up on a roll back) is supported by that little cross pin, on which the loop pivots. How well is that little cross pin made? I realize that many tow hooks are made that way, some for show, and some rated for actual use, but to me it seem like an extra point of failure (in the unlikely event you actually have to use it). The GM hook is solid, one piece.
^^^
Granted my ZL1 Tow Hook it's more expensive (just checked current prices and at ~$115 from several sources not a lot more than the overpriced GM hook) and it's very well made: "The ZL1 Addons Premium tow hooks are designed for both style and function. Their tow hook shafts are made out of chrome moly black steel featuring an all forged steel D-ring." The Heim joint is large and made from stainless steel. The through pin is pretty large and is loaded in shear and is NOT the week link.
But agree if one of my intents was not to also use at a Show of my 2017 Grand Sport, the simple GM steel hook would fit in my C8 tool bag where I hope the ZL1 stays as well and is never needed.
If just for Show you can buy one like this made from aluminum and who knows what else, on eBay ~$20 sold for a Mazda BUT with the proper metric (SI) threads. Would not trust it to pull a Vette or frankly even a Mazda!
