Tow hook mount hitting rear FG bumper, Anyone recommend a tow hook? Options

[john77]

Is it common that the tow hook mount prevents an FG rear bumper from sitting flush on the driver’s side?

I fitted mine today and it’s basically rocking on the mount, so either the top of the bumper is where it should be or the bottom is, but not both.

Only thing I think to fix it is remove the tow hook mount (or chop part of it off), or cut a hole in the rear bumper and get a tow hook to make the hole make sense (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[bdstone914]

Is it common that the tow hook mount prevents an FG rear bumper from sitting flush on the driver’s side?

I fitted mine today and it’s basically rocking on the mount, so either the top of the bumper is where it should be or the bottom is, but not both.

Only thing I think to fix it is remove the tow hook mount (or chop part of it off), or cut a hole in the rear bumper and get a tow hook to make the hole make sense (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Are you using the rubber dog bones to space the bumper? How is the clearance of the bumper to the body? Maybe add washers on the dog ones to move it out.

[Retroracer]

Yes, some of the modern FG bumpers available are quite thick (which gives them more stability & strength) and as a result can foul the tow hook mount because of this. You have some options:

1) grind down a few mm of the tow hook mount (there's plenty of thread in there anyway)
2) gentle sanding of the FG bumper in the mount region, to thin it out in that area (easier than the above, but careful not to go all the way through!), or
3) drill the hole for the tow hook anyway. The factory GTs mostly did this and it gives you that "fresh off the track" look if you leave the tow hook in all the time.

Using the dog bones or spacers will solve the clearance problem, but can push the FG bumpers too far away from the body for a decent "fit line" along the top and sides.

- Tony

[john77]

Thanks guys.

I tried using the dog bones with the FG brackets that came with the bumpers, but the fit was terrible - the rear bumper had a half inch gap between it and the car.

That said, even without the dogbones I have no idea how anyone uses the FG brackets that come with them - if you fit them flat to the inside of the bumper the angle for the bolts through the car is completely off, and if you mount them to the car and fit the bumper to them only about half an inch of the surface actually contacts the back of the bumper.

I can't remember who it was, but I'd seen someone here make custom brackets so I decided to do that myself. The front fits great, and the back would fit great if not for the tow hook bracket.

This picture's from the front, but I did the same for the rear (the only difference was I widened the angle of the aluminum L to fit by crushing it in a hydraulic press). The benefit of the front was, you can adjust the angle and then tighten the bolt through the fog grille holes - for the back it was more position, remove, tighten, refit, and then repeat if it was off.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/live.staticflickr.com-17027-1622490213.1.jpg)[/url]

I'll try grinding some off the inside to see if it will help with clearance, and if not I'll probably just cut a hole and mount a tow hook.

Can anyone recommend a racing tow hook? Is the thread/fit universal?

[Retroracer]

I think (from memory) the thread is M10, which many modern aftermarket tow hook options don't fit. The factory tow hook is fine, but struck me as a little narrow for quick, track day extractions - so I welded one up, from an M10 bolt and a fencing loop sourced from the local hardware store:



- Tony