Tow Truck Recovery Points on Modern Cars?

[dlundblad]

When I was in Europe, I saw a tow truck with a crane reach over and tie onto all 4 wheels of a Mercedes. It picked it straight up and rotated it over onto its bed. It was a pretty clean and quick process. Much better on the car too id imagine. IIRC, it was parked between 2 other cars and the crane was able to lift it up over the cars with no issues whatsoever.

I have yet to see them in the US though.

 

[wirelessF]

Even some pickup trucks don't have front hooks. My 02 Silverado "street truck" does not have front recovery hooks like the 4x4 and Z71 versions. There are towing hook holes under the frame where the front frame and mid frame meet and it can be hooked there.

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: dlundblad
When I was in Europe, I saw a tow truck with a crane reach over and tie onto all 4 wheels of a Mercedes. It picked it straight up and rotated it over onto its bed. It was a pretty clean and quick process. Much better on the car too id imagine. IIRC, it was parked between 2 other cars and the crane was able to lift it up over the cars with no issues whatsoever.

I have yet to see them in the US though.


Probably because we don't have that sort of congestion, it'd cost too much to train someone to use such machinery, and finally, such a contraption can't possibly be cheap. Just my my guess.

But it sounds pretty cool. I bet it makes a lot of sense for high end sporty cars that have zero ground clearance.

 

[doitmyself]

Originally Posted By: Ewag2983
We use grade 70 v chains and straps for recovery and towing. Not sure why so many of them say not for recovery.


Great. Thank you.

I emailed TrucknTow.com about their Vulcan proseries v-bridles and they said that OSHA considers "recovery" to be the same as "lifting", which is different than "towing" a vehicle on unrestricted surfaces. Therefore the v bridles are not approved for recovery.

If you look at chain and webbing catalogs you will often see ratings stating "not for lifting".

It seems like a lawyer induced catch 22 situation. There are reinforced frame holes on most cars for recovery, but the chain/webbing industry does not make an approved hooked assembly to use on these recovery points. I have dealt with this kind of stuff numerous times at my workplace. Very frustrating if you want to be in compliance.

 

[dlundblad]

Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: dlundblad
When I was in Europe, I saw a tow truck with a crane reach over and tie onto all 4 wheels of a Mercedes. It picked it straight up and rotated it over onto its bed. It was a pretty clean and quick process. Much better on the car too id imagine. IIRC, it was parked between 2 other cars and the crane was able to lift it up over the cars with no issues whatsoever.

I have yet to see them in the US though.


Probably because we don't have that sort of congestion, it'd cost too much to train someone to use such machinery, and finally, such a contraption can't possibly be cheap. Just my my guess.

But it sounds pretty cool. I bet it makes a lot of sense for high end sporty cars that have zero ground clearance.


I just googled European tow trucks, but heres a pic that gives the idea.
Link

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: dlundblad
When I was in Europe, I saw a tow truck with a crane reach over and tie onto all 4 wheels of a Mercedes. It picked it straight up and rotated it over onto its bed. It was a pretty clean and quick process. Much better on the car too id imagine. IIRC, it was parked between 2 other cars and the crane was able to lift it up over the cars with no issues whatsoever.

I have yet to see them in the US though.


Probably because we don't have that sort of congestion, it'd cost too much to train someone to use such machinery, and finally, such a contraption can't possibly be cheap. Just my my guess.

But it sounds pretty cool. I bet it makes a lot of sense for high end sporty cars that have zero ground clearance.


I just googled European tow trucks, but heres a pic that gives the idea.
Link

That is quite neat for tight parking extraction, not much good for common tow truck duty out in the stick though, where a car can be quite a ways off the road and on its side in a ditch.

 

[Mr_Incredible]

I've been pulling small cars out of snow and ditches for a number of years now using a ring of the small j-hook type hooks. Works great.

I wouldn't try to hoist the car only by a small hook, but they work for little things.

I tried to hook up to a Jeep Cherokee once. Not a single place for anything to hook up. Nothing. It's disgusting to have a Jeep product with no hook or ring on it. Inconceivable!

 

[Mr_Incredible]

Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: dlundblad
When I was in Europe, I saw a tow truck with a crane reach over and tie onto all 4 wheels of a Mercedes. It picked it straight up and rotated it over onto its bed. It was a pretty clean and quick process. Much better on the car too id imagine. IIRC, it was parked between 2 other cars and the crane was able to lift it up over the cars with no issues whatsoever.

I have yet to see them in the US though.


Probably because we don't have that sort of congestion, it'd cost too much to train someone to use such machinery, and finally, such a contraption can't possibly be cheap. Just my my guess.

But it sounds pretty cool. I bet it makes a lot of sense for high end sporty cars that have zero ground clearance.


I just googled European tow trucks, but heres a pic that gives the idea.
Link


No room for anything else in the big, crowded city.

 

[CurtisB]

If the vehicle has any large openings in the rims, you can feed a strap through there and around the tire. The best part about doing it this way is you don't have to dig much. Convenient enough on a FWD vehicle you can have your tow vehicle pull on a wheel at the back while you spin at the front.

 

[jmb3675]

Some cars have the eye bolt spot on the front bumper, some of those are very weak. If a vehicle has a frame mounted hitch, that is a good recovery point. Some cars do have recovery slots near the rear bumper, but the bumper could get damaged using them. A strap through an alloy wheel works in a pinch. Most lower control arms will hold as well, but I would only use that as a last resort and keep the hook as close to the body as possible. The closer to the wheel you get on the arm, the more likely it is to bend.

Transport slots should not be used for recovering a vehicle. They are usually made to be pulled downward for rail car or truck transport. While most are reinforced, they may still rip if the chain is pulled in the wrong direction.

 

[KenO]

All of the euro cars have threaded tow hooks in the bumpers. These are VERY safe. The stock hooks that thread in are also VERY strong. Many of the 'racecar' parts companies sell aluminum or other fancy foldy hooks, and I've seen them break many a time. The stock stuff will pull an M3 out of a sand trap at Road Atlanta just find, so I'm sure it will pull one out of a snowbank just fine too. I've seen one of those fancy ones snap in person once. An E46 M3 about halfway up the back of the rollback. Not much damage to the car. Hook snapped, car rolled back down the hill into the wall exiting T3. Did significantly more damage to the car than was done before the hook snapped.

I had a tow operator one time get out one of those massive J hooks thinking he was going to hook it under one o my suspension components and just yank it up. I stopped him and asked if he was going to pay for all of the bent suspension components when it gets to the shop. He told me to find somebody else to tow it, which I gladly did. I've seen this ALL THE TIME in the shops I've worked in, they try to hook to a front or rear trailing arm and it just bends it like a twig. They were never built to see loads in that direction.