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Aftermarket Tow Hooks for Street Cars: Types
If you shop for aftermarket tow hooks for your vehicle, you will notice, that there is a variety of tow hook options. The main two types of tow hooks are vehicle-specific and universal.
Vehicle-specific tow hooks are designed to perfectly fit the specific year, make and model of a vehicle. They use the factory mounting locations to bolt on or screw into. Such type of tow hooks does not require any extra modifications to a vehicle or tow hook. This makes the installation simple enough to do it by yourself. The main drawback of this kind of tow hooks is the price, which is usually higher, than for the universal options.
Universal tow hooks are designed to work with the majority of the American vehicles with the minor modifications to the vehicle. So, if you are working on a custom race car project, consider the universal hold down solution.
Most Popular Aftermarket Tow Hook Configurations
- Fixed and folding tow hooks;
- Tow hooks with one or more mounting holes;
- Tow hooks with adjustable brackets;
- Custom side mount tow hooks;
- End-mount tow hooks;
- Tow hooks with 90-degree brackets;
- Retractable tow hooks (common setup for modern race cars).
Materials & Components
Tow hooks feature exposed location unless a race car is equipped with a retractable tow hook that hides when not in use. This means that tow hooks are constantly under attack by road debris, weather conditions, road salt, moisture, etc. To make sure the tow hooks will not corrode or rust under the influence of moisture, snow, rain, and small stones, manufacturers finish tow hooks in anti-corrosion coatings and eye-catching colors, which make them noticeable.
Usually, tow hooks are made of corrosion-resistant materials, like aluminum or high-tensile steel. Note that the bright color of the tow hook is excellent not only for track use. If you have a street car that must be towed, a bright color will allow a tow truck operator to quickly find the spot to hook onto without wasting time investigating the vehicle.