WIKI
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).

Tow Hooks by Official Brands
Materials & Components
Tow hooks feature exposed location, unless you have a race car that is equipped with a retractable tow hook, that hides when not in use. This means, that tow hooks are always under attack of road debris and 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 bright color of tow hook is great not only for track use. If you have street car that has to be towed, bright color will give a tow truck operator an opportunity to quickly find the spot to hook onto without having to waste time investigating the vehicle.