In the Midwest winter is coming up with people in the ditch or at least stuck in the snow. I would like to know where is the safe place to hook onto cars to pull them out, without pulling them apart.

Pickups and larger trucks aren't a problem.

 

Well, it can be a little tricky. Some of the cars nowadays have squat for anything solid in the rear suspension. I swear some of them look like they are put together with leftover parts from an Erector set. Front ends usually are a little beefier, but as I'm sure you know most cars needing a pull-out will be nose down into a ditch or whatever. Best place is a t-hook slot in the frame, but unfortunately you have to have a chain with a t-hook on it like this: Pierce Sales Towing T-Hook | Towing Hooks | Northern Tool + Equipment. Other way is a very long tow/recovery strap passed through open back doors, but have to be especially carefull due to the pinching effect when the ends are pulled. I've even seen a very long recovery strap passed through the rear doors and then down under the back of the car from in front of the rear wheels, but this would be a PITA in some deep snow.

If you have time to look it up, here are the diagrams that will show where the tie down/t-hook slots are: Tow Specs. Be aware, though, that not all tiedown points are strong enough for winching. Generally the stronger ones have reinforced holes. Sometimes I just have to hook the strongest point I can find and hold my breathe. I do sand winch-outs, of course, and I don't know how that compares with a snow-job.

The best solution, of course, is winter in Florida.

 

Here is John (tow guy) at work. Ignore the fact John lives in southern Florida for 2 minutes.

YouTube - Snow Tow

 

thanks oklahoma that was a great bust

 

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mark, I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard at a video. My wife thought I was losing my mind.

Truly amazing what some people will do to avoid paying a tow guy $50.

I'm not sure, but I think maybe this is what marbobj was trying to avoid. Beer 4U2

 

Very funny!! Esp the way he was OK with the bumper moving up earlier on and just kept going.

I shouldn't really laugh...one of my first hook-ups (way back in the day, at a part-time job), I put the hook under what I thought was the frame, until the coolant started pouring out as I pulled the lever.

We won't talk about bending the door around flush with the front fender on another one. Unless someone really wants to know, PM me, it's pretty durn funny, if ya like acrimonious divorce stories.

 

well if we are fessing up...and you guys are too funny.....bro-in-law company truck stuck in the snow in the driveway...go get the 2500 hemi five speed..put it low and pulled.....omg i didn't look back and i pulled it though a tree...never even felt it...close to totaled.....lets just say he doesn't work there anymore

 

Thanks guys, especially Tow Guy. This was exactly why I was asking. I've seen some with the tow rings on the back, but a lot of them I had no idea how to do it.

I would never have imagined running the tow strap through the back doors. I checked out the T hook on the Northern Tool site. I believe I'll invest in one of those - we have a Northern Tool in Des Moines.

Thanks again.

 

Any of you guys ever watch that new cable show on tv called "O'Hare Towing"? They have to get vehicles out of some crazy predicaments. One episode I watched how they went about getting the car back up and over one of those metal guard rails, for example.