Why the towing eyes on most cars are located either left or right side of the bumper?
Why aren't they on the center of the bumper?
Edited by Honestjohn on 28/10/2008 at 19:30
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Because there's no structure strong enough to attach them to. The cheap solution is to attach them to the end of a side rail or member.
It's why a towbar is an expensive item that has to be properly fitted. Even when bumpers were real bumpers that had a protective function rather than a purely cosmetic and economic one (providing huge aftermarket profits by being themselves expensive and pathetically fragile) you were not well advised just to bolt a hook to the middle of the bumper.
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Moreover, they are not towing eyes; they are for holding the car down when in transport.
I'm trying to convince myself that there is a reason why this would be better done on two opposing corners rather than the middle at the front and the back.
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Moreover they are not towing eyes; they are for holding the car down when in transport.
In most cases thats no longer the case, the towing eyes are usually welded in a straight ahead position with little or no support usually to allow for any downwards force, as for example during the transport of cars on a truck.
On many cars, especially those with screw in towing eyes, they are fitted during the transit stage when new, but are usually only used on ship transport, where only light pressure will be used or indeed needed and access underneath is almost impossible in the tightly packed confines of a loaded car carrying ship.
If they were used for normal tie down on a road going car transporter they would definitely be damaged and probably ripped off entirely as far more down pressure is needed. I certainly wouldn't use them they are not up to the job.
As usual there are exceptions to this and many mainly Japanese and Korean cars are permanently fitted with extremely strong front tie downs that can double as towing eyes, they often have very strong rears too, but tie down using those is not recommended, and they are usually tied down by using a purpose made reinforced hole in the torque box just ahead of the rear wheel.
On the road cars are either tied down using underbody straps in proper tie down points (the best and long established way), or increasingly by the use of chocks and wheelstraps (not so safe and secure IMO).
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Moreover they are not towing eyes; they are for holding the car down when in transport.
My 03/03 Focus doesn't have a welded-on eye. It has an eye with a threaded projection which screws into a threaded hole at the front or the rear as required. The handbook calls it a towing eye and gives instructions as to how it should be used for towing. The threaded holes are off-centre.
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Even when bumpers were real bumpers that had a protective function rather than a purely cosmetic and economic one --- you were not well advised just to bolt a hook to the middle of the bumper.
That's very true. Even my Volvo has an additional fabrication of bolted on angle irons and tubes looking like a section of the Forth Bridge. It's strong enough to lift the weight of the car, which is why anyone unwise enough to drive into it usually demolishes the front of their car.
Whenever I have towed a car I usually pass the rope (or better, a wire or chain) around the front chassis crossmember and hook it through the towing pin.
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For towing a broken-down vehicle; the towing eyes need to be offset. Ideally; the front one should be to the N/S and the rear, the O/S.
Then; when towing, the trailed car is offset outwards from the towing car and the towed driver has a good view ahead - rather vital as, with a rope, he's the one doing the braking and, with a bar, any braking forces want to be applied with the bar as straight as possible.
Unfortunately; the opposite locations are more normal, as most cars are still configured for left-hand drive.
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I see your point, but if they are both offset doesn't that put the towed car rather a long way out across the road?
As the driver is already (usually) sitting on the right, surely it just needs one eye to be in the middle (eg the towing vehicle, as per tow hitch) and the other offset?
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Cliff
Yes - if the rope was always kept parallel to the axes of the cars.
In reality, the towed driver can adjust his line to suit and if the towing driver stays well to the left, it usually works fine.
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I was once told (or read) that the eye on the front is for being towed but the one on the rear may not be as strong to tow someone - the thread on the rear one could get ripped out. Not sure how true.
Only been towed twice in (the same) Mondeo with no power for a short distance. It was behind an RAC van on a bar. Getting home easy. Getting into the Ford garage car park the next day, turning a sharp corner nearly damaged the front bumper.
But doing the same on a rope - no way. No brake servo and a rope in a MkIII Mondeo Ghia diesel.
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Although still often done; it's been technically illegal to be towed with no working servo for about 20 years. [It's classified as "with defective brakes."]
I don't think that no PAS has ever been the subject of a court case.
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Thanks for that Screwloose. Next time if needed I'll make the AA/RAC man get the full towing kit out. But I was 2 miles from home initially. And since the garage closed with rising bollards we took it home (passing the Ford garage) and then got towed again the 1 mile back to the Ford garage.
Any greater distance and knowing what it was like I'd prefer not to do again like that.
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I should have clarified my previous post as applying only to "soft towing" and not with a rigid bar; that's still legal - until the "no PAS" issue previously mentioned has a defined legal precedent.
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After checks, I've driven a Discovery with non-working/broken PAS. No great shakes, I've driven cars with heavier non broken steering, and indeed, own one. (270 degrees lock to lock anyone?)
Edited by Honestjohn on 28/10/2008 at 19:31
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OK; I see it - I just don't believe it......
www.highways.gov.uk/business/20059.aspx
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OK; I see it - I just don't believe it......
Nor do i, slow speed or not, the bike could get into serious difficulties when braking or on a slippery surface, could be a serious case of the tail wagging the dog.
Did DOT pass that? surely not.
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