Tow EYE options

[Dingy]

Does anyone sell a front and rear tow eye for a mk2 ?

[topaz]

maybe a generic one like this?

where would it mount?

[Dingy]

I have seen some that bolt on the outer chassis at the front onto the front role bar mounting holes...

Never seen any for the back

[KL]

Someone proudly showed me a new "off the shelf" front towing eye he was fitting to his Escort the other week - and I had to point out that the "eye" part was way too small to even accept the hook of an ordinary trailer winch, leave alone a professional recovery hook.
This arose because some hill climb scrutineers at one venue had suddenly been demanding to see tow hooks (when in fact there is no regulation whatsoever requiring them for other than racing and stage rallying).
As indicated in the post above, using a long (substantial and thick) bracket that passes through the front panel and mounts on both side bolts of the ARB bracket is the only practicable method for the front (unless you have a decent substantial well-fitted sumpguard - then the eye can mount to that).
For the rear it MUST be firmly mounted to the chassis rail. Half the rear eyes I see on Escorts in motorsport are hopelessly inadequately mounted - sometimes simply through the rear panel with a spreader plate behind.
(and before anyone suggests the axle, have you seen how a spring eye can actually unwind if high towing loads indirectly go through it?)
One other point for anyone involved in or contemplating motorsport: the regulations state the eye must be "within the confines of the bodywork". Many are not - and I have no idea how to do it at the front on a rwd Escort without major body cutouts. At some point they will no doubt suddenly, without further warning, start to try and enforce this regualtion and there will be the usual mess.

[rwdrs]

like this you mean????

These were obligatory on the continent.

BTW, the front eye is featured by Dasa in his Jaffa resto thread

[RS2000CUSTOM]

Taken from Dasadrews thread

Same Tow Eye as I have fitted to SKC

It fits onto existing bolt on front chassis rail

Tow eye is bottom right of this picture

[Kel]

Retro Motorsport

http://www.retromotorsport.co.uk/

do a great addition if you still use a ARB, modified ARB clamp with a towing eye fitted.

[KL]

The "continental" rear version shown by rwdrs would just peel back a very -prone-to-corrosion panel in a snatch recovery!
The modified double width bracket front eye is obviously impossible to use with any decently designed sumpguard so has no relevance to most rallying. It is not favoured by some others as it does not pull directly on the chassis rail. The arb clamp also serves an important function in bending and saving other parts (including the arb itself) when you hit something. Strengthening it to use it as a tow eye mount is not something I would do, having survived one RAC Rally solely because the comparatively thin arb clamps bent and saved terminal damage to other parts when I flew off the road and clipped the top edge of a fallen tree trunk with both front wheels...much as anyone might do some time on a curb on the public road.

[graham John]

I shall be trying to fabricate something for the Black beastie for front and rear, found this thread interesting, i will probably go sumpguard mounted for front, have to think about the rear though

cheeRS

[scoobydoo]

I've seen ones that are part of the roll bar clamps somewhere

[RStu]

I'm sure there's one on the underside of the cross member on mine. Is it supposed to be there?

[rwdrs]

The "continental" rear version shown by rwdrs would just peel back a very -prone-to-corrosion panel in a snatch recovery!

One assumes and correct me if I'm wrong but anybody wanting to fit a towing eye will ensure the surrounding metal is rot free

[RS2000CUSTOM]

Please be aware also that what may look like a "towing" eye can sometimed only be a "lashing" eye for securing vehicle on a trailer or transporter.

I wouldnt like to "recover" a MKII using the towing eye on a spare wheel well even if shell was a rot free example

[Mr Hoarder]

Please be aware also that what may look like a "towing" eye can sometimed only be a "lashing" eye for securing vehicle on a trailer or transporter.

I wouldnt like to "recover" a MKII using the towing eye on a spare wheel well even if shell was a rot free example

Quite so.

Imagine the condition of the n/s/r quarter panel if you dragged the car from a ditch by the spare wheel well

[rwdrs]

Please be aware also that what may look like a "towing" eye can sometimed only be a "lashing" eye for securing vehicle on a trailer or transporter.

I wouldnt like to "recover" a MKII using the towing eye on a spare wheel well even if shell was a rot free example

Better than what most find themselves doing, lashing rope around one of the rear springs, TBH I see no reason why the "continental" type eye won't work, don't forget the Germans don't allow just anything. It's got to have satisfied them technically not like back in the UK

where else would you put one? the back panel is a joke and the boot floor is no stronger than the rear boot floor