New replica tow hooks!

[B. W.]

New 69-71 tow hooks on e-bay. Close copies of the originals, the curves aren't quite right. (Not mine)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1967-1972-C...FaZCNI&vxp=mtr

[Jcfcamaro]

Still too high!!! Maybe when they start making them out of plastic I might be able to afford a set. Lol

[57taskforce]

420 for hooks that are cast iron... the originals are forged if I’m not mistaken. Maybe for 100, certainly not 400.

[special-K]

Those ought to be $40. I hope they don't sell any. That is ridiculous. Whoever is selling them doesn't even know there are 60-68 tow hooks and 69-72.

[LockDoc]

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I hope his liability insurance is paid up in case someone actually tries to use them as intended.....

LockDoc

[special-K]

They better be stronger than the originals for $400

[Grumpy old man]

Let's see ... "new reproduction" tow hooks listed by an ebay seller whose main items for sale are COMIC BOOKS ! Are they being made in his basement while Mom is upstairs making meatloaf ?

REALLY ? I think from now on I'll be calling these the "FUNNY HOOKS" !

[demian5]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

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I hope his liability insurance is paid up in case someone actually tries to use them as intended.....

LockDoc

All he need to do is add a disclaimer "for decorative purposes only and not intended to be used for towing, pulling or connecting to any implement to be used for towing or pulling"

[B. W.]

Yep, I agree with the disclaimer. Cast iron...really?! At least they'll be easy to spot if some do get out - they'll be the broken ones!

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by demian5

All he need to do is add a disclaimer "for decorative purposes only and not intended to be used for towing, pulling or connecting to any implement to be used for towing or pulling"

In 5 languages....

LockDoc

[davepl]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

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I hope his liability insurance is paid up in case someone actually tries to use them as intended.....

LockDoc

I wouldn't trust them but good luck going after "EBAY SELLER MRJ67" when it all goes bad :-)

[dennislbrooks]

As I understand, GM tested their hooks by picking up the vehicle...... The cast iron ones may/may not do this but I wonder how they handle an impact.

If not cast steel, I wonder if maleable iron would have been a better choice.

Curt tow hooks are forged heat treated steel.

Price is too high for even consideration.

[hewittca]

That's some insane pricing for those. I never understood the craze over tow hooks. Maybe it's like the same situation with original dog dish caps but even there the prices are crazy. If only all those custom wheel guys from more than a decade ago knew that they were throwing away pure gold when they tossed their stock caps!

[CaptRMW]

Putting grade 8 bolts on cast iron hooks is like putting a $5000.00 saddle on a $10.00 horse.

[harpo231]

As I understand, GM tested their hooks by picking up the vehicle...... The cast iron ones may/may not do this but I wonder how they handle an impact.


Actually cast has as high or higher impact strength but forged is def better in all other areas

[dennislbrooks]

Maybe they should have hooked up Alibaba and had China make them in cast heat treated steel.


Cast iron can be tough stuff. I just wonder what the real comparison is before I call something junk. Any metal engineers on here?

This all has been kicked to death before --- most figure the frame would tear before the hooks/bolts would give on oem.

But $400 ...... wow.

[harpo231]

35 yrs in metal fab business

forged is stronger in every way except compression strength.

[Coley]

Coming from an mechanical engineering background...there is no way on this earth I would use cast stuff for any application that resembles towing, supporting or lifting...ever.

Casting is a pretty cheap way to achieve 'shape' in high volumes of manufacturing...fair enough for parts that have no targeted safety angle to them, like moldings, emblems, transmission case, engine blocks, etc.

Forging, which is the only way to go to combine strength and 'toughness', but is much more difficult and expensive due to the tooling and operational process to achieve a forged product.

He would have been better off to have these out of rubber or plastic...which would immediately bend of break away with an applied load....thus saving any event damage or injury.

Yikes....I just can't imagine what some people are thinking about sometimes.

Hopefully, he doesn't get into the scaffolding or crane/lift business....lol.

Adios to that idea......really, irresponsible.:
Remember as far as legal elements go in these circumstances....'You can't warn away stupidity, you have to account for it'....

(side note:....I get the same chills when I see a guy working under his truck with the frame or (yikes) axles supported on cindercrete blocks......all of this, without a full floor jack supporting the truck. That is a complete recipe for disaster, injury or death. Never do this guys.....use axle stands or wooden blocks 6x6, etc....NO cindercrete blocks)

My two bits.
Coley

[dennislbrooks]

Ok - you both qualify --- how much stonger in each way? 100% stonger? I just like numbers.

There is a guy on another thread trying/going to cut/make a pair of hooks from probably 1 " plate steel. Then grind a rounded look like oem. That is tough stuff. He could surface treat them if he can get them hot enough. Wonder how they would compare to forged heat treated.... 50%? 75%? Dunno

I know the forged heat treated steel is better. GM will not even give ratings on their hooks.

[leddzepp]

They are just decoration, nobody really uses them anymore. Funny to see everyone get so worked up over it

[harpo231]

Forged parts had a 26% higher tensile strength

Cast iron only has 66% of the yield strength of forged

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by leddzepp

They are just decoration, nobody really uses them anymore. Funny to see everyone get so worked up over it

I used the ones on my '72 C30 a week or two ago. I had to pull the '93 Chevy PU backwards so I could get to it to work on it. I had to put a new fuel pump in it. Mine worked great.

LockDoc

[leddzepp]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

I used the ones on my '72 C30 a week or two ago. I had to pull the '93 Chevy PU backwards so I could get to it to work on it. I had to put a new fuel pump in it. Mine worked great.

LockDoc

Yeah, now everyone is going to say they use them all the time

MOST are used for decoration...

[dennislbrooks]

Haha, I do not think we are after an argument. But let's say GM builds them to twice capacity as needed -- even tho they will not say publicly. 66% may not look out of line to some.

I have worked on a plow crew, line crew, and coal miner. I have never seen a hook break -- tow or line - probably someone has. I have seen compression sleeves and cables break. Hooks were all probably steel. The pull loads sometimes exceeded the equipment weight --like a dozer stuck in mud with a teco cable plow 40" in the ground ---look out and go hide.


Agree most are for decoration now. I would use both my oem hooks for a pull just because I do not want to damage the frame.

So $400 ---wow -- $200 may be more in line --dunno.

[Stocker]

Originally Posted by leddzepp

They are just decoration, nobody really uses them anymore. Funny to see everyone get so worked up over it

Not worked up in the least. I use my cheap aftermarket hooks nearly every time I go woodcutting, which is several times a year. I have put as much strain on them as the K20 can manage, and have yet to bend or break one. Hooks are not all just for show.