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Tow Rings


adsm08

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Ok, so a series of poor decisions on the part of me and my wife today (along with 6 inches of new snow) led me to the discovery that there really is nowhere I can hook onto the Escape to pull it without doing damage, unless I remove the grille.

I was poking around and here is what I found as far as hooking up:



The actual structural piece that constitutes the bumper runs behind the chrome bar under the grille. I can get a strap around it and through the grille, but it puts too much stress on the grille when pulled. I can tell just by tugging it by hand that if I hooked up to a tow vehicle it WILL damage the grille.

Now, it is not hard to take the whole front bumper cover and grille off, if you can remove the wheels (so not while it is stuck in the snow). I do have enough room to drop a clevis ring back there so I have something real the grab the next time she gets stuck. I just have to watch how far is sticks out back, the convener is right there, about 1.5 inches away. I just want to know if there are any brands or suppliers that are preferred. Anything I need to stay away from.


I could hook on with a tow hook, but I am not a fan of hooks. I also know it is preferred to hook up to the frame, but the unfortunate fact of it is that the Escape just doesn't have one. The bumper is the most structural component available. Don't worry, I'm not this guy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEfnfOfbsi4


FWIW though, the Escape is grounded for the duration of this storm, and will be getting some better tires when the current ones wear out. In the mean time I will make her drive a real vehicle, something with low range, direct throttle input, and no traction control. The RBVs both walked right out of deeper stuff than the Escape got itself stuck in.
 


BRUTUS_T_HOG

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Just hook up to the tie rods like all the tow truck drivers around here.
 

racsan

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i refused to pull out a escape not long ago because of a lack of a front "hook up point", if it would have had a trailer hitch, i might have been able to pulled it out backwards. my mom's mazda had nothing on the front end of it to pull from either, and just a shipping tie down loop at the back end of the car. you almost have to plan very far in advance, cause when youve got a stuck vehicle, you cant find anywhere to hook up to when its deep in the snow...been a "real" winter here too for a change, got my moneys worth use of my lockout hubs!
 

Will

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It's a problem, but most new cars have a tow point the owners don't know about. It's a little round pop-out and there is a threaded ring in the tool kit in the spare.

The last 2 people I rescued I did with my body. I pushed a Fit and a Corolla back onto the road like they were the leg press at the gym.
 

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