Tow eye on westy

[Chriscooper1]

Does anyone no where to get and how to fit front and rear tow eyes onto a westy, is it a big job?? Main reason is just incase of recovery on track days.

Thanks in advance.

[D7PNY]

Not that I've ever needed it thankfully (touch wood!) but I had a 'tow' sticker on my roll bar on my old westy and will be adding one to the before taking it out on track. Anywhere else risks damaging bodywork/chassis in my opinion.Tow eyes are ok but anything other than pulling straight on is likely to cause damage.

Whichever way you are facing (other than upside down!) roll cage/bar is accessible.

Cheers,

Dave

[lloydox]

It's been discussed before 

 

here's the link 

 

http://forum.wscc.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic/90702-towing-eye/?hl=towing+eye

 

hope this helps 

 

Have seen another way but can't find the link.

 

It wraps round the back of the front lower chassis section and bolts up using the 2 m6 bolts that hold the extension for the nosecone 

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Aye, Cleggy's solution is simply the best I've ever seen! Though rather complicated to do   

 

Mark's (Smokey Mow's) is probably the next best, and certainly vastly easier to fit.

 

That said, many owners have been towed out, on track, by the roll bar/cage method with few issues, so I wouldn't panic...

[Mark (smokey mow)]

This was mine

[benedwards64]

Interesting comments around towing from the roll-bar - I have a friend who works for a track day company and when I bought the Westy he advised me this:

 

 

Serious words of caution:

If you ever need to get it towed, DO NOT do it from the roll bar.

Also make sure the key is IN the ignition.

 

I've seen it a couple of times where a Westy has gone over on its roof under tow because it's been towed from the bar. On one occasion at Rockingham the driver also left his keys out and the steering locked one direction when the tow truck was going the other. It didn't end well.

 

[CrisisWolf]

Think its the steering lock thats the issue but good point to remember!

[Rhett Turner - Black Country AO]

the sound like they may have been towed without a driver, if so then I could imagine using the roll bar would be an issue.

 

I think the track cars do get a tow point at the front. I remember asking why there was a cut out on the battery tray (when the battery goes low down in front of the engine) and being told it was a standard part and the race cars have a tow point that road cars don't.

[TableLeg]

I think both Marks and Pete's are an excellent solution.

 

I wondered if a slight tweak to both would make it even more effective. How about if the flat section like on Marks above returned forwards again over the top of the chassis rail and then was secured with a spacer to the bottom of the same plate as per Petes. This could then be slipped over the front chassis member and secured.

 

Having a design cut from Steel would be easy, powder coating would be easy too. It would just be getting the double bend.

 

Any thoughts?

 

I have had a number of steel parts laser cut locally and also powder coated.

[Tim Reid]

My concern with something like this is that you are removing a crumple zone (not a zone by design but luck).

Currently a light front impact would damage the nose and rad. Adding a toe loop extends to chassis and so even light impact would be directly transfered.

This is just my uneducated view.

[Mark (smokey mow)]

My concern with something like this is that you are removing a crumple zone (not a zone by design but luck).

Currently a light front impact would damage the nose and rad. Adding a toe loop extends to chassis and so even light impact would be directly transfered.

This is just my uneducated view.

mine stops well short of the front of the nose. You'd have destroyed the nose, fan and radiator on my car before the tow eye makes contact.