A tow strap is available as an option as well. The strap is made of polyester webbing instead of the more common nylon. Polyester resists stretching and has 2x the UV resistance of nylon making it ideal for outdoor use. The tow strap can take a 4500 lb straight-pull load which has been verified by physical destructive testing.
So we were thinking that the smooth contours and stress-reducing design features of the Raceseng tow hook were the result of FEA (finite element analysis) optimization and we were right. Raceseng uses FEA in their design process to eliminate stress hot spots and to and or subtract material to make the tow hook as strong as possible without being excessively heavy. Raceseng also does physical destructive lab testing to verify their designs.
Raceseng has an optional CNC machined spanner to help make the installation without damaging the finish easier.
Some really cool accessories are available for the Raceseng tow hook. One of them is a license plate holder which we didn’t evaluate, the other is two different Go-Pro camera mounts. This was an interest to Christa as her suction cup windshield mount failed repeatedly. One time it caused her camera to fly out the side window at the track. Fortunately, it was recovered without damage but that was sheer luck.
The first mount is the Tugless View. It replaces the tow hook with a Go-Pro mount. The main advantage to the Tugless View is it lets you mount the Go Pro as close to the bumper as possible.
2 comments
I purchased this for my 350Z based on your review… and you were right – its just as good/high quality as you said it would be! Thanks!
-Mogofastdontdie (IG)
I have been a nationally licensed SCCA Course Marshall since 1997. I have towed a lot of cars off the track since then. We do not encourage drivers to use the threaded hole the bumper for the tow eye. That screw in may be barely OK for getting a dead car onto a roll back, but we have found that the metal behind those threads isn’t normally strong enough to hold up to a pull half way around a road course with the driver dragging the brakes to keep the rope tight. We have seen more than a few be ripped out of the bumper. And not because we try to brutalize dead race cars. Quite the opposite.
We recommend that the tow eye be firmly bolted to the main frame of the car. The same goes for a mesh style rig made from a recovery strap. SCCA rules demand that a 2 inch ID eye be fitted front and back but little is said about “how” to mount said tow eye. The little hole in the bumper cover is quick and convenient but this is a safety issue for both the driver of the race car and the people in the recovery vehicle. Attach your tow eye onto the strongest frame you can find.