Towing problem

[bwing]

A friend of mine had to have his '04 Corvette flatbedded today and wound up with front end damage while having his car winched up. :ugh The car, being low to the ground, has not enough clearance (and no tow hook) for it to be winched onto a flatbed without sustaining damage to the underside of the front end. In addition to the scratches underneath the front bumper, the chain also damaged the rubber air dam. We couldn't even find a tow hook at the rear end of the car.

Tomorrow I'm ordering front and rear tow hooks. I found some made by Pfadt but does anyone else have any suggestions how to properly winch a Corvette onto a flatbed?

 

[hotshotzny]

A friend of mine had to have his '04 Corvette flatbedded today and wound up with front end damage while having his car winched up. :ugh The car, being low to the ground, has not enough clearance (and no tow hook) for it to be winched onto a flatbed without sustaining damage to the underside of the front end. In addition to the scratches underneath the front bumper, the chain also damaged the rubber air dam. We couldn't even find a tow hook at the rear end of the car.

Tomorrow I'm ordering front and rear tow hooks. I found some made by Pfadt but does anyone else have any suggestions how to properly winch a Corvette onto a flatbed?

a towing company i know of carries additional ramps if they know the car they are going to be picking up is low profile the front still drags on some of them depending on the car but no where near as much as i have seen without them.. i have seen front spoilers ripped right off when they are unloaded. i also saw them doing the same thing at a ferrari dealership.

i wonder if you could wheel lift one without hurting anything

 

[gmjunkie]

a towing company i know of carries additional ramps if they know the car they are going to be picking up is low profile the front still drags on some of them depending on the car but no where near as much as i have seen without them.. i have seen front spoilers ripped right off when they are unloaded. i also saw them doing the same thing at a ferrari dealership.

i wonder if you could wheel lift one without hurting anything

I hual them all the time without a Scratch!!The problem with Tow drivers is "They Don't give a Fock",it ain't there car and they don't really care!!!Yep,I've even got "AIR Ride" for me and every kind of hook needed on board to get the job done without ANY Damage to any vehicle!!

 

[vett boy]

Junkies right ,thats my NEW vett he hualed from Peoria Ill to Old Fort NC .He went thru rain ,snow ,swamp ,desert ,mountains and 200 mph winds .Not a scratch

 

[Patrick]

Junkies right ,thats my NEW vett he hualed from Peoria Ill to Old Fort NC .He went thru rain ,snow ,swamp ,desert ,mountains and 200 mph winds .Not a scratch

There are mountains between Illinois and North Carolina? I thought there were some foothills euphamistically called "The Appalachians" by folks who'd never gone west to see the Rockies.

 

[bwing]

I hual them all the time without a Scratch!!The problem with Tow drivers is "They Don't give a Fock",it ain't there car and they don't really care!!!Yep,I've even got "AIR Ride" for me and every kind of hook needed on board to get the job done without ANY Damage to any vehicle!!

junk,

You're going to have to give a few lessons to the idiot out here in Calif on how to tow Corvette's. The car being towed is lowered on stock bolts and did not have any flat tires, it just wouldn't run. Scratches underneath the front bumper and the center and left front corner air dams were ruined. The tow driver said there wasn't anything he could go because the car was so low. My buddy is now considering small claims court after he repairs the damage.

 

[bwing]

Junkies right ,thats my NEW vett he hualed from Peoria Ill to Old Fort NC .He went thru rain ,snow ,swamp ,desert ,mountains and 200 mph winds .Not a scratch

I can see the rain but the desert, mountains and 200 mph winds?

 

[Jistari]

I had thought about using the crest of a hill to offload (as seen in the last pic), not sure if thats gonna work on the loading if the car cant be driven or there is no hill around.

GM, where do YOU hook up under the car to pull it up on a flatbed? Can you point to it in a pic? Cuz Im gonna be standing there watching the guy like a hawk, Id like to know the best place ahead of time.

And I see you pull it up front first, I had heard its easier rear first, but I guess you run into the problem with the low front either way, when loading front first and when offloading rear first.

With the amount of trouble involved even using a flatbed with a C5 I cant imagine the logic guys employ when they switch from runflats and say "I always have my cell and AAA card". I'm dreading the day I have to have it towed.

Is this problem overstated? What are the chances a regular flatbed with a normaly proficient driver is gonna be able to load/unload my car without damage?

 

[hotshotzny]

i can see how that type of flat bed works and doesnt cause any damage... i dont know of a single towing company with a truck like that around here (or anywhere for that matter) the type im refering to have a much longer bed, the vehicle in tow sits flat during the ride and the truck itself sits much higher and in defense of the tow truck driver (at least the one i am friends with) he is very cautious when he can be and trys very hard not to damage a vehicle any more than it already is but with his type of truck the incline is much steeper and a lot of cars drag. but you are right.. most just dont give a ....

 

[gmjunkie]

I had thought about using the crest of a hill to offload (as seen in the last pic), not sure if thats gonna work on the loading if the car cant be driven or there is no hill around.

I have a set of short step ramps about 2 1/2 ft long that I back the front of the truck up on to lower the rear enough not to scrape the air dam pulling the car on!! But I will take advantage of a incline if there is one handy!

GM, where do YOU hook up under the car to pull it up on a flatbed? Can you point to it in a pic? Cuz Im gonna be standing there watching the guy like a hawk, Id like to know the best place ahead of time.

I have tie hooks that hook in to the reinforced frame holes right under the passenger compartment,there are 2 on each side!! I'll see if I can find a photo!!

And I see you pull it up front first, I had heard its easier rear first, but I guess you run into the problem with the low front either way, when loading front first and when offloading rear first.

I want the weight more to the middle of the truck and not on the dove tail!!

With the amount of trouble involved even using a flatbed with a C5 I cant imagine the logic guys employ when they switch from runflats and say "I always have my cell and AAA card". I'm dreading the day I have to have it towed.

I'm 1 of them!!44,000 miles and not 1 flat,thats allot more than I can say for the run flats!!

Is this problem overstated? What are the chances a regular flatbed with a normaly proficient driver is gonna be able to load/unload my car without damage?

There are people that do it all the time and are good at it,know what they can do with there equipment and take pride in hauling other peoples vehicles without damaging them!! But most are just duds and don't care if they damage your vehicle or not!!!!

 

[RAYinCA.]

I hual them all the time without a Scratch!!The problem with Tow drivers is "They Don't give a Fock",it ain't there car and they don't really care!!!Yep,I've even got "AIR Ride" for me and every kind of hook needed on board to get the job done without ANY Damage to any vehicle!!

junk,

You're going to have to give a few lessons to the idiot out here in Calif on how to tow Corvette's. The car being towed is lowered on stock bolts and did not have any flat tires, it just wouldn't run. Scratches underneath the front bumper and the center and left front corner air dams were ruined. The tow driver said there wasn't anything he could go because the car was so low. My buddy is now considering small claims court after he repairs the damage.

Please allow me to add the letter (S) to idiot(S) out here in Calif. . Some tow companies are more concerned about their cost and extremely unconcerned about what they tow or who they hire.. I experienced an extreme fool as he tore up the front of my car.. I called Triple A to complain and was advised to call the tow company, I went there to show the damage, The one in charge said his driver damaged several cars and was fired..... He blamed his other drivers as they told him he's good to go.. He apologized and say it would be taken care of.. Its extremely ridiculous ad for everyone involved.. All for someone to save a few dollars by hiring inexperienced people.

 

[Jistari]

Thank you GM

Appreciate the insight. Didnt know they could use the tie down slots (where we lift the car from ) to pull it up. Well at least that part will go right when/if I have to.

DOH ! didnt know you were of the "I have my cell and AAA card crowd". Damn, talk about putting my foot in it

Thanks guy.

 

[jrose7004]

They used wood boards on mine when they put the 98 on a flatbed back in the column lock days. They used a roll back.

 

[gmjunkie]

I can see the rain but the desert, mountains and 200 mph winds?

1. Actually, that was Freezing Rain and Snow starting just north of the KY/TN line!!
2. I see you've never been through Copper Hill !!
3. The Pigeon River Gorge is never a bunch of fun in a truck with all the crazies,try it with 1/2 inch freezing rain with a little snow on top of it and then get a Big Blast of Wind broadside pushing you sideways down hill on a 7% grade with someone else's New $50,000 + Corvette on board!!!hnoeshnoeshnoes
It'll sure raise the Pucker Factor!!!

 

[vett boy]

Tell 'em about the attack of the talaban Junk .I love that part how you and Max fought 'em off .

 

[bwing]

I just installed front and rear tow hooks by Pfadt. The rear hook was an easy install. The front had to have holes drilled. Now, if a tow is needed, they won't have to hook a chain to the lower front and mess up the air dam or bumper. Same goes for the rear.