"on the hook"

[cparsons]

If I had paid attention a few years ago at Roebling I would know the answer to this question. Those of you familiar with Roebling know what happens when you go too wide in turn 9 and don't fall off the track. Anyway, most of the car was brought back to the paddock on the hook, the rest was in the back of the tow truck. I was always taught that when lifting with a hook that the best practice was to wrap the "liftee" with the chain/cable and hook the hook to the chain/cable and not hook the "liftee" with the hook directly. Wrapping the main hoop with the chain/cable would require 360 degrees of access to the hoop (all the way around), hooking the main hoop with the hook would require only about 90 dregees of access. I am starting body work and would like to know the best practice, or the prefered method, used by our wonderful rescue workers. It's not too late to make slight modifications that would make their life easier, although I hope they never have to use it.
Oh, flat tow not an issue.

[Stan Clayton]

Another option is to use a "lift bar" like the Stohr WF-1 and the Swift 008/014 Formula Atlantics. A steel tube is inserted side-to-side through holes in the roll bar shroud and a short lift strap attached which clears the top of the shroud and which the hook grabs. The weight of the car is actually carried by the roll bar, not the composite shroud. I imagine nearly all Regions carry these on their tow trucks, as both the Swift FAs and WF-1s are common throughout the country. Stan

[formulasuper]

On my Ralt RT5 they just run a strap, not a chain thank you, under & through the 2 forward facing rollbar support braces. Haven't had to do this recently however, knock on wood.

[GregoryJ]

We use this for flat tows and lifting at the shop.

Regards,
GregoryJ

[VehDyn]

Stohr FBs and all FEs use the bar too.

[RussMcB]

Do tow truck drivers usually have a bar with them?

What is the ID or OD (in case I want to add a pipe to my car)?

[jerry freeman]

I was told in Memphis at the first of the year that all tow trucks are supposed to have the bar. They told me to put the tube on my car even though I had the legal hooks so they could pick the car up if they couldn't flat tow it. The bar they showed me was 3/4 O.D. and I needed at least a 7/8 I.D tube. I used a 1" chrome moly tube that has a 7/8 I.D. in it. You may still check those dimensions.

Jerry

[Matt Conrad]

We also outfitted our cars so a bar can be inserted through the roll hoop structure, but on the occasions when we needed to be towed the workers didn't have a bar. We should just make one up that will work with all the cars that run around here and give it to them.

I believe the FE cars have the bar stored somewhere in the cockpit.

Matt Conrad
Phoenix Race Works, LLC