Description
The only foldable tow hook befitting an exotic supercar, precision machined from billet titanium, specifically for the McLaren platform. 25% lighter than the factory tow hook and much more stylish. 100% bolt-on and lifetime warranty. These are the same tow hooks found on our ABSOLUTE build packages.
CONTEXT
The factory McLaren tow hook was only meant to be used in the event of roadside recovery. For this reason, it has several shortcomings: it is heavy since it is made out of cast steel, it protrudes from the bodywork and may cause leg collisions when walking in close proximity, it does not fold out of the way when not in use, there is not a great place to store it in a McLaren cabin and it is an unsightly eyesore.
After recognizing there were no alternatives on the market, we knew we had to work on developing a quality solution from better and lighter materials…
DEVELOPMENT / ENGINEERING
We carefully measured the dimensions and thread profile of the factory McLaren tow hook as a basis for our design. Once we were satisfied with the blueprint, we designed our tow hook to fit inside of the same critical dimensions.
For the main thread shaft, we chose billet titanium since it is strong, light and corrosion resistant. We machined two flats on either side of the front for easy installation with a 16 mm wrench. The titanium shaft is actually composed of two separate pieces, with a threaded nose insert. The nose insert compensates for female thread variations in the factory bumper, which facilities precision angle clocking. In other words, it allows for perfect vertical orientation on any car.
The main eyelet shape was chosen for its combination of low-profile appearance and load strength. We deliberately avoided the large garish 2″ ring from other aftermarket tow hooks since they distract from the main body lines of an exotic. The oval shape had a low front profile and proved to be just as strong as a round tow hook. To be sure, we subjected our CAD models to FEA (Finite Element Analysis) for loads in excess of 4X what we expect to see for the car weight. Unlike others who test for just a straight pull (longitudinal load), we also tested for side pulls (lateral loads) since most tow points see some amount of abuse in the field. We added and removed material in key areas until it passed all of our testing criteria.
While a full titanium tow hook (mirror polished) is our preferred option, it does not leave much room for color options. While titanium is strong and light, it does not take well to a color plating. Since the market expects to have color options, we included an option for anodized billet aluminum eyelets. These eyelets have passed the same FEA analysis and introduce more color options, like red, silver and black. They also share the same titanium shaft construction as the full titanium version.
To connect the eyelet to the shaft, we machined a fully captured billet titanium bolt to ensure it met our quality and tight tolerance requirements. The strong clamping force of this bolt prevents the eyelet from moving with car vibration and wind force. Thus saving your paintwork from potential damage.
Moving forward, we decided we should also have an optional, color-matching, GoPro mount that should be removable, independent of the main tow hook.
PRODUCT RELEASE + FITMENT
The final product release looks loads better than the factory McLaren tow hook, 25% lighter and has obviously better fit and finish. We couldn’t be more proud on how this turned out. This tow hook fits all current McLaren models.
