Just had a practice at fitting the towing eye into the front of my Yeti. When driving my LR Defender in the snow I usually come across stranded cars that I sometimes offer to tow out of trouble, but its amazing how many of these drivers didn't know where their towing eye was kept, or how/where to fit it. I refused to look for them and often drove on...

 

Anyway, for a tow rope to attach to the towing eye it needs a D shackle attaching, but this has the possibility of swinging onto the bodywork and scratching it.

Anyone use a different method?

 

 

 

 

Edited 21 November, 20205 yr by Dale_Stevens

Would a Fixed Tow Snap Shackle give more clearance. https://www.amazon.co.uk/stainless-Stainless-Shackle-corrosion-resistant/dp/B08D8ZGT3B

 

Colin

Would a smaller 1.5T D shackle instead of a bow shackle not be better idea.  I would be throwing that bow shackle away anyway, especially if it doesn’t screw right in.

6 minutes ago, Kenny R said:

Would a smaller 1.5T D shackle instead of a bow shackle not be better idea.  I would be throwing that bow shackle away anyway, especially if it doesn’t screw right in.

 

It does screw all the way in, it was just one I picked out from a selection I have.

 

The tow rope i have is quite thick rope so needs a decent sized shackle. Maybe I need to change to a tow strap?

 

 

Edited 21 November, 20205 yr by Dale_Stevens

A rope with an eye in it or web sling you could choke through your towing eye and put the shackle on the other vehicle

The Towing Eye should be used with great care.

Recovery Points on a 4x4 Offroader are in pairs so that a bridle can be used.

 

Pulling a single Recovery point can cause damage and would not be for snatch recoveries.

Same with the rear recovery point, and care should be take if using the tow ball.

 

Use 'Soft Shackles' not Bow / D ones.

Very much bearing George's advice in mind and assuming all VAG towing eyes are the same 18mm thread it looks like one from a T5 or T6 caravelle is longer that the Yeti one:

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-T5-T6-T5-1-Towing-Eye-And-Tyre-Bar-Transporter-Caravelle/224235880579?hash=item3435800083:g:xQgAAOSwBxpfjIjF

 

There are also extensions available (at a price, mind you!):

 

https://travelinlite-transporters.co.uk/products/t5-t5-1-t6-towing-eye-extension-for-sportline-lower-spoiler

 

The couple of times I used mine at the front I managed to fit my strap through the eye. 

Why do you want to tow a vehicle out of trouble using the front towing eye?

 

If things went very pear shaped I would rather have a headrest between me and the ballistic rope/strap & shackle.

 

Having rebuilt a front end on a Yeti I can confirm that the towing eye threaded socket is in the longeron of the front crash beam, directly in line with the chassis rail, if snatch towed the beam would be the sacrificial weak link but be warned, a very minor impact in the other direction what did not even damage the plastic bumper or foam infill was enough to trigger the airbag module, deploying 3 airbags & the seatbelt pretensioners, rupturing the dashboard and writing the vehicle off.

 

I am pretty sure the rear threaded socket is in the same crash beam but that has been removed to make way for the towbracket on my vehicle.

11 minutes ago, J.R. said:

Why do you want to tow a vehicle out of trouble using the front towing eye?

 

I wouldn't be towing with the front towing eye that would just be for if I was being towed.

I'm wanting to be able to attach a tow rope to the Yeti for incase I have to be towed out of an icy patch of road, or to tow someone else out of such a situation.

I wouldn't want to tow (or be towed) for any distance, just for a short distance to get out of bother.

I think a 4m rope with snap hook fittings should be ok. I just ned to ensure the snap hook is the correct size to actually fit onto the thickness of the towing eye.

Edited 21 November, 20205 yr by Dale_Stevens

This Recall Action or Service Campaign on Towing Eyes for Citigos was and is pathetic.

It should be a proper 'Recall' with all Registered Keepers contacted and not just some finding out.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/466169-towing-eye-recall

 

The Yeti's towing eyes are no stronger than a Golf or Octavia so definitely no snatch recovery.

 

I've tended to use the towbar to pull people out but again no snatch recovery.

I doubt that any of us would try to snatch recover someone else using a towing eye but if we are being towed or pulled out by an inexperienced person it can happen nonetheless.

 

That said the towing eye (unless its one of the recalled ones) and the attachment point are immensely strong and at worst will result in damage to a £65 replaceable crash beam.

 

VAG must have been really dedicated to scraping the bottom of the barrel to have had to recall the forged towing eyes because of bad welding.

I wouldn't get involved in any snatch recoveries, too much risk of damage. If someone is stuck to the point they need a snatch recovery then I'd tell the to ring their breakdown recovery company. I don't see towbars as being suitable for that, they are designed to pull a free moving trailer, not a stationary object that is well and truly stuck.

Agreed, towbars are absolutely not suited especially the modern type that have a huge cantilever to avoid cutting a hole in the rear bumper, this is what can happen when a normal load is simply applied in a different direction

 

The towbar could be so strong but for the stupid "up & under", it also rotates around the two bolts that hold the extension to the crossbeam and comes loose, I was going to bush & ream the boltholes this week but I might re-engineer it completely to make it as strong as it should be, problem being the cut out already made at the bottom of the bumper infill panel.

 

Overall I think it will be worth it, my proper fabrication machinery & equipment are in the UK though.

Edited 22 November, 20205 yr by J.R.

The more I think about it I would be better off using the rear crash beam that was removed as the basis for the new towbracket, it has far stronger fixings to the chassis, the manufacturers ones for the towbar steel plates rely on the fasteners being tightened to death and the washers being crushed to prevent the fasteners flopping around like a ***** in a bucket, they shake loose when towing a loaded close coupled 4 wheel trailer.

 

The beam will probably need re-inforcing but it will protect the rear of the car far better than the towbar does and I will get back the towing eye socket it ever I need to snatch tow anyone

44 minutes ago, J.R. said:

The more I think about it I would be better off using the rear crash beam that was removed as the basis for the new towbracket, it has far stronger fixings to the chassis, the manufacturers ones for the towbar steel plates rely on the fasteners being tightened to death and the washers being crushed to prevent the fasteners flopping around like a ***** in a bucket, they shake loose when towing a loaded close coupled 4 wheel trailer.

 

The beam will probably need re-inforcing but it will protect the rear of the car far better than the towbar does and I will get back the towing eye socket it ever I need to snatch tow anyone

 

Still got a spare beam in my garage.

Me too, I bet there are hundreds of them!!!

 

I went into the loft of my hôtel yesterday and found 3 rear seat headrests carefully wrapped in plastic bags, I think they were from my MK1 Octavia, may even have been the MK2.