How to tow out a car with only front tow hooks?

[fuzzybabybunny]

My dad parked the 2001 Chevy Prizm a bit too far off the driveway, so the front tires are in the grass and have no traction in the snow. We have a Subaru Forester and was going to use that to hook a tow rope to the Chevy's rear tow hook, but it doesn't have one.

He tried putting stuff under the front tires. Doesn't work. There's no footing for me to push the car as he backs out. A rear toe hook would be really nice right now...

 

[speedy2]

Get under the car. There has to be something you can pull. If you're unsure, don't hook to it though!!!

 

[BurnItDwn]

If it's a Chevy Prism you can probably just push it by hand, no?

 

[KK]

Not like this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDjmylmXxew

 

[Throckmorton]

Don't hook to anything that's not a hook.

Try putting floor mats under the tires. If the car's floor mats aren't knobbly, use door mats.

 

[jlee]

There's no loops or anything back there? Hmm. I'd look at my sister's car but it's 3 hours away..

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Probably with a cross member or suspension component. Just be gentle.

 

[jlee]

Look for slotted brackets bolted to the rear frame rails.

 

[JCH13]

Could you get a long tow strap, run it under the car, and connect to the front loop(s)? Or just do the rock-n-push with some sand under the tires...

Better yet, just find someone with an STi.

 

[Kaervak]

If you're careful enough you could possibly attach to the rear suspension and pull it out that way. Go for something solid like a crossmember. Of course, I'm just guessing and could be giving advice that could cause horrible disaster.

 

[Zargon]

if it has a solid rear axle, use that.

 

[ShawnD1]

if it has a solid rear axle, use that.

probably not a good idea. FWD cars have little tiny rear axles - because it doesn't usually have anything pulling on it.

Stuff like this is probably why I should get a trailer hitch on my car. I can't tow anything, but I could theoretically be pulled out of the snow by the hitch if it came to that.

 

[Throckmorton]

No reply for 7 hours. He's probably dead.

 

[ShawnD1]

No reply for 7 hours. He's probably dead.

Hey what if instead of dicking with it, use a hair dryer to melt the snow around the car? It would probably take less than 7 hours and he would be free by now. Electricity would be like $1, and that's if you ran the hair dryer for several hours.
Could also try a "heat gun" which is like a hair dryer but it blows a smaller volume of hotter air.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

We pulled it out. There were no holes big enough along the frame of the car, no hooks, and there was no easily accessible cross beam to wrap the rope around. What we ended up doing is opening both back doors, and looping the tow rope though the entire rear seat and attaching both ends of the tow rope to attachment points on my friend's Jeep.

 

[thescreensavers]

^ lol that will do it

 

[Rifter]

I would use a recovery strap through either the wheels or the whole car like you did. A strap would cause less possible damamge to the interior than a rope. I also have access to a fleet of tow truck though.

 

[JCH13]

We pulled it out. There were no holes big enough along the frame of the car, no hooks, and there was no easily accessible cross beam to wrap the rope around. What we ended up doing is opening both back doors, and looping the tow rope though the entire rear seat and attaching both ends of the tow rope to attachment points on my friend's Jeep.

:awe:

 

[PlasmaBomb]

Not like this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDjmylmXxew

... it's always a good idea not to clear the snow away and just pull the car further into the drift...

 

[PlasmaBomb]

We pulled it out. There were no holes big enough along the frame of the car, no hooks, and there was no easily accessible cross beam to wrap the rope around. What we ended up doing is opening both back doors, and looping the tow rope though the entire rear seat and attaching both ends of the tow rope to attachment points on my friend's Jeep.

Good job FBB!

 

[simonizor]

We pulled it out. There were no holes big enough along the frame of the car, no hooks, and there was no easily accessible cross beam to wrap the rope around. What we ended up doing is opening both back doors, and looping the tow rope though the entire rear seat and attaching both ends of the tow rope to attachment points on my friend's Jeep.

Not a terrible idea. GJ lol

 

[Throckmorton]

That was a pretty clever method... I'll have to remember that.