Jump to content


Photo

Vx220 Tow Eye


  • Please log in to reply
39 replies to this topic

#1 gaffer1986

gaffer1986

    Scary Internerd

  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 4,408 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Colchester

Posted 16 September 2015 - 07:43 PM

I'm preparing my car for some winter track days. When I checked my towing eye I noticed it was bent :( on further investigation I have come across numerous posts - some quite old - where people have run into trouble with the front towing eye. Apparently they're not up to the job.

 

Can anyone recommend a cheap fix? One way round it on an older post was to fit these, are they recommended or is there an easier way?

 

http://www.elisepart...ear-towing-eye/



#2 Sutol

Sutol

    Well it's nearly a Lotus

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 8,122 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Billingshurst, West Sussex

Posted 17 September 2015 - 07:13 AM

get one of these as well

 

http://www.elisepart...ont-towing-eye/

 



#3 Samwise

Samwise

    Super Member

  • PipPip
  • 426 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Brighton & Hove
  • Interests:Track Days, Gaming, Building computers, Snowboarding! & Music

Posted 17 September 2015 - 07:30 AM

Most TDO's prefer you to have a front tow eye at the least



#4 Sutol

Sutol

    Well it's nearly a Lotus

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 8,122 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Billingshurst, West Sussex

Posted 17 September 2015 - 08:00 AM

Most TDO's prefer you to have a front tow eye at the least

Quite right, but at Goodwood they say leave them out until needed because in the event of front end damage the TE on our cars is the first thing to get mangled. This seems sensible to me.



#5 chris_uk

chris_uk

    I Fancy Joe

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 10,062 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Leeds UK

Posted 17 September 2015 - 09:20 AM

Yup, mine got mangled.

Posted Image

After ages of trying to find a replacement i gave up and bought a stsinless steel one from eliseparts.

Any.. You should have both because if you plough headfirst into a tyre wall having the toweye in or out aint going to make a difference as its going to be unusable.

#6 gaffer1986

gaffer1986

    Scary Internerd

  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 4,408 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Colchester

Posted 17 September 2015 - 09:53 AM

Yup, mine got mangled.

Posted Image

After ages of trying to find a replacement i gave up and bought a stsinless steel one from eliseparts.

Any.. You should have both because if you plough headfirst into a tyre wall having the toweye in or out aint going to make a difference as its going to be unusable.

 

Good point about having both, yours looks different to mine:

 

Posted Image20150917_102331 by Richard Fanders, on Flickr



#7 gaffer1986

gaffer1986

    Scary Internerd

  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 4,408 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Colchester

Posted 17 September 2015 - 09:55 AM

 

Most TDO's prefer you to have a front tow eye at the least

Quite right, but at Goodwood they say leave them out until needed because in the event of front end damage the TE on our cars is the first thing to get mangled. This seems sensible to me.

 

 

 

I agree with you, it seems silly but I suppose you don't always impact forwards first. Either way I really don't want to impact anything :)



#8 gaffer1986

gaffer1986

    Scary Internerd

  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 4,408 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Colchester

Posted 17 September 2015 - 09:56 AM

get one of these as well

 

http://www.elisepart...ont-towing-eye/

 

 

Awesome, does that fit the standard toe eye thread?



#9 gaffer1986

gaffer1986

    Scary Internerd

  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 4,408 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Colchester

Posted 17 September 2015 - 10:01 AM

Would I need to drill a hole to fit one of these or is there a special place already?

 

http://www.vx220part...ear-towing-eye/



#10 Sutol

Sutol

    Well it's nearly a Lotus

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 8,122 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Billingshurst, West Sussex

Posted 17 September 2015 - 10:07 AM

 

get one of these as well

 

http://www.elisepart...ont-towing-eye/

 

 

Awesome, does that fit the standard toe eye thread?

 

Yes it does

 

Would I need to drill a hole to fit one of these or is there a special place already?

 

http://www.vx220part...ear-towing-eye/

No, you just use one of the large bolts that hold your undertray on.



#11 chris_uk

chris_uk

    I Fancy Joe

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 10,062 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Leeds UK

Posted 17 September 2015 - 10:11 AM


Yup, mine got mangled.

Posted Image

After ages of trying to find a replacement i gave up and bought a stsinless steel one from eliseparts.

Any.. You should have both because if you plough headfirst into a tyre wall having the toweye in or out aint going to make a difference as its going to be unusable.

 
Good point about having both, yours looks different to mine:
 
Posted Image20150917_102331 by Richard Fanders, on Flickr
Mine did look like that, i chopped it and re-threaded it so i could but it right up to stop it bending.

#12 gaffer1986

gaffer1986

    Scary Internerd

  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 4,408 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Colchester

Posted 17 September 2015 - 10:28 AM

That sounds like an easy enough job that I could tackle, glad to hear the tow eye fits without modification.

 

Do you mean these bolts on the under tray, I don't want to get the wrong one:

 

Posted Imageundertray by Richard Fanders, on Flickr



#13 Sutol

Sutol

    Well it's nearly a Lotus

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 8,122 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Billingshurst, West Sussex

Posted 17 September 2015 - 11:29 AM

dems the ones



#14 mbes2

mbes2

    Someone say Plasti Dip?

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 8,516 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Feering, Essex
  • Interests:"Keep it standard"
    "Yes, I built it"

Posted 17 September 2015 - 01:15 PM

Did you set your undertray on fire due to stress working on the vx?

#15 Ormes

Ormes

    Scary Internerd

  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 4,612 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Corsham (nr. Chippenham)

Posted 17 September 2015 - 02:51 PM

That sounds like an easy enough job that I could tackle, glad to hear the tow eye fits without modification.
 
Do you mean these bolts on the under tray, I don't want to get the wrong one:
 
Posted Imageundertray by Richard Fanders, on Flickr

You use the cap heads on the diffuser and not the main tray.

#16 gaffer1986

gaffer1986

    Scary Internerd

  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 4,408 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Colchester

Posted 17 September 2015 - 05:55 PM

Did you set your undertray on fire due to stress working on the vx?

 

No, that's just a picture I found on google images.



#17 gaffer1986

gaffer1986

    Scary Internerd

  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 4,408 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Colchester

Posted 17 September 2015 - 05:57 PM

You use the cap heads on the diffuser and not the main tray.

 

 

Do you mean these ones Ormes?

 

Posted Imagediffuser by Richard Fanders, on Flickr



#18 smiley

smiley

    Thetan level 15

  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 10,427 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Netherlands

Posted 17 September 2015 - 06:20 PM

Posted Image



#19 Ormes

Ormes

    Scary Internerd

  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 4,612 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Corsham (nr. Chippenham)

Posted 17 September 2015 - 06:22 PM

Yes that's right... bolts straight into the sub frame, which is also a jacking point.  This is where the elise tow hook is meant to fit to the equivalent place on an elise.  You will need a spacer (or washers) to prevent it fouling on the diffuser.



#20 Ormes

Ormes

    Scary Internerd

  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 4,612 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Corsham (nr. Chippenham)

Posted 17 September 2015 - 06:24 PM

 



You use the cap heads on the diffuser and not the main tray.

 

 

Do you mean these ones Ormes?

 

diffuser by Richard Fanders, on Flickr

 

 

 

Posted Image

 

 

Yes that's right... bolts straight into the sub frame, which is also a jacking point.  This is where the elise tow hook is meant to fit to the equivalent place on an elise.  You will need a spacer (or washers) to prevent it fouling on the diffuser.

That's my car :lol: thumbsup






1 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users