Tow Hook

[Snowboy]

I had to tow a mate the other day in his Focus.
We got the tow hook from the boot and popped the cover off the tow point under the bumper and tried to fit it.
The tow hook wouldn't screw in until we realised it was reverse threaded.

My questions are;
Are all tow hooks reverse threaded?
Why?

[littleredrooster]

Snowboy said:

My questions are;
Are all tow hooks reverse threaded?
Why?

1. About 50/50 split, IME
2. I have no idea, but it is very counter-intuitive to start turning the thing the 'wrong' way when in a hurry.

[BL Fanboy]

Just thinking, are the rear ones reverse threaded and the front ones normal threaded?

That way, the front car and rear cars towing eyes would be working in tandem so you'd get twice the thread if they were to undo, or going the other way, they would act to tighten each other up?

Dunno?

[BL Fanboy]

Doh, you'd need two towing eyes in the spare wheel well!

Going to have to stop thinking lol!

[V8RX7]

For safety reasons...

Because if you aren't bright enough to figure it out, you aren't bright enough to tow.

[grumpy]

Left hand thread.

[Snowboy]

grumpy said:

Left hand thread.

But my cars right hand drive!
Do they think I'm ambidextrous?

[grumpy]

Ah, reverse hand drive.

[S1_RS]

I've heard there is a reason for it but no idea if it's actually true. Apparently most two ropes are braided in a certain way which means when tensioned it has a tendency to unwind in a particular way, anticlockwise I assume. Reversing the thread on the tow hook prevents them from self unwinding. Apparently?