Front Tow Hook?

J

JungleMan

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Oct 9, 2005
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North York, Ontario, Canada
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2001 Jetta TDI
Is there a front tow hook on a MK4 jetta? I know there is one under the rear bumper, but I can't seem to find one up front. Are there any good locations I can hook up to in front that won't damage anything? I ask because I frequently help out other motorists getting unstuck, I find that I don't have enough pulling power while hooking up from the rear tow hook.

Thanks.
 
JASONP

JASONP

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I believe there is one in the lower front bumper cover on the R side,don't quote me,but easy to check
 
VDubbing

VDubbing

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Stouffville, Ontario Canada
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in your rear spare tire well there is a hook. It screws in the lower front left pop out panel. the lower grill piece oposite the intercooler. it screws in and then can be used to tow the car out of where it is stuck into.
 
JASONP

JASONP

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VDubbing said:
in your rear spare tire well there is a hook. It screws in the lower front left pop out panel. the lower grill piece oposite the intercooler. it screws in and then can be used to tow the car out of where it is stuck into.
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Thought so
 
J

JungleMan

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Location
North York, Ontario, Canada
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2001 Jetta TDI
Thanks guys, I always wondered what that hook was for. So it is on the left (Driver) side? I was looking for a location last night on my way back from Blue Mountain, someone ended up on the snow bank. I was dark and cold and I couldn't see to well. Tow truck showed up, so I left. I'll check it out today.
Thanks again.
 
Y

ymz

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Between Toronto & Montreal
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VeeDubTDI said:
It is also reverse-threaded.
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Any particular reason for this ?? (Reminds me of some of the old Chryslers that had reverse-threaded wheel lug nuts on one side...)

Yuri.
 
OmegaRenegade

OmegaRenegade

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its on the passenger side (where the intercooler is) behind that grill and as other have said, its reverse threaded.

(my reference is from my 2004 golf however i really doubt it'd be different on older years)
 
auto_tech

auto_tech

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Bethany, Ontario
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SOLD - 2001 Jetta blue; 2016 Jetta 1.4TSI 5spd
I thought there's a place behind both grille covers where you can screw in the tow hook. i've used the RH side on my car before.
 
VeeDubTDI

VeeDubTDI

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The tow hook only goes on the passenger's side. Pull out the lower grille piece to access it. If you have a Beetle, there's a little flap in the bumper that you remove.
 
G

GolfTDIer

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Alma, ON
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NarfBLAST said:
Yeah, why IS the eye bolt reverse threaded?
Click to expand...
It's a funny joke from the VW engineers. They think it's hilarious for some guy who has spent 5 mins digging down in a snow bank with his bare hands just to get to the front vent, only to discover he can't get the "@#$%" tow hook threaded in.... Oh ya, it's night so he can't see the reverse threads either... Good times... Good times...lol.
 
JASONP

JASONP

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GolfTDIer said:
It's a funny joke from the VW engineers. They think it's hilarious for some guy who has spent 5 mins digging down in a snow bank with his bare hands just to get to the front vent, only to discover he can't get the "@#$%" tow hook threaded in.... Oh ya, it's night so he can't see the reverse threads either... Good times... Good times...lol.
Click to expand...
:D
Thats some funny $hit,sick German humor
 
VDubbing

VDubbing

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i was sure its drivers side to not interfere with the intercooler. I will have to check mine. I one used it to pull a truck out of a ditch. I thought Id remember.
 
NarfBLAST

NarfBLAST

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Before I got my grille fogs I had mine installed with the grille installed, you just have to remove a small ammount of plastic then reinstall. You can not tow with the grille installed, as it just sticks out a bit, and to get it level it might not be tight, but it saves time and looks cool in my opinion... you can see it on the passenger side in this picture.
 
VeeDubTDI

VeeDubTDI

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VDubbing said:
i was sure its drivers side to not interfere with the intercooler. I will have to check mine. I one used it to pull a truck out of a ditch. I thought Id remember.
Click to expand...
It's the passenger's side.
 
VeeDubTDI

VeeDubTDI

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The grills snap and unsnap easily. Just give them a little squeeze and pull.
 
G

Greg_J

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my bumper is fubared and the grills dont fit, (and dont have grills for my vortex yet) so i painted mine black and left it installed.
last winter though i left it installed, and painted it red....just because
 
oilburnin'

oilburnin'

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reverse thread mystery solved.

:confused:reverse thread on tow hook?
It is that way, and only that way so that you don't get any ideas and try to thread it where it doesn't belong. aplaceforeverythingandeverythinginit'splace.
 
G

Greg_J

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Grandbend, Ontario, Canada
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oilburnin' said:
:confused:reverse thread on tow hook?
It is that way, and only that way so that you don't get any ideas and try to thread it where it doesn't belong. aplaceforeverythingandeverythinginit'splace.
Click to expand...
possibly....but its such an odd thread pattern to begin with (nothing else on the car would have a thread like this) i doubt it....i think its just to mess with us. or possibly to show us for potential bad tow-truck drivers that dont know how to install a tow hook...
 
M

mody

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Vermont, USA
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Sorry to be late on this. There's a Youtube vid on installing the tow hook. The guy says it's reverse threaded because tow truck cables are wound such that it could unscrew the tow hook if threaded the other way.
 
imo000

imo000

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BTDT with that Fn'reverse threaded eye bolt. Bought my 99.5 as a non runner in January and wanted to tow it home with a rope (5km). Kept trying to clear out the bolt hole thinking it was iced up......only to finally figure out (20min later) that it is a right hand thread. My fingers almost froze off by that time. Thre probably did this so people won't put any rebular bolt to try to pull the car with.
 
Y

ymz

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Between Toronto & Montreal
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Anyone old enough to remember cars that had reverse-threaded wheel nuts on one side? That must have been a fun time...

Yuri
 
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