Front and Rear Folding Tow Hooks: How to Pick the Right Set for Your Car

ByKenji Alvarez

Fixed or folding — why it matters

A fixed tow hook sticks out permanently. On a daily-driven car that’s annoying at best, a bumper scuff hazard at worst. Folding hooks solve this with a swivel joint that lets the hook pivot flat against the bumper — or tuck behind a foam plug — when you’re not at the track. You deploy them trackside, use them, fold them away.

There’s also a regulatory dimension. Pedestrian protection rules in the EU (Commission Regulation No 1005/2010) require vehicles to have front towing points, but anything rigid and protruding creates a pedestrian strike risk. Deployable, fold-flat hooks thread that needle. It’s why OEMs on newer cars increasingly use deployable tow eye solutions from the factory.

Steel or aluminum — the material question

Most aftermarket folding hooks come in one of two materials: CNC-machined aluminum (typically 6061-T6) or steel, either 4130 chromoly or 300-series stainless. Aluminum is lighter and looks clean in anodized colors. Steel is heavier but resists deformation under high load — relevant if your hook ever has to handle a full snatch recovery, not just a gentle nudge out of the gravel.

For standard HPDE track-day use on a road car, either material works fine. The load on a typical paddock tow is well within what quality aluminum handles. If you’re running the car hard off-road or want the hook to double as a winch point, go steel.

Do you need both front and rear?

Short answer: yes, if you’re doing track days. Most HPDE organizers require at least a rear tow point, and many — especially in higher run groups — now ask for front and rear before you leave the paddock. The reason is simple: if you go off, a recovery truck needs to pull you out fast and in whatever direction the car happens to be pointing.

Some factory cars have a threaded front tow eye port hidden behind a small removable plug in the bumper. That port counts for a gentle recovery nudge, but it is not the same as a proper hook. Your run group coordinator may or may not accept it — check the specific event regulations before you show up, not in the tech line.

Brands worth knowing

Cusco

Cusco’s foldable tow hooks use a swivel joint that rotates the hook completely flat when not in use. Fitment is vehicle-specific — front and rear options exist for the GR86, BRZ, GR Supra, and other platforms. Construction is high-strength steel, and the design has a long track record in the JDM community. If your car has a Cusco application, this is the easiest recommendation to make.

aFe Control

aFe Control builds vehicle-specific hooks in 4130 steel with a black zinc-coated stem and powder-coated loop available in several colors. Applications include the Toyota GR Supra, BMW M2, and Toyota Tundra among others. The stem threads come pre-treated with Vibra-tite threadlocker so the hook stays torqued down even under sustained vibration. A tidy solution if your car is in their catalog.

Perrin

Perrin’s hooks are CNC-machined 6061-T6 aluminum and designed primarily for the GR86 and Subaru BRZ. They mount to existing Perrin license plate relocation stems. Available in neon yellow and other high-visibility colors, which some track organizers prefer for easy identification in a recovery situation. Good pick for lighter-duty track use where weight is a consideration.

Turner Motorsport

BMW-focused, but worth mentioning for the material choice alone. Turner Motorsport machines their hooks from 300-series stainless steel with a tapered, chamfered profile. Stainless doesn’t need a coating to resist corrosion, which matters if your car lives through salt seasons and gets driven to the track rather than trailered.

Universal vs vehicle-specific fitment

Vehicle-specific hooks thread or bolt directly into factory mounting points — no drilling, no fabrication, no guessing about bumper clearance. Universal brackets are available if your car doesn’t have a dedicated option, but they require more effort to fit properly and may need bumper trimming.

If a vehicle-specific hook exists for your application, use it. The mounting strength is predictable, the fitment is clean, and you don’t have to worry about an improvised bracket failing at the wrong moment.

Track day compliance — check the rules before you arrive

NASA, SCCA, and regional HPDE clubs each write their own ruleset. Some events require only a rear tow point. Others mandate front and rear for higher-speed groups. A few specify that the hook must be visible without tools and in a contrasting color — red, yellow, or orange are common requirements because they’re easy to spot in an off-track recovery.

Pull the specific regulations for your event, confirm your hook placement matches, and check with the organizer if anything is ambiguous. Finding out in tech inspection that your hook doesn’t comply means a paddock trip and a missed session.

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