I searched but could not find info. But I'm old and can not always find thing s :O

With the heavy snow and Ice up north, we get a lot sliding off the road is not uncommon! I had a 4x4 Tracker and it had tow/recovery hooks front and rear. The HHR from looking at the bottom , to try and hook up doesn't look good! Only good hook up looks to be rear frame and or axle, the angle does'nt look great as the strap will may hit rear bumper!
Any info on how to pull the HHR out of a ditch/best hook up points and not beat up the HHR's?


Thanks

 

came across this on the web:

http://www.ehow.com/how_8551089_tow-...out-ditch.html

i suppose, if a guy wanted to, he could bolt on a couple heavy duty eyelets to the front frame area for future use?

 

Anything in the OM on the topic?

I never noticed the absence before, I guess the fact that they are land transported from the factory rather than sea is the reason. I asked somebody one time why the prominent hook hole on Imported cars the answer was for shipping tie-down for transport by sea.

 

If you get your HHR stuck, this would be a good time to have a trailer hitch with a receiver ball in place.
Pulling it from the front. Maybe you could mount a hideaway tow hook.

 

Good idea with the hitch set up. That would keep the strap high enough,, Thanks

Rich

 

I was looking at the frame and can not really see a good mount point.. Ill dig more,, I am going to add a trailer hitch like Fireman George suggested so that will take care of my rear! :o The rear of the HHR that is :O.. Our back road seem to run a high crown in the road and when the ICE it is the pits.. You stop and you slid ... I hopefully will be parked during the crap weather but I work emergency service so I am out a lot with the Company truck!

 

As I'm in the towing recovery business, the best way for me to do it is using a proper recovery strap, and depending on how it's sitting, either basket a wheel (and if it's done right it WILL NOT damage any component) or if I can do a straight pull, put the strap thru the rear doors, then under the body and out the front, once again, if done properly it wont hurt anything and wont bend/kink the bumper. I've done many HHR's like this and every single one has driven away once its out.

 

Thanks a lot for the great info! Great to hear from a Pro :) I assume using the rear door spreads out the load for a more even pull! Way cool! My winters are almost like your 's , I'm over the border about 1 1/2 hrs...

 

I found out when a rookie recovery driver loaded my 2008 up that you should not use the holes in the rear of the frame. He used one to lock the car down and can-openered a nice chunk of metal. Didn't seem to affect anything structurally, but still.

 

Good info, Im leaning on installing a Rear Hitch as suggested by FiremanGeorge,, I didn't see any good place to mount a rear tow hook.. The frame seem high up where a strap would hit the rear plastic..
Think Ill grad a 20 ft, recovery strap and a 15/20 ft strap with hooks