Lifting Points

[omowright]

This is still a big puzzle to me.

Whilst cars pull and are towed by hooks and attachments to bumpers, though thousands of cars are lifted end to end, there are no manuals showing lift points at the bumpers.

Is this because it's not recommended, of structural distortion or just simple omission?

 

[olytdi]

Cars were lifted from bumpers when bumpers were attached robustly and were stout enough to do so. That went out in the early 70's. Then there was frame lifting but that went out on most vehicles by the 90s. Now you've got welded rocker panel crimp sites and dedicated lift pads (on some vehicles) like on my 04 Golf.

You have to jack/lift as intended...

 

[kbs2244]

And, therefore, flatbed "tow" trucks.

 

[Reducto]

My 2013 Suzuki has an eye hook that can be screwed into the bumpers for towing but not lifting. I imagine that it is not structurally strong enough to allow enough of a safety factor to be approved for lifting by the manufacturer's legal department.

You have to be careful even with approved jack areas because some of those welded rocker panel crimp points will bend over like a champ without proper support. Best to stick with the lift pad areas under the nose/tail for safety and convenience.

 

[APEowner]

This is still a big puzzle to me.

Whilst cars pull and are towed by hooks and attachments to bumpers, though thousands of cars are lifted end to end, there are no manuals showing lift points at the bumpers.

Is this because it's not recommended, of structural distortion or just simple omission?

Nobody who knows what they're doing pulls or tows a modern car by the bumper.

 

[dave89iroc]

My 2013 Suzuki has an eye hook that can be screwed into the bumpers for towing but not lifting. I imagine that it is not structurally strong enough to allow enough of a safety factor to be approved for lifting by the manufacturer's legal department.

You have to be careful even with approved jack areas because some of those welded rocker panel crimp points will bend over like a champ without proper support. Best to stick with the lift pad areas under the nose/tail for safety and convenience.

techinically, for "recovery", not towing

 

[JimH]

techinically, for "recovery", not towing

Actually they are used for car to car towing (mostly in other countries) and many of them are NOT approved for "recovery".

 

[matt_i]

Typical unibody spot-weldment is a more rigid structure for the passenger compartment and then "softer" at the ends for crush resistance. Of some competition is the relatively "hard" powertrain. There are some slots in the "box beams" designed to mimic the classic ladder-frame in the underbody of a sheetmetal structure, but those are also required for shipping to "crush" down the suspension for proper holding during rail or boat-shipping, at some dismay for the wheel bearings.

 

[Reducto]

techinically, for "recovery", not towing

"Technically" I was trying to answer the question that the OP asked about bumper attachments and why you can't lift with them. Personally I would always flatbed the car, and most vehicles that I can think of.

And it is a towing hook, here is the page from the owner's manual directly: