Tow Hubs

[Jerry Hatch]

Out-houses and Sears catalog in the winter...unforgettable memories. The catalogs were ok until they started using glossy pages. We heated water with the wood stove. Still have my tow hubs and tow bar in the barn. Don't recall brand name, they were orange in color.

[Ed Wright]

I made my own tow bars. A friend (Bill Cowett ) that was handy with his lathe built me and himself towing hubs. Took some of my twisted stock axles, knocked the axle studs, cut them to length, faced off the outside of the flanges, and machined them like the spindles. Used '55/'57 front hubs (those front brake drums just slipped over the studs). Used stock '55/'56 tires @ wheels. Turned stock lug nuts over so the flat side was against the flange, and a long 3/4" box end wrench to put them on. Easy peasy. Cost about nothing but time to do. Axles were easy to come by. At the time he made them I was running my 225 hp '56 2X4bl Vette engine & 3 speed in a 9 passenger wagon. I learned to paint stripes on them, and after each race pop them out to keep an eye on the stripes. 1/4 twist and they came out. Kinda often. LOL
None of us had money to buy that stuff.

[Wayne W]

I had a set that were Chevelle Spindles machined flat on the back then welded to a plate with a Chevy bolt pattern. They worked great and I used them till may of 1978 then I went to a ramp truck.

[Kris Kristofferson]

I am probably one of a handful of racers still flat towing in North America..I bought a set of used MNW tow hubs off Craig's list, I got a 5 ft tow bar fabricated for me and a pair of tow tabs.

[Rat Raceway]

Do you have to plate the car or buy a Trailer plate for it?

Just wondering if they every hassle for that.

[tomcraig]

I made a set of tow hubs, and in 1968 towed from Ontario, Can to Dallas Tex. for the Spring Nats. Worked like a charm. Pole welded in the middle of the tow bar for spare slicks.Was younger then and either braver or didnt know any better.

[Kris Kristofferson]

Yes, the car is insured and plated as a regular car-- there don't seem to be any rules against flat towing up here. It is rarely done. .I have safety chains, lights etc..I notice that RVs still flat tow a small "around town" car sometimes.

[Rich Biebel]

[QUOTE=Kris Kristofferson;428563]I am probably one of a handful of racers still flat towing in North America..I bought a set of used MNW tow hubs off Craig's list, I got a 5 ft tow bar fabricated for me and a pair of tow tabs.


There is a guy who races in my area and still flat tows his car. He has a'57 Chevy with a stick in it and lives where there is no room for a trailer. It is a 9 second bracket car. I see him once or twice a year and he has had the car for many years.......

[Kris Kristofferson]

nice Rich, perhaps there are more out there than I thought! I would rather have a more proper setup like a enclosed trailer but sort of in the same situation as your friend with a '57..