Honda CR-Z Retractable Cargo Hooks Installation

The Audi hooks (part PKHOOK2) are hinged, spring-loaded, and retract flat, which makes them ideal for a cargo area. They seat flush only when their bases pass through 1/2 inch holes, so the mounting surface must accept that size. The cargo shade housing is chosen here because it is rigid, well positioned, and has no wiring or trim behind it; mounting elsewhere would mean pulling side panels and verifying clearance behind them. Note that the clips and screws supplied with the hooks are cut for Audi bodywork and are not used in this application. Gather four broad flat washers, either 3/4 inch or 1 inch, to spread the load behind each mounted hook.

Work with the shade on a padded surface, since its finish scratches easily. Identify the tensioned end: on the right side as installed in the car, look into the shade slit and find the extra white ring near the tip. Push down on that end cap and remove the two small, short screws, keeping them from dropping. With the cap off you should see the white plastic retracting gear, which confirms you have the correct end; remove the single screw in its corner.

Hold the shade horizontal and slide it out of the housing. A loose plastic end cap sits in the opposite end and will likely drop free as the shade clears, so catch it. With the shade out, push that inner end cap back into the empty housing; it adds a little rigidity to the thin metal for the drilling that follows.

Lay out the hook positions on the housing. Setting them 8 inches in from each end works well, but placement is your choice. The two holes for a single hook are spaced 4 3/8 inches apart. Drill a 1/8 inch pilot at each mark first, then open each up to 1/2 inch. Fresh bits cut this light-gauge metal with little pressure, so go easy to avoid bending the housing. Ragged hole edges are fine because the hook base covers them completely.

Test-fit a hook with its bases dropped through the 1/2 inch holes. The base posts are longer than the housing metal is thick, so they stand proud of the inside wall and would prevent a tight clamp. Correct this one of two ways: sand the post ends down until they finish level against the inner housing wall, or build a thin shim of 1/16 to 1/8 inch between the hook base and the outer housing surface. Rubber gasket sheet works, as does a couple of layers of self-adhesive window tint film cut to the base footprint. Add layers until the posts reach flush.

Feed the fastener in from the INSIDE of the housing so almost nothing protrudes internally and the shade can still travel freely; the curved-nose tweezers let you manage the fastener through the shade slit. Build the stack in this order from inside to outside: bolt head against the inside wall, then a large washer inside the housing, then the housing surface, then the hook, then a plain washer as a standoff so the nut is reachable, then a lock washer, then the nut. Snug both fasteners on a hook, holding the nut from outside while turning the fastener with the compact L-shaped driver inside the slit. Trim away any excess shim material around the base and avoid scoring the finish with the blade.

Prepare the shade for reinstallation. Thread a coarse-thread screw (a longer one gives better grip) into the white star-shaped gear end; it only needs to bite enough to let you wind and hold the spring. Fit the small black plug into the opposite end and wrap a piece of tape over the exposed slotted tip to keep it seated. Roll the shade up tightly for now, without yet winding any spring tension.

Slide the rolled shade back into the housing. Use the tweezers or another slim tool to guide the black tip into its locating hole at the far end. Once the tip is captured, tilt the shade vertical so the tip is less likely to pop back out while you finish the tensioned end.

Wind the spring as tight as you can by turning the coarse screw, and hold the tension by gripping the white star gear. Bring the end cap over the screw and use the screw to hold the mechanism without losing wind while you seat the cap fully to capture the gear. Back out the temporary coarse screw, reinstall the cap screw, then fit the outer spring-loaded end cap and secure it with its two small screws. Test that the shade retracts smoothly.

Reinstall the shade assembly in the car. Face the hooks away from the shade slit so they rest against the cargo divider in its raised position; the fabric pull straps let you flip each hook forward when you need it. For a cleaner look, dab a little black touch-up paint on the exposed nuts so they blend into the housing.