Pintle hook/bumper

[stinkyfj60]

I am in need of a rescue point on the back of my 60 and was thinking of cutting the original tow hitch so I could flip it upside down and tuck it in between the frame rails. Then I was going to cut a hole in the OEM bumper and use one of those reciever shackle mounts.
But I remember a thread where Mark W. suggested using a pintle hook as a rescue point. DUH! I have a a pintle hook on the back of my F350 that I will never use on that truck, its just something to whack your knees on. So i am thinking of taking it off of the truck and putting it on the 60. What is the strongest way to attach this? I was thinking of doing the simple C-channel rear bumper, with the pintle bolted to that. Any suggestions on reinforcing that to make the attachment strong enough to yank out a stuck truck with a strap?

 

[jwest]

There all ready is a provision for two conventional tow hooks (one on each frame rail) in the location of the original tow hook. It was probably removed when you installed your receiver. You can drill another hole in the receiver ear and frame, to accept the the second tow hook bolt and add an additional securing point for your hitch at the same time.

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[stinkyfj60]

There all ready is a provision for two conventional tow hooks (one on each frame rail) in the location of the original tow hook. It was probably removed when you installed your receiver. You can drill another hole in the receiver ear and frame, to accept the the second tow hook bolt and add an additional securing point for your hitch at the same time.

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Ok, there are provisions for conventional tow hooks on my frame, will these take any tow hook? I know that SOR had a seperate part number for rear FJ60 tow hooks, but discontinued the part. But if I can toss on just "universal" tow hooks that would be way cool.
I dont want to keep the tow hitch, that thing was a pain, hung down 4in and I hit it on everything. I tow with the F350 (which has a normal reciever too) or the wife's Range Rover.

 

[jwest]

Sure, you could use the universals. I put one on each side. Plus you can you use the keepers that usually come with the universals.

If you don't want to keep the hitch, you may or may not have to drill at all. I don't quite remember, but i certainly remember drilling through one or the other.

I bolted the hook end hole to the same hole used for the original hook. Then I used the last hook hole as a guide to drill the second hole. Again, this might be moot in that the hole might all ready exist in the frame. Grade 8 fasterners and done.

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[jwest]

I'm glad I took a pic. The OEM hooks must have a drop to them.

I'm using the universal hooks in conjuction with a receiver. I'm comfortable using a couple of spacers to clear the stock bumper. Without both the reciever and the spacer, there isn't enough relief to clear the oem bumper.

Without the receiver acting as both support and as a spacer, and since you're doing away with yours, I wouldn't compromise safety by using the hooks alone and adding bar stock or whatever as relief.

 

[stinkyfj60]

I'm glad I took a pic. The OEM hooks must have a drop to them.

I'm using the universal hooks in conjuction with a receiver. I'm comfortable using a couple of spacers to clear the stock bumper. Without both the reciever and the spacer, there isn't enough relief to clear the oem bumper.

Without the receiver acting as both support and as a spacer, and since you're doing away with yours, I wouldn't compromise safety by using the hooks alone and adding bar stock or whatever as relief.

Cool, thanks! I will use that as reference and take a look back there. That would make sense why there was an actual part number for a rear hook.

 

[lowenbrau]

I'm not sure if its there in '84 or not but the rear cross member of my '86HJ60 has the reinforcement and holes for a pintle from the factory. If you want to continue using the bumper you'll have to cut a rectangular hole in it.

 

[dlerette]

i just ordered a stock rear hook from cruiserparts for $16, just waiting for it to come now......

 

[stinkyfj60]

I'm not sure if its there in '84 or not but the rear cross member of my '86HJ60 has the reinforcement and holes for a pintle from the factory. If you want to continue using the bumper you'll have to cut a rectangular hole in it.

Really? WOW, I will take a look. Never noticed if there is or isnt. I hate the stock bumper, but it will get me by with good rescue point if I can get a good rescue point back there.

Do you think that cross member needs to be reinforced before being used like that?

 

[lowenbrau]

Do you think that cross member needs to be reinforced before being used like that?

Mine hasn't and it's pretty rusty and has given some hard tugs. (an hourly occurance when you wheel around here)

I'll snap a photo when I get home.

 

[dtrain]

is the hitch you are taking off a class III like the one in the pick above?

Want to sell it... would have to ship it to san jose, ca though...

 

[Mark W]

Like Bruce pointed out there is a provision to bolt a pintle hook right to the cross member. IIRC you could drill through the bumer rather than cutting an opening. If it's not too rusty back there this should be fine. I prefer to reinforce the rear cross member. One way is to lay a 1/4 plate across the back of the crossmember (and the diagonals which meet it there). Another way is to weld a gusset across the back of the cross member (3/8 by 2 flat stock works nicely). Best would be to do both.

That will give you a rear cross member that WILL NOT bend under the stresses that ic *might* see when using a strap with vigor. The factory rear cross member in a '60 will take a lot if it is nit rust damaged. But this way it would take anything you could throw at it.


Mark...

 

[Mace]

For some reason pointing a tow hook down on the rear bumper sounds like folly to me.

With Murphy riding shotgun, it would be a headache..


why not just do a reciever hitch with a pintle??

 

[jwest]

He'd like to do away with the hitch.

Class III receivers for the 60 are rated at 3500 lbs. gross, and that's pulling directly back. Other class III's max out at 5K lbs. They may be able to do better, but that's the rating.

Tow hooks, on the other hand, are rated at 10,000 max.

It's always a potentially lethal situation to yank a vehicle out of trouble. An upturned hook may, in some cases, be more of a liability if the vehicle pulling you out is in a higher elevation than you. This might place more pressure on the upturned weaker portion of the hook itself, whereas a downturned hook in a similar situation will keep the pressure on the strongest, thickest portion of the hook.

OEM hooks are upturned on the front and downturned on the back on the 60's.

That said, it's always a good idea to parachute the cable or strap with a thick blanket, as well as covering both vehicles, whenever possible. But who always does this?



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[Exiled]

A long time ago, I had a custom bumper made that incorporated a center-mounted pintle hook mounted through the rear crossmember. Basically, the pintle hook sandwiched the rear bumper and crossmember and a plate mounted to the rear of the crossmember.

I sold the bumper and for a while drove and wheeled the truck with just the pintle mounted to the crossmember (with the plate). You can see what I'm talking about on the picture below. Mine did NOT have OEM holes for the pintle hook, we had to drill the holes to mount it.

Never had a problem with it, but the crossmember is not gone, replaced with a custom one that mounts further inboard:

 

[hammer1]

[




It's always a potentially lethal situation to yank a vehicle out of trouble. An
OEM hooks are upturned on the front and downturned on the back on the 60's.

That said, it's always a good idea to parachute the cable or strap with a thick blanket, as well as covering both vehicles, whenever possible. But who always does this?



.[/QUOTE]
what he said.
i once saw a guy in a bronco pulling a heep out of a mud hole, and the tow rope either snapped or broke, and the resuling whiplash of the rope snapped a branch off the tree next to the trail the size of my wrist.
ALWAYS carry a moving blanket or something with you.

 

[stinkyfj60]

Like Bruce pointed out there is a provision to bolt a pintle hook right to the cross member. IIRC you could drill through the bumer rather than cutting an opening.
Mark...

Thanks! That is the way I will go. It will be easier and cheaper than buying a new bumper for now, and still give me a much needed rescue point on the rear end the truck.

I want to do away with the factory reciever because it hangs down and I tend to smash it into the ground when crossing arroyos. Just removing it this fall made a huge difference.

I like the idea of drilling through the chrome bumper, and reinforcing the crossmember just to be safe and having a good high recsue point

 

[stinkyfj60]

Never had a problem with it, but the crossmember is not gone, replaced with a custom one that mounts further inboard:

No pic showed up

 

[stinkyfj60]

I just looked

And no pintle hook mounting holes in my rear cross member But I may go ahead and drill them and through my bumper too....

 

[Mark W]

I'll have to take a look at one of the rigs at the shop tomorrow. Are there maybe rivets securing the diagonals to the rear crossmember which are located and spaced properly for a pintle if you remove them and install bolts? My memory isn't real clear on this at the moment. Like said, I'll just look in the AM.


Mark...