Recovery Straps and Accessories

[co4wheel]

For years I have carried a 9000lb rated self retracting tow strap. NEVER EVER needed it. It been banging around in the back of my truck and now GX for years. Kinda a good luck charm. Now with the new GX I am thinking I really should get a real recovery strap. The GX it has two loops on the front that seem to me to be very well located. I also have one in the back. It seems kind high under the bumper. I have the stock trailer hitch which hangs under the bumper that seems to have a couple places I could hook up to in a emergency. Not the best but the safety chain attachment point. I am thinking of getting a real recovery strap and the stuff I need to use it on this truck. Just in case. I don't like buying it just to buy it. I don't do really hard core stuff that is looking to get stuck. Only do stuff I feel confident the truck can do. Mostly high mountain 4wd mining and ghost town trails. I did nearly need it once. Snow and mud. ANYWAY.

Thinking the front would work fine. I need a way to attach the recovery strap to the front loop or rear loops. Any suggestions?

What about the rear tow hitch? I have one rear loop. But if I had a two foot section of strap I could just loop it around the hitch and use that. I would then need a way to connect the straps together. Would D Rings be the solution to some of my requirements?

Just looking for another set of insurance items that I hope to never ever use.

 

[Bluetribal]

I would buy a closed loop recovery hitch that is inserted into your receiver for the back.
You could find this at any 4wheeel parts or offroad warehouse stores.

Found a link
HighRock 4x4™ 2" Receiver Recovery D-Ring

 

[co4wheel]

I would buy a closed loop recovery hitch that is inserted into your receiver for the back.
You could find this at any 4wheeel parts or offroad warehouse stores.

Found a link
HighRock 4x4™ 2" Receiver Recovery D-Ring

Yeah, I was thinking of getting that for the back.

 

[little_joe]

I use that shackle mount in the rear hitch; and carry 2 other shackles for the front frame-mount tie-down points. After getting buried in deep sand at the beach, I became a fan of using both front mounts via a bridle (in my case, a tree strap I won at an event) vs just one point.

 

[NMBruce]

I have a nice tree strap that I carry in the box I have in the back

 

[freddydt]

Those front tow points are just that: tow points. Not recovery points to be jerked or snatched on. Not that you couldn't get away with it but that's not what they are built for. Like @little_joe mentioned, a bridle is better if all you have are those points. Spreads the load. Just be careful not to side load your shackles. I would think it would be easier to do that on those tow points.

 

[wingysataday]

I got one of these D-Ring Receiver Hitch and drilled it out for a proper d-ring. So far so good!

 

[co4wheel]

Those front tow points are just that: tow points. Not recovery points to be jerked or snatched on. Not that you couldn't get away with it but that's not what they are built for. Like @little_joe mentioned, a bridle is better if all you have are those points. Spreads the load. Just be careful not to side load your shackles. I would think it would be easier to do that on those tow points.

What do you mean by side load the shackles? You mean pulling it from the side of the truck. And by shackle you mean D ring correct?

 

[GXO]

The factory recovery points don't do well under a side load. They are welded for straight pulls.

 

[Scat Adams]

You can also upgrade your factory recovery points to heavy duty ones;

Toyota Prado 120 Series Heavy Duty Recovery Tow Point

TOYOTA 120 SERIES PRADO HEAVY DUTY ROADSAFE 4WD VEHICLE RECOVERY TOW POINTS Steering & Suspension Warehouse

 

[co4wheel]

I guess I just don't see how a D welded to the frame on four sides is weaker then a flat piece of steel bolted to the frame in nearly the same spot. I do see how a bridal to even out the load makes sense. A simple strap run through both eyelets makes sense to me. I guess I would trust what looks like 6 inch's of welds (about 1.5 inches on each side) more then four bolts.

 

[GXO]

I have bent and seen the stock metal bend. That is why I said what I said...always on sideways/non-straight pulls.

 

[co4wheel]

I have bent and seen the stock metal bend. That is why I said what I said...always on sideways/non-straight pulls.

My guess is the flat steel bolted to the frame would gave bent or pulled the bolt out of the frame in the same situation.

 

[Bluetribal]

Stronger steel is probably the key to these upgraded tow hooks.
I plan to get the Incognito bumper and that will have real tow points on it.

 

[freddydt]

What do you mean by side load the shackles? You mean pulling it from the side of the truck. And by shackle you mean D ring correct?

Haven't been on here in a while, just saw your reply.

Side loading the shackle is when you are pulling from the sides instead of from the screw pin and the curved end of the shackle. I call them shackles. Some call them d-rings.