Soft Shackle Use Factory Tow Points (1 Viewer)

[bozncsurf]

Does anyone use soft shackles such as the Bubba rope gator jaw with oem / factory tow points on the front of there 100?

I ask because the tow points are thin, sharp metal that look like they would damage the synthetic shackle.

EDIT: to eliminate any confusion the "tow points" mentioned above were confused with "tie downs" see below.

I have an ARB front bumper and as many ARB owners know, the factory tow point is partially blocked and a metal shackle pin will not pass through.

Yes I know Jason @ TT makes tow points and they require spacers if mounted with an ARB bumper.

Just wanted to see what my options were before I spend the money.

Thanks in advance.

 

[saucebox]

Those aren't tow points—they're the tie down points used to ship your cruiser stateside. The tow points are the hooks—though I can't really speak to where they are. I don't have any for some reason (so I'll be getting Jason's, hah)

 

[jbuswim]

Bubba soft shackles, yes. Use them for lots of things and lots of places, never any problems.

 

[bozncsurf]

Those aren't tow points—they're the tie down points used to ship your cruiser stateside. The tow points are the hooks—though I can't really speak to where they are. I don't have any for some reason (so I'll be getting Jason's, hah)

Ah - Makes sense. I wanted to try out my snatch block. Ran the line from my truck to the rear tow hook above the muffler on my wife's truck (lx470) and then back to my front tow hook (if you can call it that).

Any time there was the slightest bit of slack in the line, the winch hook would fall off my front tow hook. I crawled under and saw the "tie down" points and how they were partially blocked by the ARB and thought maybe that's why Jason made the spacer to lower them and a thicker version of them to make them more stout.

Thanks for the clarification.

Question:
Until I get real tow points, in the unlikely case that I would need use a snatch block - would it be reasonable to loop a Gator jaw around my bullbar and attach winch line hook to it???

 

[BillZ260]

If that's the only place, you can do it, but you risk tweaking the bumper. Try to stay as close to the main frame of the bumper, and if possible hook up to a designated spot for winching, which can create A LOT of force.

 

[atnolan94]

Question:
Until I get real tow points, in the unlikely case that I would need use a snatch block - would it be reasonable to loop a Gator jaw around my bullbar and attach winch line hook to it???

I'm going to say you shouldn't. Since the Bumper is secured well below that I think it would place alot of leverage up high and could potentially bend the frame bracket or the horns where the bumper itself mounts. Let alone the fact that as beefy as that bullbar is, you could very easily still bend it doing that.

I have the older ARB that doesn't need the spacers, but Jason's tow points have been awesome for me. I think the spacers are $40. I think $140 for some reliable tow points is plenty worth it.

 

[geanes]

I'm going to say you shouldn't. Since the Bumper is secured well below that I think it would place alot of leverage up high and could potentially bend the frame bracket or the horns where the bumper itself mounts. Let alone the fact that as beefy as that bullbar is, you could very easily still bend it doing that.

I have the older ARB that doesn't need the spacers, but Jason's tow points have been awesome for me. I think the spacers are $40. I think $140 for some reliable tow points is plenty worth it.

$140 is a LOT cheaper than a new bumper, damaged frame mounts or worse.......a snapped winch cable that can end one's day very, VERY badly. I did the RoadSafe recovery points out of Australia. They are offset forward so the winch cable/rope can clear the bottom edge of my IronMan bumper. They were $130 shipped and didn't require the spacer as they are offset forward. Also, they are blingy yellow!

 

[Leandro]

$140 is a LOT cheaper than a new bumper, damaged frame mounts or worse.......a snapped winch cable that can end one's day very, VERY badly. I did the RoadSafe recovery points out of Australia. They are offset forward so the winch cable/rope can clear the bottom edge of my IronMan bumper. They were $130 shipped and didn't require the spacer as they are offset forward. Also, they are blingy yellow!

Picture?

 

[abuck99]

Soft shackles are great and as long as you place the protective sheath on the sharp edge of the load surface it should sufficiently protect the rope. Clevis pin shackles have their uses, but in most cases soft type rule. Ditching the extra weight out of my recovery bag is incentive enough.

Factory tie down points: I've side winched and pulled on the factory tiedown points with no problem but I wasn't mired. If youre burried in sand or mud, or on an incline keep in mind that adds a tremendous amount of additional load resistance; investing in a stronger recovery point would certainly not be a bad thing. Also on front end pulls using a bridle helps spread the load between both frame ends- centralizing the load.

For shoppers who like to support the overland community, Southeast Overland makes in-house recovery lines: softshackles, kinetic recovery ropes, bridals etc. Good stuff and good people there.

 

[bozncsurf]

@atnolan94
@BillZ260
@geanes
@abuck99
@saucebox

Guys - great information. I really appreciate the feedback and learning from each of your experiences.

Sliders are being installed tomorrow - looks like recovery points are next on the short list.

Love this forum!

 

[rjones]

... For shoppers who like to support the overland community, Southeast Overland makes in-house recovery lines: softshackles, kinetic recovery ropes, bridals etc. Good stuff and good people there.

Off topic somewhat but X2 on that for @Southeast Overland - great products and really, really good customer service (with a nice MUD discount to boot!).

Cheers,
rjones

 

[vjpkrmnc]

Does anyone use soft shackles such as the Bubba rope gator jaw with oem / factory tow points on the front of there 100?

I ask because the tow points are thin, sharp metal that look like they would damage the synthetic shackle.

EDIT: to eliminate any confusion the "tow points" mentioned above were confused with "tie downs" see below.

I have an ARB front bumper and as many ARB owners know, the factory tow point is partially blocked and a metal shackle pin will not pass through.

Yes I know Jason @ TT makes tow points and they require spacers if mounted with an ARB bumper.

Just wanted to see what my options were before I spend the money.

Thanks in advance.

Which would these be (tie down or tow point)? This is an ARB bumper also, installed by the previous owner.

Can the trail tailor tow points I just ordered replace these? Do they need to?

 

[saucebox]

Which would these be (tie down or tow point)? This is an ARB bumper also, installed by the previous owner.

Can the trail tailor tow points I just ordered replace these? Do they need to?

View attachment 2557751

View attachment 2557752

Those look a helluva lot stronger than the tie down points. 3/8" or 1/2" thick? If so, they're definitely set up for recovery. They look made for hard shackles—stuff made for soft shackles usually file off the edge some. (There's a term for that, but it escapes me now.)

They look an awful lot like a Trail Tailor recovery point. Soft Shackle Tow Points - 60 80 100 Series - https://www.trail-tailor.com/store/p95/Tow_Points_-_60_80_100_Series.html