Tow Hooks on 99 Stock Front Bumper (1 Viewer)

[stewbo]

I'm a newbie, so pardon my ignorance.
I'm in the embryonic stages of getting my cruiser off road capable.

I'm buying tow hooks for the front and a D-shackle bracket for the rear and a recovery strap.
I looked under the front bumper but i'm not sure where to mount the two hooks. It looks like all the places availble would make the strap rub against the bumper. In the future i'd like to go with the ARB bumper but who knows when that will be.

thanks,

stewbo

 

[Jukelemon]

If I were you and I was going to take your 100 off road, the primary changes would be:

Lifting and,
Getting rid of the stock rear and front bumper. The wheelbase issue is foremost on the 100's so bumper damage/scrapping will more than likely always occur and
Sliders.

After that, your 100 will go about as far as most would take it.

Welcome

 

[Jukelemon]

Oh, and your new bumpers will have the tow hooks ( :

 

[spressomon]

FYI: When I installed my TJM front bumper the OEM tow hook hung down too low. So I ordered from CDan 1-OEM rear tow hook and installed that up front along with the one from the rear I didn't need any longer with the Slee rr bumper.

FYI: The bolt hole spacing for the LC tow hooks is wider/longer than aftermarket...but you probably already know that

 

[Greg B]

I don't think the factory tow hooks are rated for recovery situations. I wouldn't trust them for yanking with a recovery strap. If they break, they're going to become a speeding bullet. I wouldn't use anything that can't be securely latched with a d-ring style connection. I guess if you don't have anything but the factory hooks, you could use them, but I wouldn't trust them.

 

[spressomon]

I don't think the factory tow hooks are rated for recovery situations. I wouldn't trust them for yanking with a recovery strap. If they break, they're going to become a speeding bullet. I wouldn't use anything that can't be securely latched with a d-ring style connection. I guess if you don't have anything but the factory hooks, you could use them, but I wouldn't trust them.

Good point....as they are not rated.

 

[stewbo]

I don't have the factory tow hooks because I have a manik brush guard. I think they were removed when it was installed. I'm going to take the brush guard off.

I don't know where the factory ones were installed so can I install rated ones in the same position? If so , where can I find hooks that match the bolt pattern?

thanks again.

 

[Greg B]

I don't have the factory tow hooks because I have a manik brush guard. I think they were removed when it was installed. I'm going to take the brush guard off.

I don't know where the factory ones were installed so can I install rated ones in the same position? If so , where can I find hooks that match the bolt pattern?

thanks again.

I don't like tow hooks period, I want something that can bolted together with a d-ring so that I know it won't slip off.

I would suspect you will have to drill into the frame for one of the holes on an aftermarket tow hook. You could use one factory hole and then drill another hole for the second bolt to go through. I doubt they make custom length tow hooks, but who knows, I've been wrong before.

I would maybe look at another option like a jate ring. This is an example: https://www.expeditionexchange.com/kit/indexmain.shtml#jaterings You could add these to a hole in the frame if there's one there, or you could drill new holes to accomodate them. I personally don't like drilling into the frame, but at some point you have to if there are no other options or you don't want an aftermarket bumper.

If you have an aftermarket bumper that you want to add suitable recovery points to, here are a couple of nice examples. I plan to add this first type to my ARB when I get it. https://www.expeditionexchange.com/smb/ Here is a second type that is more costly but very nice too. https://www.expeditionexchange.com/dixonbate/

 

[stewbo]

Jate Rings!! That's just what i'm looking for. Looks easy to install.

So to be clear on this. I would attach my recovery strap to a d-shackle connected to the jate ring or use the recovery strap with a bowline knot straight onto the the jate ring.

slowly this all this offroading stuff is making more sense to me

thanks again

 

[Greg B]

So to be clear on this. I would attach my recovery strap to a d-shackle connected to the jate ring or use the recovery strap with a bowline knot straight onto the the jate ring.

Yep, just use a d-ring to connect a recovery strap to the jate ring and you're all set.

 

[stewbo]

Ok I've found these JATE rings.

http://www.okoffroad.com/stuff-jaterings.htm

But which one to buy?

Does anyone know off hand which size for the LC frame? 3 1/4" or 3 3/4"?

Which sizes have been used by folks out there?

 

[Greg B]

Ok I've found these JATE rings.

http://www.okoffroad.com/stuff-jaterings.htm

But which one to buy?

Does anyone know off hand which size for the LC frame? 3 1/4" or 3 3/4"?

Which sizes have been used by folks out there?

Just measure the width of your frame and buy the narrowest one that fits your frame.

 

[e9999]

I don't know about these JATE affairs, the bolt is only 10mm it seems... Yes, they are designed for lifting a LR by helicopter and what not, but that's 4 of them and a static load. Compare that to a truck buried in mud and snatched on one point...

Then again, the tow loops on the 80 are something like 10mm as well....


Don't the 80 tow loops fit on the 100 by any chance?

 

[Greg B]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not selling these or anything. Just offering some alternatives for a stock vehicle. And I don't disagree with you on the strength issue of the jates, but they are still better than using a factory tow hook. And if you put one on each frame rail, you can split the weight of the pull in half. At some point, you have to look at the strongest option available and go with that.

I believe the other options I linked to are better, but you gotta have something to mount them to. I personally don't ever use a factory tow point. They are meant for towing, not recovery. Is the 80 tow loop you mentioned rated for higher loads? If not, I wouldn't think it would be any safer than the hook on a 100 but I don't really know, just guessing.

 

[e9999]

if the factory hook that I recall on the 100 has 2 serious bolts it should be fine strengthwise for recovery I would think, except the darn thing is open (what were they thinking?). Maybe one could put a spring plate easily to close the loop?

I would switch to an 80 loop though, if those fit.

 

[Landpimp]

I have busted a OEM 80 rear "tow" loop, not all the way off but it was cracked. but I used the crap out of them for years....pulling out and getting pulled out of the mud.

these are the way to go if you can figure out how to mount them(on my 80)

need something for the front of my 100, saw something real simple in an Aussie mag for the 100 series IFS.......wish I could find it again, looked like something Slee could make a bunch of easy.

 

[Greg B]

Pimp,
Yeah, I had those mounted to a SafariGard bumper on a Rover I used to own. They work great, just spendy. They're just like the others that I linked to earlier though, you gotta have some place to mount them. Maybe someone could build some kind of frame extension or mount that bolts to the frame and then hangs down a couple inches to attach a d-ring to. There might be some liability issues though to make something like that and how do you load test it to see how strong it is. Just thinking out loud.

 

[Greg B]

if the factory hook that I recall on the 100 has 2 serious bolts it should be fine strengthwise for recovery I would think, except the darn thing is open (what were they thinking?). Maybe one could put a spring plate easily to close the loop?

I would switch to an 80 loop though, if those fit.

Do you have a pic of an 80 loop? I'm having a hard time visualizing what they look like.

 

[e9999]

well, happily, as best as I could measure it, the spacing of the bolts on the OEM 100 front hook is the same as the 80 bolt spacing, so the 80 loop could well work if there is nothing in the way (didn't check that).

fwiw, the 80 loop is a flat base that bolts on the frame and to that is welded an "O" of steel, about 10mm thick. It's closed, so you need a shackle to use it -which is a good idea of course.

 

[spressomon]

I was originally thinking about using 1-1/4" thick plate and making a closed loop tow/yank bracket (for lack of a better term) that I could use with a 7/8" D shackle. I could use 4130...but wouldn't have the resources to have it 'tested'. Excuse my crude drawing...but you get the idea.

What do you think?