Tow Hook Bracket Alternative

Attaches directly to the subframe member under the sway bar bushing mount. No need to remove bumper.

Image Not Found

What holds it on, those two puny little bolts?

I wouldn't give you a yank with that behind me. Do you have ANY idea how much energy gets stored up in a 20-foot or 30-foot strap? Have you seen the video of the tow hook that got loose and flew THROUGH the widshield and up-raised hood of the vehicle in front?

Tow hook attachment is not something to be approached from a "how little can I get away with" mindset. The only way to do it is to start off thinking "Factories obviously do the least they can possibly justify, so how can I make mine 4 times safer than theirs?"

my rusty's towhook brackets/towhooks took a 20mph impact and saved the bumper and frame from any damage at all... EFFED that accord up though man, the rear bumpr was almost into the rear glass.

sheared the brackets down and bent em back 1/4" steel :eek:

bumper looks good as new.

I imagine it'd be ok for easy pulls. Pulling from a slight sideways angle would concern me though. There's quite a bit of distance (and leverage) between the tow hook and the rear bolts. Do any of the bolts do more than go through the first layer of uni-frame sheetmetal?

What holds it on, those two puny little bolts?

 

I wouldn't give you a yank with that behind me. Do you have ANY idea how much energy gets stored up in a 20-foot or 30-foot strap? Have you seen the video of the tow hook that got loose and flew THROUGH the widshield and up-raised hood of the vehicle in front?

 

Tow hook attachment is not something to be approached from a "how little can I get away with" mindset. The only way to do it is to start off thinking "Factories obviously do the least they can possibly justify, so how can I make mine 4 times safer than theirs?"

No, it's actually held on by four 7/16" bolts (the other two are the same bolts that hold the sway bar on the frame). These four bolts go through the existing holes in the frame. There is also an angle (L-bar) that buts up against the frame for sideways pulling.

Its a nice simple design, but I agree with what everyone is saying. Maybe if we seen a side mounting as well. I like the fact that it uses exsisting holes. I would also upgrade the bolts to at least grade8 or the metric equiv

Its a nice simple design, but I agree with what everyone is saying. Maybe if we seen a side mounting as well. I like the fact that it uses exsisting holes. I would also upgrade the bolts to at least grade8 or the metric equiv

Agree w. the bolts; I just stuck it on for now to see how eveything fit. Here's a pic of the brackets:

Image Not Found

It attaches with the four bolts, existing holes, and butts up against the side of the same sub-frame the the bumper brackets bolt to - with three bolts. Less than 3" from the hook to the attachment points. And Eagle, no worries mate - I'd never ask you for a pull :chillin:

I like it, but why not extend that side piece up and grab the sleeved hole in the frame?

I like it, but why not extend that side piece up and grab the sleeved hole in the frame?

:agree:

I like it, but why not extend that side piece up and grab the sleeved hole in the frame?

10-4 and roger that.

The problem is that all four of your bolts are concentrated in one small area of the bottom of the frame rail. It's too easy to just rip that right out of the frame with a good yank. The factory brackets have the bolts spead out over a much larger area, plus they go through the frame so the load is taken by both sides of the rail.

Sorry if it seems like I'm picking on you, but a tow hook that comes loose from the vehicle is a lethal weapon. Unless you have seen what it will do, you cannot begin to imagine just how destructive it can be. I haven't seen it in person, but I have seen videos. And I used to be a sailor. I've seen what happens when even something as small as a 1/2" anchor line snaps, with nothing on the end.

You do NOT want to take any chances on this.

I like it, but why not extend that side piece up and grab the sleeved hole in the frame?

You mean the hole where the power steering box bolt goes through? That can be done, but there is no hole on the passenger's side.

not the power steering box bolts, behind that about 6".

There is a sleeved hole in the frame rails, it was used by the factory tow hook brackets, and the factory hidden winch. Extend your bracket up to that, and it uses a 1/2 or 9/16 bolt, way strong.

yes, excellent. Crude drawing attached.

I like it, but why not extend that side piece up and grab the sleeved hole in the frame?

10-4 and roger that.

 

The problem is that all four of your bolts are concentrated in one small area of the bottom of the frame rail. It's too easy to just rip that right out of the frame with a good yank. The factory brackets have the bolts spead out over a much larger area, plus they go through the frame so the load is taken by both sides of the rail.

 

Sorry if it seems like I'm picking on you, but a tow hook that comes loose from the vehicle is a lethal weapon. Unless you have seen what it will do, you cannot begin to imagine just how destructive it can be. I haven't seen it in person, but I have seen videos. And I used to be a sailor. I've seen what happens when even something as small as a 1/2" anchor line snaps, with nothing on the end.

 

You do NOT want to take any chances on this.

Understand Eagle, and I am retired Navy (was not a deck ape though) and should have known better. Stationed for several years up your way too in Groton. SS Dogfish, SS Tusk, etc. many years ago........

eggzachary.

That should make it strong enough to take a real good pull with no worries.

I would however make sure that the side piec runs all the way to the front of the bracket, so that side pulls don't tear the side pieces from the bottom piece.

honestly, if going that far, I would grab the power steering pump bolts as well, just because it's a weak area, and reinforcing it now is a whole lot easier than welding up cracks in sheetmetal.

It's very nice work though, better looking than my nasty flux core welds.

eggzachary.

That should make it strong enough to take a real good pull with no worries. I would however make sure that the side piec runs all the way to the front of the bracket, so that side pulls don't tear the side pieces from the bottom piece.

 

honestly, if going that far, I would grab the power steering pump bolts as well, just because it's a weak area, and reinforcing it now is a whole lot easier than welding up cracks in sheetmetal.

 

It's very nice work though, better looking than my nasty flux core welds.

Prototype below. Incorporates the pump bolts and the 1/2" through bolt. Sway bar & bushing not mounted yet. Better?

I like it. :cheers: Out of curiosity, is there any way to link the 2 brackets together? That'd make me much more comfortable with side pulls. There's still like 8" between the hook and the first bolt. That's quite a bit of leverage there. Don't forget to get hooks with the clips so the strap can't slip off.

I like it. :cheers: Out of curiosity, is there any way to link the 2 brackets together? That'd make me much more comfortable with side pulls. There's still like 8" between the hook and the first bolt. That's quite a bit of leverage there. Don't forget to get hooks with the clips so the strap can't slip off.

Actually Pete, It's 6" from the 1st bolt to the center of the tow hook holes. And yes, an L-bar (or I-bar) could easily be mounted to the tow hook bolts under the hook between the brackets.

For a bending moment, you need to measure from the point of force application, namely the hook itself. I'd be slightly worried that the bracket might twist under high load. Not insanely worried mind you, just slightly. :D It's the natural engineer in me conflicting with the schooled engineer. (overbuilding vs. just strong enough to be within the factor of safety)

You could use the factory tow bar piece (that I was lucky enough to find at the U-pull for $7...didn't know what it was at the time but grabbed it because it did just what you're talking about). Or fab up one of your own, but omitting the small receiver ends for a cleaner look.

Jeff

Image Not Found

For a bending moment, you need to measure from the point of force application, namely the hook itself. I'd be slightly worried that the bracket might twist under high load. Not insanely worried mind you, just slightly. :D It's the natural engineer in me conflicting with the schooled engineer. (overbuilding vs. just strong enough to be within the factor of safety)

Understand. I think a cross I-bar would take care of that. I'd hesitate to weld one across, rather use the tow hooks bolts instead and drill to fit. Welding would introduce vaguearities (is this a word?? :nuts: ) and might only fit the vehicle it was welded up for. That's why the holes are slotted so it will fit all. Also, if you don't want or need the plastic skirt under the bumper, the bracket itself can be shortened a couple of inches to place the point of force closer to the attachment points. Also, I think by incorporating the power steering bolts into the bracket, it will strengthen that known weak point on the frame.

Hey Pete, if you'd like to take a short vacation down south, I have an IHC Drott bull dozer we can use to do some real world side pull testing - on your truck

The center receiver of my 88 (not the side clevises, those were designed for towing) will take anything your dozer can dish out. :D I bet I can pick up the truck with it.

But with your brackets on it? I'd be willing to try it on the 86, but I doubt it'd make the trip.

AAAAAARGH, U B a hard man Pete. But not everyone has a rig like yours, custom bull bumper, and as you say, built the best way - over-built. These brackets now I think will do the job for most guys, thanks to the comments and suggestions from y'all (Eagle too! ). The old pharte really knows his stuff, and tells it like it is.

Got this XJ set up in a sinkhole behind the cotton field. Will install the new brackets and try an extreme side pull w. the dozer this weekend.. :cheers:

Image Not Found

AAAAAARGH, U B a hard man Pete. But not everyone has a rig like yours, custom bull bumper, and as you say, built the best way - over-built. These brackets now I think will do the job for most guys, thanks to the comments and suggestions from y'all (Eagle too! ). The old pharte really knows his stuff, and tells it like it is.

That's "olde" pharte, with an 'E'

I think the revised version is a lot better.

I'm a lot like Pete. I grew up when cars were over-engineered -- you could buy a Ford or a Chevy and (within reason) just drop in a bigger motor and take it to the drag strip. Today, cars (vehicles) are so precisely engineered to keep costs under control that if you add 5 horsepower you risk blowing a tranny or axle. There are no "frames," so the structure is engineered to be only as strong as necessary ... and to crumple in a pre-determined way in the event of a collision. None of this is geared to the kinds of stresses a vehicle might encounter under real off-road conditions.

Example: When AMC/Jeep offered the hidden winch option on the mid-80s XJs and MJs, they used a 5000 or 6000 pound Ramsey winch. Today, nobody would even think of putting less than an 8000 pound winch on an XJ, and I've seen estimates that the force needed to extricate a vehicle of around 4,000 pounds that's in mud up to the floor may be as high as 12,000 to 15,000 pounds.

That's why we want to overbuild. We're not concerned with CAFE (unless our trail rig is also our daily driver), but we are concerned with staying alive and not hurting one of our trail buddies.