Vitara rear recovery hook

Post by **PCRman** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 4:57 pm

Just wanting to run this past folks to see if I might be making anything dangerous or flawed.

The aim was to fit a proper recovery hook to the rear of the zook rather than the factory tie down. I wanted something that would sit under the tow hitch frame. This is what I've done.

93 Nissan Pathfinder recovery hook.

Ground edge at bottom of picture and drilled hole 110mm from original left hand hole.

Existing tow hitch mount

Hook fitted side shot

Hook fitted look up shot

My options for further strengthening are;

1) Drill 3rd hole in tow hitch bracket and chassis to fit a bolt thru the (now) middle hole of the hook

2) have the hook welded along the two long contact edges with the tow hitch bracket

3) do both

4) abandon the entire idea as nothing will stop it being a death trap to myself and others.

Post by **nicbeer** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 6:05 pm

looks ok but its still a tow point not a recovery point..

i would maybe look at some of the ones that basically are a 10mm plate with a 50mm OD or so hole in them and bolt it up same fashion

Post by **v840** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 6:09 pm

They look to me like M12 bolts (just going off your photo so I could be wrong) which have an approximate shear strength of ~2T, so 4t for the two bolts. I think that you'll be fine as is and it looks to be a great mod, especially in conjunction with the plate from the towbar mount which should spread the load along the chassis a bit.
Well done.

Post by **gumtree** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 11:45 pm

looks good is that pathfinder hook hollow or solid?

Post by **PCRman** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 11:54 pm

Its a heavy peice of crap so I think solid. Ive been meaning to drill a test hole in the little tag welded onto the end to check.

Post by **clownman** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 2:28 pm

i have puled a 40 series cruise out of many bog holes as dead weight with my tiedown in the vitara i think they are as strong as nails (arnet all the suzies that way ha ha )

Post by **PCRman** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 3:04 pm

clownman wrote:i have puled a 40 series cruise out of many bog holes as dead weight with my tiedown in the vitara i think they are as strong as nails (arnet all the suzies that way ha ha )

Yeah, your probably right. I'm more worried about what happens when it gets snatched out and the shock loads up the old one well past dead weight, or if the force is at an angle other than straight back. In all its a $30 mod for a hook 3X thicker & peice of mind its less likly to let go and kill the guy behind me who is doing the pulling or being pulled. I'm not saying your doing the wrong thing or anything its just that when sh^t happens its usually me it happens to

I've got a second hook (bought two at twice the price, bargin

). I'm trying to see if I can mount it at the front under (or through) the factory bumper.

Post by **PJ.zook** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 3:24 pm

Looks OK as far as im concerned

Post by **david123** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 4:03 pm

It will take bugger all for the 3rd bolt hole to be filled.

What have you done to the other side regards washers.

A piece of 1/4 plate would be sweet.

Post by **PCRman** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 4:20 pm

david123 wrote:It will take bugger all for the 3rd bolt hole to be filled.

What have you done to the other side regards washers.

A piece of 1/4 plate would be sweet.

The bolts run through to captive nuts mounted on medium (maybe 3mm) steel inside the chassis rail. Its the setup that was in place for the tow hitch. I dont know if its factory or custom from the hitch install.

Post by **built4thrashing** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 7:32 pm

Just remove the tow ball and put a D shackle through it. best recovery point there is if you have a tow hitch.

the square toungue style is better as you can get propper hooks to go itno the reciever.

B4T

Post by **danssurf82** » Sun Aug 16, 2009 9:11 pm

looks good but why do you need something that strong? just leave the sky scrapers stuck in the mud and drive straight past them

Post by **tt92** » Mon Aug 17, 2009 6:15 am

I'm new to all this and I'm not trying to be a smartarse.
What's wrong with the towball?

Post by **dad** » Mon Aug 17, 2009 7:05 am

tt92 wrote:I'm new to all this and I'm not trying to be a smartarse.
What's wrong with the towball?

It is likely to become a 50mm cannon ball when you snatch off it.

PCRman wrote:the guy behind me who is doing the pulling or being pulled.

tell us more!!

Post by **PJ.zook** » Mon Aug 17, 2009 7:25 am

tt92 wrote:I'm new to all this and I'm not trying to be a smartarse.
What's wrong with the towball?

Towballs are not designed for shock loading, resulting in many a damaged vehicle and occasional death.

Post by **PCRman** » Mon Aug 17, 2009 10:28 am

danssurf82 wrote:looks good but why do you need something that strong? just leave the sky scrapers stuck in the mud and drive straight past them

funnay man

The strength is a just a fringe benifit. I was really looking for a hook with a loooong shaft (I'm watching you dad!) so that I could make use of the existing tow hitch frame mounting bolts that have a ~110mm spacing. The only one that fit the bill (having dug through a box of em at the 4x4 wreaker) was the one I found and so... tada.

And besides who's going to drag all those cruisers and pootrols out if I don't

Post by **PCRman** » Mon Aug 17, 2009 10:29 am

dad wrote:tell us more!!

Dirty old man

In hindsight I could have written that bit better

Post by **danssurf82** » Tue Aug 18, 2009 5:39 am

PCRman wrote: I was really looking for a loooong shaft
And besides who's going to pull all those cruisers and pootrols out if I don't

dad might have a long shaft!

leave them there, they always give us shit tellin us "u guys will never make it" and we do with no probs, when they have to winch it

Post by **eXc** » Fri Aug 21, 2009 11:41 am

I think you are the first person to succesfully put a recovery point onto a Vitara here and share it. With the exception of people that have bullbars/custom rear bar. If I am wrong, please point me in the right direction.

I could not find anywhere flat to mount my hooks so I am still using the tie down points. The only points I found would require welding or would not have the hook flat, so wouldn't be solid.

Post by **danssurf82** » Fri Aug 21, 2009 12:31 pm

the tie down points are strong enough... i have used mine many times to pull toyotas out never failed...

just leave them stuck its more funny

Post by **david123** » Fri Aug 21, 2009 1:55 pm

danssurf82 wrote:the tie down points are strong enough... i have used mine many times to pull toyotas out never failed...

just leave them stuck its more funny

I used to carry a big long roap so as to get anyone out, no more.

The last one I tried was a 100 series, and he was diffs down. I had 3 attempts and was buggered as to why I could not move him, was thinkin of giving up, looked in the rear view, and saw me mate walk to the car, say something, then give me the sign, have another go.

Straight out, no drama, had me fukd.

When we got goin I asked John what happened, he told me, all he sed was turn your engine on and put her in first, when the rope goes tight, foot off the clutch and drive out.

The guy never got out the car, never sed thanks, I took my tow rope out of the car, and it will never go back in.

Now, I larf at them.

Post by **danssurf82** » Fri Aug 21, 2009 1:59 pm

if they r not mates ask for beer first!!! if none keep driving!!, maybe take a pic to post up tho

Post by **atari4x4** » Fri Aug 21, 2009 2:34 pm

"right click, save as"

Nice work, I like this idea that much I am going to copy it!

I'm guessing they are rear tow hooks off a 93 pathfinder?

Post by **Toecutta** » Fri Aug 21, 2009 3:41 pm

Looks as good as the hooks you buy as recovery hooks, big thumbs up I reckon

Post by **PCRman** » Fri Aug 21, 2009 3:45 pm

atari4x4 wrote:"right click, save as"

Nice work, I like this idea that much I am going to copy it!

I'm guessing they are rear tow hooks off a 93 pathfinder?

yep 93 pathfinder.

Edit: this is important. as you can see in the 4th pic the hooks are asymetrical. you want to get the one that bends to the right side with the flat edge up (like mine). This way it bends down a little where it changes from flat bar to round hook. If you get the other one it won't clear the bumper enough to get a strap or chain on to.

I'm interested to know if the captive nuts in the chassis rail that my tow hitch (and now recovery hook) bolt to are factory standard or were somehow added by the tow hitch installer.

As I said the hook I found was the only one that spanned both of the existing mounting holes. All the rest either had closer spacing (like the ones you buy from arb\crapco\supercrap etc) or were in a double shear arrangement that wasn't easily workable onto my Vit.

Post by **atari4x4** » Fri Aug 21, 2009 4:25 pm

the captive nuts in the chassis rail are standard for the tow bar...

Post by **TheOtherLeft** » Fri Aug 21, 2009 8:01 pm

I suppose if you're worried, can you fit another hook on the other chassis rail? That way you're distributing the shock loads to both rails.

Post by **PCRman** » Fri Aug 21, 2009 8:34 pm

TheOtherLeft wrote:I suppose if you're worried, can you fit another hook on the other chassis rail? That way you're distributing the shock loads to both rails.

Thats the idea for the other hook i got if i dont work out how to put it on the front.

Post by **atari4x4** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 10:07 pm

So I picked up some FRONT pathfinder tow hooks today hoping to copy what PCRman has done on his Vitara.

I come across a "slight" problem.... the panel work at the back of my SV420 is VERY different & the tow hook will not sit flush to the chassis rails as it hits the flat section that runs across the back of the chassis.

Anyone want some cheap tow hooks?

Post by **PCRman** » Sun Aug 23, 2009 1:53 am

a little

at not checking to see if your set up on a 2L vit was the same as mine

Post a pic if you can so we can see the nature of the variation.

Also the ~4mm angle for the tow hitch was what prevented me from catching on the folded under peice of steel that you can see on my 3rd pic. Is that all thats stopping you from a similar fitment? What about spacing down with some flat bar?

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