Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Hi i'm just new to 4B and am looking at setting up my vehicle a bit more than it is... I was wondering if it is imperative to attatch tow hooks front and back for recovery, if so where is best to connect them and how?
I have noticed that there are welded/reinforced eyes attatched to both my bull and tow bars and was wondering if these are ok to connect recovery gear to for tow/snatch recoveriess etc when used with shackles?

Those welded eyes, are tie down points for shipping. There not recovery points.
If you tell us what make and model car you have we will be able to advise better.
As if it is a Nissan. There is a factory hook bolted to the right hand chassi rail. Which I have used abit and been happy with.
As for the rear I usually just use the towbar. I used ti just take the tongue out and slide the strap up and put the pin back in. But have since made my own recovery tongue. Which is just a bit of square tube with a tow hook from the local 4b shop bolted to it.

my vehicle is a landy disco series 1 (200 Tdi)
i've seen those square tube recovery points that u can buy to go into the tow bar, i guess they really wouldn't be that hard to make up urself eh?

They are very easy to make. I made 3 and still had change from $20. I went to steel place and got a piece of scrap heavy wall (5mm) 50mm square tube, cut into 3. Then took it to a fab place who then drill the tube for the pin and bolted reovery hooks to 2 and welded 12mm plate to the 3rd. This one had a hole punched to take a 4.7T bow shackle. Easiest thing eva.

The patrol front hooks can break if you pull them off line, ie not straight ahead
We have had several break in our club
J Top

thanks guys
reckon i'll be getting some rear recovery points made 2moro

duallux wrote:They are very easy to make. I made 3 and still had change from $20. I went to steel place and got a piece of scrap heavy wall (5mm) 50mm square tube, cut into 3. Then took it to a fab place who then drill the tube for the pin and bolted reovery hooks to 2 and welded 12mm plate to the 3rd. This one had a hole punched to take a 4.7T bow shackle. Easiest thing eva.

I was under the impression that the recovery hitch that is on the market to fit into the square hitch Hamyan Reece towbar (basically what you have attempted to copy) where solid, not hollow square tube? Can someone clarify? I could be completely wrong but the one I was shown was too hevy to be hollow box section.

This one looks solid to me: http://www.bigballsoffroad.com/prod2216.htm
Ray

Hi i'm just new to 4B and am looking at setting up my vehicle a bit more than it is... I was wondering if it is imperative to attatch tow hooks front and back for recovery, if so where is best to connect them and how?
I have noticed that there are welded/reinforced eyes attatched to both my bull and tow bars and was wondering if these are ok to connect recovery gear to for tow/snatch recoveriess etc when used with shackles?


I would suggest that those on the front MAY be recovery points. Seeing as how its on a bullbar, which is not standard on a Disco.

Is this a hole, with a second piece of plate to double the thickness, and its in line with the bullbar mounts. Is the bullbar a "Name" brand, such as ARB, TJM, ect. I was under the impression that these reinforced holes on the underside of these bars were recovery points, as they are integral in the design of the bars. Someone please correct me if this is not the case.

I wouldnt trust a hook or eye that has just been welded onto a tow or bullbar. You dont know how much of an amature the welder was.

You're right RAY185, the Bigballs piece is a solid section, with the rear section lathed (or milled?) to fit the 4.7T shackle. I just used the heavy wall tube as it was available and i don't have access to the equipment to copy that design. The hooks are bolted using 2, 10mm 8.8grade high tensile bolts, with washers (flat and locking) the same as if they were attached to the chassis.

I hope you mean 12mm bolts duallux.
I did a destruction test on tow hooks bolted to a piece of 5mm box.
The box stood up no problem, bighorn hooks broke arround 6 tonnes with 12mm bolts, with 10mm bolts the bolts sheared.
The fact hte hook broke meant our club banned anything but rated hooks on vehicles, ie Black Rat, Repco etc as when tested these only straightened so no metal missiles, on ropes.
We also banned Shackles for connecting ropes to ropes or ropes to vehicles.
J Top

hey thanks for that
the eyes on the front I was alking about are as u described and on a ARB bar, I thought they looked like they should be good to recover from. the eyes on the back are very similar and are bolted through at the rear connection points for the tow bar to the sub frame. I reckon these are probably good to go as well.
andy

Hi Andy, If you still have any lingering doughts, next time your passing an ARB store, duck in and ask them if there ok for recovery.

J Top, how does your club attach ropes to vehicles if you dont use shackles ?

Zute wrote: J Top, how does your club attach ropes to vehicles if you dont use shackles ?

They must all run hooks to recover from..


Or they just slip the eye over the towball

lol


I'm rigging up a new towbar setup and some recovery points at the moment.. I snapped my whole towbar and gooseneck snatching my bro in law out of deep clay I did think towbars were ok... how i was wrong... The Hayman Reese heavy duty one seems to be ok on some cars tho..

Every truck must have at least 1 rated hook mounted front and rear in an approved fashion, ie chassis plated and/or drilled and spigoted.
Towbars are acceptable mounting points if sufficently braced.
J Top

Thanks for the heads up J Top, I will go and check tonight. If i have I'll change to 12mm, not worth the hassles if things go wrong for the sake of a couple of bucks.

Zute wrote:Hi Andy, If you still have any lingering doughts, next time your passing an ARB store, duck in and ask them if there ok for recovery.

J Top, how does your club attach ropes to vehicles if you dont use shackles ?

ARB do not recommend using any part of the bullbar as a recovery point. Officially the eyes are for a high lift jack point. Saying that, plenty of people use the bar for recoveries without too many dramas. If you intend to do this have look at the mounting brackets and ensure it has pinning bolts to stop the bar from pivoting on its mounts (if applicable)