tow eyes ?

[GED]

Hi,

I was wondering if the bolts that hold the bumpers on a '89 GW could be replaced with some eye bolts to obtain cheap/bolt-on tow hooks ?
I looked at some 3/4 forged eye bolts at my favorite hardware shop, and they seem rather robust.

Anybody already "been there, done that" ?

Thanks,

[Sycho15]

Someone with a tan(?) J-Truck on here has done that. It looks like a sound idea, but you must be absolutely sure that those bolts, and whatever you use to attach the strap/cable to them, have a much higher rating than the strap/cable.

You wouldn't want a heavy D-Ring to come flying towards the recovery vehichle because the bolt broke or pulled through it's mount. For the same reason, you should never use hooks

[Green Giant]

Just weld some D-rings onto something solid. Works everytime and makes lots of noise going down the road.

[tito]

Don't know if it's true, but I've heard some trails won't allow welded tow hooks, etc. Supposedly, welding can fatigue the metal around the weld site (heat maybe?) resulting in a plug of the frame flying.

I'd say make sure there is a heavy gauge backing plate to distribute the load on the frame. But then again, everything I know about welding and tow hooks is in this post.

[CowKiller]

i went to an army surplus store and bought hooks off a duece and a half. 50000 puond rating. plus i got recivers front and rear, throw in a hitch and put a clevis through it.

[Green Giant]

Used to manage a construction equipment rental store. Welded D-rings on everything from Georgia buggies to backhoes. Never had one break loose. Had a welding shop make a class V hitch for a 1ton stakebody and he used D-rings for the break away chains. Again never had a problem. Used to run a grade 70 chain through them and ratchet it down till the ties were flat on a 14,000lb backhoe and never had a problem. The only way it would not work is if you don't have anything solid underneath.

[RamJetFSJ]

I was thinking about using these...

http://www.tellico4x4.com/rec/recovery2.htm#sha

Should be easier to mount than a regular Dring, atleast to a stock bumper...

[Gladi8r]

Check out these pics and contact Larry Miller. He designed and installed these on his 88 GW

http://www.gladi8r.com/tow_1.jpg
http://www.gladi8r.com/tow_2.jpg
http://www.gladi8r.com/tow_3.jpg
http://www.gladi8r.com/tow4.jpg