Open Recovery Hooks vs. Closed Shackles

[WMWHV]

Am I the only one concerned about the open recovery hooks on the rear bumper of the Rubicon, not to mention the little hooks on the front? My LJ aftermarket bumpers have shackles. While I figure I will replace the OEM bumper in the front, the rear bumper looks otherwise OK and it would be nice to keep it. One question I have is how the OEM rear hooks are attached and whether an aftermarket closed hook or shackle arrangement could be substituted without difficulty?

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[TexTJ209]

Generally they're bolted to the frame as far as I know. Other than a strap occasionally slipping out, what are your concerns with an open vs closed design?

 

[whatroads]

They are frame mounted. I've never had an issue using the open hooks with yank straps. When using a winch I always throw a coat or blanket over the cable to force it to ground should it come off

 

[WMWHV]

Generally they're bolted to the frame as far as I know. Other than a strap occasionally slipping out, what are your concerns with an open vs closed design?

I guess I am anal, but I never want anything to slip out, ever. It just adds risk. When you are winching or using your snatch block, there are too many other things to watch and worry about to add something else to the list. I am from a safety culture that says to eliminate every risk you can eliminate and then manage what is left to an acceptable level. Also, when my front track bar broke, we used the winch line and a ratchet strap from the shackles to the opposite side hubs to stabilize the axle and let me crawl to a spot to repair it. I don’t think it would have worked with open hooks. It would have slipped off.

 

[TexTJ209]

I guess I am anal, but I never want anything to slip out, ever. It just adds risk. When you are winching or using your snatch block, there are too many other things to watch and worry about to add something else to the list. I am from a safety culture that says to eliminate every risk you can eliminate and then manage what is left to an acceptable level. Also, when my front track bar broke, we used the winch line and a ratchet strap from the shackles to the opposite side hubs to stabilize the axle and let me crawl to a spot to repair it. I don’t think it would have worked with open hooks. It would have slipped off.

Totally fair, and where I assumed you were going with it. Shackles are always preferable to open hooks of course, but I don't know that we'll generally ever see those from an OEM standpoint.

 

[JEEPN X 4]

Given a choice I would rather have both. Hook and shackle mount.

Hooks are good when you need to rapidly get a strap on an offcamber vehicle, or when the recovery point is so buried in deep mud that you couldn't easily deal with the shackle pin.

Shackle mount for everything else. Shackle mounts are also good hi-lift jack points, either via the shackle itself or using something like a JeepsNeeds SAM to connect the jack to the shackle mount.

The rear hooks would go straight to the frame. But you can get a shackle mount easily in addition to the hooks by using a hitch receiver shackle mount--you should have one of these anyways as they tend to be a lot better for getting a straight pull, and traction on the pulling vehicle.

 

[sardog12]

I guess I am anal, but I never want anything to slip out, ever. It just adds risk. When you are winching or using your snatch block, there are too many other things to watch and worry about to add something else to the list. I am from a safety culture that says to eliminate every risk you can eliminate and then manage what is left to an acceptable level. Also, when my front track bar broke, we used the winch line and a ratchet strap from the shackles to the opposite side hubs to stabilize the axle and let me crawl to a spot to repair it. I don’t think it would have worked with open hooks. It would have slipped off.

Unless you are side-loading the hooks (not recommended), you are adding more risk by using products like the F55 add ons (more points of failure) than by using the hooks. However, if that is still than much of a concern, you would definitely be better served by replacing the bumpers with others that have integrated shackle mounts but even those are recommended against side loading.

 

[WXman]

I love the front hooks. VERY nice for using proper looped straps for safety with no fear of them slipping off. I really like how they did those.

 

[Jowen]

A little biased here a open system is more prone to failure than a closed system. I use a synthetic rope with a factor 55 link with shackles. I have hard shackle and soft shackle, I have seen chain and cab!e break under tension if you are in the danger zone amputation or death can occure. The rope floats on water or mud, does not store energy like cable. I have had to mud dive for a dropped cable in a mud hole before when I was younger, not much fun when ass deep in mud and water when the temperature is in the 30s. I now try to be smarter than when I was younger and have learned at time the hard way, be prepared, you can not have everything but some is better than none.

 

[ACAD_Cowboy]

I love the front hooks. VERY nice for using proper looped straps for safety with no fear of them slipping off. I really like how they did those.

They also take a 3/4” shackle pin wonderfully.

 

[21RG]

A little biased here a open system is more prone to failure than a closed system. I use a synthetic rope with a factor 55 link with shackles. I have hard shackle and soft shackle, I have seen chain and cab!e break under tension if you are in the danger zone amputation or death can occure. The rope floats on water or mud, does not store energy like cable. I have had to mud dive for a dropped cable in a mud hole before when I was younger, not much fun when ass deep in mud and water when the temperature is in the 30s. I now try to be smarter than when I was younger and have learned at time the hard way, be prepared, you can not have everything but some is better than none.

I agree with you on the closed system, less chance of failure. As someone else mentioned, side loading is not good for the open hooks.

Where I disagree, only minimal, is the stored energy. The rope has the same amount of energy or tension as a chain or wire rope during a pull. The difference is how that energy is absorbed when a break occurs. For a wire rope or chain, the tension is directed back and there is no absorption, plus you have the weight of the metal. With a synthetic rope the energy goes back into the rope and it is absorbed. If you watch videos of synthetic rope breaks, you will see the tension being absorbed back into the length of rope.

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