Tow Hooks...What are They For?

[Renegade]

They’re for recovery, but without the lawyers.

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[DreamedofaJeepSomeday]

They’re for recovery, but without the lawyers.

That is the most correct answer!

 

[Blade1668]

They’re for recovery, but without the lawyers.

Thank You Zac
Some of you may need to go look at the TJ front tow hooks compared to the JK,JL,JT they are small and would screw up a strap as pointed as them things are. As my norm I have always tried to not snatch vehicles out just pull them out when using a open hook. My LJ has OEM hooks on back still and a shackle the front has shackles and 2 in receiver.... Why I have a winch on them. now you being out in Iowa might need something else to hook it too. like a Pull-Pal.

 

[rafaelsmith]

They are for Fords, Toyotas, etc.

 

[SwampNut]

They are for light assists, mild recovery. A hard recovery should never be done with a hook on a single frame rail, because you can actually bend the frame. I've seen it, and it popped some body mounts spectacularly. Hard recoveries need to be centered. Any time you're using a snatch strap with a run rather than static load, you really need to have a shackle or other way to secure it.

Hundreds or thousands of people do it the dumb way and break nothing, however. Just takes that one time...

 

[NightFog]

I hook a strap or log chain to them to pull my John Deere tractor out of the mud.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

For front recoveries, your best bet will be an aftermarket bumper with shackle mounts or replacing the hooks with something closed and recovery rated. Not sure if anyone is doing hooks yet but even a $300 Quadratec bumper would get the job done.

Ball mount in front receiver with a shackle bolted through the ball mount hole?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Thank You Zac
Some of you may need to go look at the TJ front tow hooks compared to the JK,JL,JT they are small and would screw up a strap as pointed as them things are. As my norm I have always tried to not snatch vehicles out just pull them out when using a open hook. My LJ has OEM hooks on back still and a shackle the front has shackles and 2 in receiver.... Why I have a winch on them. now you being out in Iowa might need something else to hook it too. like a Pull-Pal.

Get that sucker down in the Iowa clay and you'll need an act of God to get the Pull-Pal back out of the muck. A power auger can't even bore through the stuff in my yard. (we tried, wasn't possible)

 

[SwampNut]

This was dragging an F350 on 38s back into the mud...

 

[DreamedofaJeepSomeday]

This was dragging an F350 on 38s back into the mud...

Time to get out the shovel and traction boards.

 

[SwampNut]

We brought a second 1-ton and ran dual winches.

Also that "mud" is actually decomposing fish guts, scales, and million year old reef bits.

 

[betsy]

I have a Rubicon (steel bumper); what if I don't want to swap it out?

Maximus3 has brackets for the factory steel bumper that allow you to use a shackle

 

[Hawkeyes3312]

Maximus3 has brackets for the factory steel bumper that allow you to use a shackle

Link?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

We brought a second 1-ton and ran dual winches.

Also that "mud" is actually decomposing fish guts, scales, and million year old reef bits.

You've been slimed

 

[Uparms]

Okay, I am just looking for clarification on the use of tow hooks. I've never needed to be recovered in any of my Jeeps and I, also, do not do any hard core off-roading. I recently purchased a couple of shackle hitch receiver sets and a few ARB snatch straps just in case. That being said, as I read the literature that ARB supplies, they indicate to NEVER use tow hooks for any kind of recovery. What are they for? Look cool? I understand the dangers of recovery, I just thought they could be used for 'something'?!?! I was thinking that you could, potentially, move objects on a trail, etc. but what am I missing? In any case, I hope to never need any of the items I've purchased for recovery. Thanks in advance for helping me out!

Nice for ARB to say and for their kind of extraction they are right. For you and the average JT and Wrangler owner(5% off road/sand/snow) go with what the manual says and trust your factory installed tow hooks. (What the manual says).....

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