Tow Points

[Warthog]

I know I'm not an expert at all on this subject, but I've been in the back of the extraction vehicles on a number of occasions, so I've seen it time and time again. We back up to a vehicle, stuck to the gills, I see that sheepish look, and hear those dreaded words..."I ain't got no place to hook a strap to, can you pull us out from the other way?" Big sigh, tap Dr.Thunder or whoever is drivin' and tell 'em, "gotta go around"...we get around to the other side, and lo and behold, they got a bumper hitch with a 2" ball....People! We need some good tow points to pull you out!! There are different opinions on this subject, and I'm hoping to hear from several different people on this. Jim and I are in the "Tube Bumper" group, we put tube bumpers on the front and back, and slide the loop on the end of the strap over the tube...no clevis to break and go flyin, in case of some sort of failure. I know some people who don't like the tube bumper approach, they prefer using a clevis. I think most will agree, we like to see a threaded clevis, preferably big enough to fit that big, ole' honkin' loop on the end of a 6" or bigger strap. And let's not forget, we need some place to hook that big hunk of metal on the front or back of your truck! I like to see a class III/IV receiver, or some big, solidly welded hook-up point. I've seen too many stock bumpers get a "Mudder's Modification", and end up tossed in the back as we have to figure out where else to hook ya up... Now is the time! There's snow on the ground, the mud truck is sitting cocooned in the corner of the barn, patiently waiting to get muddy. Drag 'er around to the garage, break out the cuttin' torch, the welder, the big drill bits, whatever...bolt on, weld on, mod up, fab up, whatever you need to do...put on a good hook up, front and rear and I'll be happy to hop down in the mud with you, hook ya up and get you back playin' in the pits!

[MrBi11]

The hooks the factory puts on the stock bumper is only useful for pulling your 3 year olds tricycle down the pavement

[Etrain69]

I myself am partial to the pintle hitch club. No clevis to mess with, drop in the strap on close the top. I have eyes bolted and welded to chunks of steel that are welded and bolted between the frame rails. I have to used a clevis to attach my strap, effective yet cumbersum,

[Warthog]

E-train has a good point(but if he combs his hair right, no one will notice!) J/K, bud! Pintles are an awesome extraction point! But, make sure you have it solidly anchored(like E-train's) and make sure it's in good working order, with that lil' pin to lock it shut danglin' by a little chain. It's best to have it pinned when we are pullin', so it don't pop open and let the strap come flyin' out! I am usually sitting in the back of the extraction vehicle, watching to make sure we don't rip a truck in half, or have some sort of preventable mishap...I don't want to have to worry about my strap-dodgin' skills being tested on a regular basis. I don't mind once in a while, to keep my ninja skills fresh, but I'm gettin' older, and you don't want me over-exerting, cause then I get all sweaty and start stinkin'.....

[MUD HUNTER]

Great thread Warthog...
I'd like to ad one minor detail for those with welded points, if I may...

If you are not good with a welder... find another way to attach your point (bolt), or have someone else weld it.
I have seen numerous welded points fail and go flying like missiles. It increases the danger a 100x.

I personal feel there is a big difference between "A guy who is a Welder" and "A guy that can Weld".
Anything CAN fail... but just because two pieces of steel are stuck together does not mean it's properly welded.
I'm certainly not "A Welder", but am honest about my limitations... I have seen some really scary welding out there.
Snatch recovery points are not the area to let ones questionable welding skills and/or shop ego get in the way of safety!

[moparmudman]

i to use a pintle hitch, i have reese hitches welded AND bolted to the front and back of my
chit, just for added insurance.

[Warthog]

The hooks the factory puts on the stock bumper is only useful for pulling your 3 year olds tricycle down the pavement

....and highly unsafe for your 3 year old

[Warthog]

I agree with Mud Hunter, if you aren't a good welder, get someone to weld stuff up for you. Here are some tow points I have made over the years...






These are what I have come up with for my latest build up...

The rear tow point...



...with some reinforcement...



The front tow point...




Anyone else have pics of their tow points?

[drthunder]

Receiver welded to the frame

Pintle bolted through, sleeved inside and back plated.

[pipepro]

Hell, I am a welder, and I prefer to have my attachment points welded and bolted. The ones on my bronco go through the bumper and mount to the frame, so in effect the bumper is mounted to my attachment points!

[four_by_ken]

Pipepro... that front point on your EB is very close to what I have done on my K5... just a different bumper.

Did the same on the rear on mine.