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Help-Advice Needed

X

XJMilan

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Earth
I am trying to install some tow hooks and I ran into a little snag. The vehicle is a salvage title because of front end damage. I can install the passenger side but not the drivers side. I am thinking either roll with just one tow hook (I rather have both) or see if someone can fab or weld something on to get it to work. What do you guys think? Here are a couple of pictures of what I am dealing with. I am willing to drive to someone's house or shop and pay them to get fab something up if they can help. Thanks. I appreciate it.


IMG_0344.jpg


IMG_0351.jpg


IMG_0346.jpg


IMG_0347.jpg
 
Drill out some new holes?
 
yeah, drill holes

I only got one on one side, no biggie
 
Drill out some new holes?
Click to expand...
As you can see by the last pic, there is no room to drill new holes. I am probably just going to install one but I rather have both of them since I bought two.
 
Looks like the 2 hole flange on the unibody was welded on upside down during the repair.
 
Blazair said:
Looks like the 2 hole flange on the unibody was welded on upside down during the repair.
Click to expand...
It was never repaired. That flange was bent 90 degrees and the unibody behind it is bent also. I just heated it with a torch and bent it as straight as I can to install the bumper. Now I want to install towhooks and I can't bend/move it anymore to get it to line up.
 
How about redrilling the bracket ?On a totaly unrelated note hows that mj trailer working out ?
 
97xjdawg said:
How about redrilling the bracket ?On a totaly unrelated note hows that mj trailer working out ?
Click to expand...
I thought about redrilling the bracket but I really don't think there is enough room. I couldn't be happier with the trailer. I have only used it twice to tow my dirt bike out to the desert. It tows nice and handles pretty smooth on the dirt roads. Marty did a great job at building that thing. Hopefully this summer I will get a few long trips with it.
 
Id get a front tow hitch and sell the hooks that way you still have both frame rails being used for recovery but arnt gona over tax the weakend side plus I found that the hitch stiffend the front end some
 
Is the pass side towhook already installed? The brackets should be "opposites" of each other. Did you end up with two Pass side brackets? Looks like the bracket shown in the picture will fit the pass side as well.
 
Blazair said:
Is the pass side towhook already installed? The brackets should be "opposites" of each other. Did you end up with two Pass side brackets? Looks like the bracket shown in the picture will fit the pass side as well.
Click to expand...
I have the right brackets. I just held up the wrong one for the pic so the holes aren't lined up in the pic. With the correct bracket the holes line up but there is not enough of the flange to redrill. Here is a pic of the correct bracket.

IMG_0352.jpg
 
Gerr said:
Id get a front tow hitch and sell the hooks that way you still have both frame rails being used for recovery but arnt gona over tax the weakend side plus I found that the hitch stiffend the front end some
Click to expand...
That is another option. I prefer tow hooks though. I need to find out how it would attach to the front. My front end is a little bent and twisted on the drivers side.
 
XJMilan said:
That is another option. I prefer tow hooks though. I need to find out how it would attach to the front. My front end is a little bent and twisted on the drivers side.
Click to expand...
That would make the tow hitch even a better deal then ! It would add some strength to the front ,but with it bent it may be a bugger to get it installed,weld the bracket ?
 
Install the two bolts (the ones by your fingers) snug, but not torqued down.
Using some c-clamps, draw the flange and the bracket together.
REmove required material from the bracket to get the bolts in.
Test fit the bracket that goes along the frame rail also to see if its all going to fit.
 
Blazair said:
Install the two bolts (the ones by your fingers) snug, but not torqued down.
Using some c-clamps, draw the flange and the bracket together.
REmove required material from the bracket to get the bolts in.
Test fit the bracket that goes along the frame rail also to see if its all going to fit.
Click to expand...
I will give it a shot although I don't think I can draw the flange any closer to the bracket. I heated it with a torch and tried to hammer it straighter with no luck. Here is a pic from the bottom looking up so you can see what I am dealing with. The way it was folded in the accident makes it hard to straighten out.

IMG_0355.jpg
 
Gerr said:
Id get a front tow hitch and sell the hooks that way you still have both frame rails being used for recovery but arnt gona over tax the weakend side plus I found that the hitch stiffend the front end some
Click to expand...
and got in the way of your aproach angle.
run with one tow hook. you only need one up front. Stop comming up with ways to add weight to your jeep and start finding ways to make it lighter.
 
Rawbrown said:
you only need one up front.
Click to expand...
2 up front is better, that way you have a spare after you rip the first one off. ;)
 
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