Help with recovery points in Mid illinois??

B

boost_fr3@k

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Upland, CA/Greenville, IL
Hey guys...I'm wanting to attend Winter Fest 09, but i need to get some recovery points on my rig before I can. All I have is a rear hitch receiver with a pin through it.

Can anyone in the Mid Illinois (St. Louis, Effingham, Litchfield) area help me get something fabbed up. I have zero experience doing this kind of work, and dont even know where to start.

HELP!
 
The rear receiver is about ideal. Just add a hook or shackle insert and you're good to go.

For the front, if you're not up to fabbing, you can buy tow hooks and brackets pretty cheap.

But we've got a lot of guys in illi, somebody may chime in to help you put something together...

Good luck!

Robert
 
To pass tech inspection, you do need tow point front and rear. The receiver in the rear is just fine. Just get a hook insert. It's simply just an insert for the receiver that has a big hook to throw a strap over. I remember seeing some at Menards for around $25 give or take.

I suggest some tow hooks or hook, for the front. There are several different company's that have tow hooks AND brackets for XJ's. Check the classifieds and use your searching abilities to learn which ones are good and which ones to stay away from. Post up in the wanted section as well. Tow hooks and brackets are pretty simple to install with basic tools. You could also consider a front hitch. Those are acceptable recovery points as well. Recovery points are something that you want to be stout and reliable, not half-arsed.
 
If you make it to WF, I have a hook insert with your name on it. All you need to bring is a pin/clip.

Check your local junkyards for tow hook equipped XJs and grab the brackets/hooks. XJStryker has a nice looking setup which converts the front tow hook mounts to D-rings, which is much better than hooks IMO. IIRC it only ran $130 or something.
 
IllianaXJ said:
If you make it to WF, I have a hook insert with your name on it. All you need to bring is a pin/clip.

Check your local junkyards for tow hook equipped XJs and grab the brackets/hooks. XJStryker has a nice looking setup which converts the front tow hook mounts to D-rings, which is much better than hooks IMO. IIRC it only ran $130 or something.
Click to expand...


Yep I got them on mine. I think they are like 95 plus shipping.

Here is the link they are real easy to install

http://www.hicountryoffroad.com/Products/Cherokee/Recovery/cher_recovery.htm

I got my wives at the JY from an old Cherokee for 15 bucks so I would check there first to save some green.
 
IllianaXJ said:
If you make it to WF, I have a hook insert with your name on it. All you need to bring is a pin/clip.
Click to expand...

Thanks...I appreciate it. I am definitely planning on being there, if I cant come up with one before WF I'll find ya! :D


illxj said he may be able to help me get some front recovery points on, so...I'll let yall know how that turns out. Thanks for the info guys!
 
I know this a week old, but if have not done anything yet, consider a front hitch. About $110 deliversd from etrailer.com. Super strong opition compared to a $95 dollar hook kit that can be ripped off.
 
Turfzilla said:
I know this a week old, but if have not done anything yet, consider a front hitch. About $110 deliversd from etrailer.com. Super strong opition compared to a $95 dollar hook kit that can be ripped off.
Click to expand...

If you pull hard enough you can rip a hitch off too! :doh: Mine have been pulled on a couple times with no issues!
 
I found a local 4x4 shop that is going to help me fab up a front bumper with a pre runner hoop, 2 d rings, and 3 Pro Comp 6" lights. Its gonna be nice. I do have a question about welding recovery points to the tube bumper tho...
I'm really bad at explaining things, so I drew up a quick pic in paint...(dont laugh!)
Untitled.jpg

do you think that would be strong enough? or do you have any better ideas? I'm new at this fabricating thing.
 
You want to pull directly from unibody tieins....if you don't already have unibody tieins, you need some.

I may not understand your discription but, I would not use that design. I would also go as far as saying that it'd likely NOT pass a MWC tech. inspection.
 
the brackets that mount your bumper to the unibody, most quality aftermarket bumper builders offer heavier and longer ones so you can get more bolts into the body. tying your recovery point and your bumper mounts/tieins together is the best way to go, with a heavier bit of metal between "frame rails" so you dont get kinked in the front end. for what you are wanting it can be done. but there are better ways.
 
well..illxj offered to make a C channel or backbone system for me, with recovery points, so I may just take him up on that offer and then add the hoop and everything after. Cause I have a feeling he knows what he's doing on those tieins. I'm not even gonna attempt it. Thanks guys.
 
here's as good a picture as I can make of my new plan for the D ring mount. Its incorporated into the same sheet of steel as the unibody tie. And having the solid metal slug inside the tube will allow stress to be dispersed through the bumper tube as well as on the unibody tie. Whaddya guys think?

unibodytiebumpermount.jpg
 
I likely won't have money or time before WF to get a real front bumper, so I'm just going with either the Custom 4x4 tow hooks or the Hi-Country tow hook/D-ring kit.

Question: It seems like tow hooks are acceptable for recovery, but I have seen a lot of complaints about how important it is to be pulling on both frame rails. But most recoveries will be done from just one of the tow hooks right? Am I really putting my unibody at significant risk by using tow hooks instead of getting a bumper or front receiver?

For the rear, I have a receiver, I usually just pull the pin, slip the loop of the tow strap in and slide the pin through it. It seems like everyone is going for the receiver-mount tow hooks instead. Anything wrong with my approach? It's worked fine for me so far.
 
mine has been yanked on hard with one tow hook and two. They only thing that happened when the guy pulled on my pass. hook only, my drivers side fender got pushed into a tree!
 
It is better if you can tie both sides together for your hooks.

But as long as you're not doing anything too stressful (really deep mud recoveries), the single-side towhook brackets should be fine.

And for the receiver pin: Don't do that. At the very least you're likely to bend the pin, and have a hard time getting it out.

Just drop the $25 for an insert.

Robert
 
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