XJeremy23
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Hayden, Idaho
I went to a nearby pull it yourself type junkyard to find that they had a nice selection of Cherokees with a good selection of usable parts on them. While hardly containing my excitement I found a Cherokee with a factory front skid plate and some aftermarket brackets on the front. The brackets looked pretty beefy and they were still new. The hardware didn't even have any rust on it! I bought the brackets that I thought could be tow hook brackets for $4 each and took them home. After having time to calm down and think more clearly I question whether these brackets would work well as tow hook brackets. I do not know how to post pics, or if I can (black name) so I will try to describe. The brackets mount to the "frame" using the same three holes as the front bumper brackets but there is a piece of steel with two bolts welded to it that sandwiches the "frame" and the bumper bracket between the other side of the aftermarket bracket. Following me?? The front of the bracket is "L" shaped with the long part of the L going up in front of the end of the "frame" behind the front bumper and a bolt with a spacer attaches to the front of the "frame" and front crossmember thing. The short part of the "L" sticks out in front of the vehicle under the bumper and has two holes drilled into it to mount something (tow hooks??). It seems to me a setup like this might be okay for light to medium duty pulls that are fairly straight. I would question using them for hard sideways or angled pulls. My concerns are as follows:
1) The brackets mount to the end of the frame at same locations as factory bumper brackets and does not;
1a) Extend down the side of the framerail using the reinforced hole as a mounting point
nor does it;
1b) Cradle the "frame" with an "L" shape that mounts to the side and bottom of the "frame"
2) The holes drilled in the end for mouning something do not look like they would work well for tow hooks. They are not one in front of the other, rather they are side by side. Make sense?
If anyone has suggestions or help with posting pics to make for a better disscussion, please speak up. FYI, the XJ I plan putting these brackets on is mildly to moderately modified and sees moderate wheeling. It also has a Rusty's steering box brace and a factory front skid plate to help reinforce the front.
1) The brackets mount to the end of the frame at same locations as factory bumper brackets and does not;
1a) Extend down the side of the framerail using the reinforced hole as a mounting point
nor does it;
1b) Cradle the "frame" with an "L" shape that mounts to the side and bottom of the "frame"
2) The holes drilled in the end for mouning something do not look like they would work well for tow hooks. They are not one in front of the other, rather they are side by side. Make sense?
If anyone has suggestions or help with posting pics to make for a better disscussion, please speak up. FYI, the XJ I plan putting these brackets on is mildly to moderately modified and sees moderate wheeling. It also has a Rusty's steering box brace and a factory front skid plate to help reinforce the front.