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Diy tow points?

C.Ableman

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Idaho
I just put on an oem gas tank skid and now my tow hitch won't go on. I've done some searching and haven't really came up with anything for making tow points on the cheap. I plan on buying a rear bumper sometime but I don't want to spend the money on a new hitch or tow hooks when I'm just going to get rid of them when I get a new bumper. I'm thinking just getting some bar stock and bolting it on and drilling a hole for some shackles.
How thick should the bar stock be to bolt on to the "frame rails" to be strong enough for a recovery point?
 
I'm not sure about your year but the skid plate goes over the hitch in my 89. Which came off a 95 or something
 
They should fit together... Do on mine
 
Nearly all Class-III hitches are designed to work with a stock gas tank skid. On both of my XJ's, skid plate goes on first, then the hitch.
 
I put the skid on first. The hitch doesn't have enough clearance to go around the skid. The arms that bolt into the frame aren't wide enough to go around the skid. I must have one of the hitches that didn't take that into consideration.
 
I put the skid on first. The hitch doesn't have enough clearance to go around the skid. The arms that bolt into the frame aren't wide enough to go around the skid. I must have one of the hitches that didn't take that into consideration.

I have seen that before. The hitch you have is not for the Cherokee XJ. It maybe for the Grand Cherokee.

You have to either,...

1) forget about the hitch in favor of the skid,

2) try to modify the hitch (I do not know if it is possible)

3) go to a bone yard and get one for/from an XJ.
 
I have seen that before. The hitch you have is not for the Cherokee XJ. It maybe for the Grand Cherokee.

You have to either,...

1) forget about the hitch in favor of the skid,

2) try to modify the hitch (I do not know if it is possible)

3) go to a bone yard and get one for/from an XJ.

I've seen posts in my search I did saying it didn't work either with my hitch. I don't think modifying it would be a good idea cause it would probably mess with the strength of it. The closest pull it yourself junk yard is an hour away. The closer ones charge too much for stuff.

That's why I was asking if there was a way to make something myself that will work for recovery points. I don't want to spend the money on something new that's going to just get taken off in a couple months.
 
how good of a fabricator are you?

I made some 3/4" D ring tabs that welded to a peice of 2x4x.250 tubing that goes inside the unibody rail. that is drilled and tapped to pick up the bolts for the gas tank skid/hitch.

you could then build any kind of bumper around them, or probably even notch a stock bumper to fit over them.

 
I haven't really had much time on a welder yet but i plan on starting to learn by making a roof rack. I thought about doing that but I don't think the welder I have access to right now will be able to make a good weld on something that thick. It's only a little 90 amp cheap one.
 
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