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Welded or Bolted

jeepguy97

NAXJA Forum User
Location
clearfield, pa
Was gonna install a set of tow hooks front and rear to be ready for Paragon this Spring (requirment). I was gonna bolt em on but last weekend while we were weeling a friend got his cherokee stuck :roll: and when we yanked him out his bolted on hook bent to s*** and then ripped of and proceeded to launch like a bat out of h*** towards the recovery vehicle. So this got me to thinking would welding tow hooks on be secure or do heavy duty bolts still rein supreme for this.
 
Tow hooks should always be bolted on. The heat from welding weakens the hooks and surrounding metal if not done correctly. Most sanctioning bodies specify bolt on tow hooks and ban welded on ones.

That said, I'm like Fergie wondering where your friend's tow hooks were bolted - if they were just bolted to the bumper or the frame rail . . . that would have been the problem. Since the XJ is a uni-frame designe, the metal thickness is not great enough to just bolt on tow hooks - you need special brackets made for the purpose, or tow hitches.


See this application form from a vehicle inspection form:

http://www.mntrailriders.org/insp.htm


Ottawa Jeep Club Membership Rules banning welded tow hooks:

http://216.239.41.104/search?q=cach...rter.pdf+"welded+on+tow+hooks"&hl=en&ie=UTF-8


Discussion on most clubs prohibiting welded on town hooks:

http://www.off-road.com/ford/bigbroncos/tech/recovery/
 
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did the bolts break, or did the mount tear? if the bolts broke, then you need to get some beefier hooks and use large grade 8 hardware. if the mount tore, then it would have done the same if it were welded.

The "right" way is bolting (with the appropriate brackets and/or bumpers)

But I have seen welding work quite well, but you better first seriously plate the unibody, be very confident in your welding, and be prepared for serious harrassment
 
cherokees don't have a whole lot to bolt to... its mostly just tin. I have seen people bolt the hooks to steel that is then bolted back along the unibody for a foot or so. if you use some good grade 8 bolts, (they don't need to be much bigger than 5/16ths or so) and use a few of them, it should be more than sturdy enough.
That said:
The best way to anchor a rig is with a tow bar. One of these Reese or Draw-tite hitches are about 100 dollars and will stand up to thousands of pounds of force with out blinking.

:nono: You really don't want to under-do this.
I have heard about bumpers being yanked off of trucks so hard they fly through windshields... no rollcage protects you from that!
 
jeepguy97 said:
Whats the best way to mount them then


forget the hooks, they stink, like you mentioned earlier they can be sheared off if pulled at a severe angle, therefore they are good when pulled straight on. I have my front hitch mounted to the front, very sturdy and it makes the front end stiffer due to the hitch acts like a crossmember to the rails. I have both hitches on in the rear and the front. All you need to do is get a front hitch and a reciever shackle and you are all set, it is probably a lil harder to install versus the hooks, but it is well worth it. Not only you can pull from the reciever shackle, there are two more towing points (tow loops) on either side, so there are more pulling options to choose from. I chose the Draw-Tite because it hides behind the plastic valence and it preserves most of the clearance for offroading. Good Luck whatever you do.

here is the site on installing a front hitch plus it explains the advantages/disadvanteges of getting a front hitch for your Cherokee.

http://www.jeep-tech-tips.com/jeep-tow-hooks.html
 
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how would grade 8 or stronger bolt sheer off? if you are THAT stuck then its time to reconsider your equipment
 
Damn, I go away for a little bit and the place goes to the dogs.... ;)

Don't say forget tow hooks, that's what the vast majority of us use. I wouldn't be caught dead with a hitch on the front of my rig. Hitches are for the back, winches and tow hooks are for the front. :D

The best tow hook brackets made are the factory ones. A manufacturer or two make brackets that are inadequate, which is a tough deal because someone buying them assumes they are strong enough to do the job. Tow hook brackets can be fabricated but they should follow the design of the factory mounts, replacing the bumper mount and going back along the frame to a large hole designed for a bolt through the frame. The factory brackets also come with a peice of angle that goes inside of the bumper mount, adding additional bracing to the front crossmember. The factory mounts are also meant to be used to mount a winch bumper, so if a company sells a heavy duty winch bumper but only bolts it to the stock bumper mounts (three bolts), the factory tow hook/winch bumper mounts should be used to mount the new bumper.

Every 4x4 organization (including ours) stipulate in their safety rules that weld on tow hooks are not allowed, for the reasons that have already been stated. A wimpy, under built tow hook bracket isn't much better.
 
Goatman said:
Damn, I go away for a little bit and the place goes to the dogs.... ;)


hey now... i resent that remark! :viking: I guess I got yer goat. :chef: I realize that most of you guys have the tow hooks, just trying to offer an alternative... that's all.
 
jeepguy97 said:
Is there any possible way to mount them with out brackets..that is support them with a piece of metal????????

????

The brackets are pieces of metal to support the hooks. No, there is no (safe) way to do it without brackets.

I disagree with Goatman (as usual). He is correct that the factory brackets are good. (I hope so -- all my registered and driveable Cherokees and Comanches are wearing them.) But they aren't available except from wrecking yards. Two aftermarket manufacturers offer brackets that are virtual clones of the factory units, and made of thicker steel. Rusty's Off-Road, and Custom 4x4. Both sell for around $75 (last I knew). I've been told that C4x4's kit is slightly better because it includes an additional lateral brace that's absent from Rusty's.
 
Around here most guys run tow hooks. Loops and clevis's are not seen much because of the hassle of hooking a strap through them. With a hook you just slide the strap and go, with a clevis you have to take it apart.

When winching place a blanket or jacket half way between the winch/tow vehicle and the towee. That will dampen the energy if something breaks. I have seen it done when a cable broke and it worked better than what I thought it would. Still scared everybody when it let loose tho.
 
I bought my cherokee with already torn tow hook brackets. The brackets were almost sheered right off the vehicle and they were the stock tow hooks. Don't know what the kid got himself into but it must've been a doozy.
 
Well taht makes me feel good about the factory brackets..oh well who knows how hard he tried to yank. I just dont see brackets for the rear anywhre and ive seen hooks there so i dont know what to mount to there.
 
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