OEM jeep tow points?

99 XJ classic 4x4

To make a long (yet funny) story short, I manage to get my jeep stuck in the mud last night. I am not really one for off roading at this point, so I know pretty much nothing about recovery. I could not find any tow hooks on the front of my jeep (I am guessing because it is a classic), so I hooked a tow strap around the front axle (I only need to go 10 feet). We polled the jeep out with no problem once, we had the right equipment, but I wanted to find out what the best towpoint is for the front of a jeep with no tow hooks?

also, could have have damage my jeep by pulling it out from the axle?

Finally, what would be the best thing for me to bolt on to my jeep for recovery (front and back) without changing the OEM look?

Any help is aprceiated!

ur fine by pulling on the front axle, as long as you're not tugging on it too hard. It does suck that most XJ's don't have factory tow points. I have a classic as well.

Your best bet is to put a hitch on the rear. For the front, you can buy brackets for tow hooks ($70) or try to find some at the junkyard (which I did). Otherwise you can get a hitch for the front as well or buy an aftermarket bumper with D-rings or make your own brackets. For the front especially, you just need to make sure it ties into the "frame" well enough.

Recovery using an axle is your choice of last resort. You can damage the suspension or the axle if you are not very careful. Do not hook to the leaf springs or sheet metal frame either.

Cherokees had optional tow hook brackets for the front and for the rear that work with completely stock Cherokees. You can find them in the junkyard, on eBay, in the For Sale section of the forum, or there are aftermarket copies you can buy. They provide safe and secure points to attach a recovery strap. Most people use a Class III tow hitch for a rear recovery point. Anytime you go off pavement you should have proper recovery points on you 4x4 vehicles and the proper equipment to do the job. Make sure your new tow/recovery strap has looped ends on it. Never purchase or use a strap with steel hooks on it. They can become very large size bullets if they slip loose or the strap breaks.

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thanks guys! I am going to get a set of tow hooks for the front, and a hitch for the back.

To get the jeep out, I had to go to walmart and get an all nylon tow strap. i also had to get an winch type strap with 2 metal hooks. I think i will keep them both in my trunk, and use the ratchet one as a last resort (If I ever need them again).

Like Tim said there are plenty of places to obtain brackets. If you don't want to bother with eBay, junk yards, craigslist or waiting for someone from to post brackets for sale I recommend Custom 4x4. Easy install, great fit.
Tow hooks

Another problem with using the axle is that if you're stuck in mud, there's a good chance your axle is under water and/or buried in the mud.

smccollamjr said:

Another problem with using the axle is that if you're stuck in mud, there's a good chance your axle is under water and/or buried in the mud.

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x2 on that. I've had to dive under water, literally, to wrap a strap around my axle before. Fun, fun!!!

Tim_MN said:

Most people use a Class III tow hitch for a rear recovery point.

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Good to know. I've got a class III on the rear and a hook on the front.

Axles is the best. Stay away from brake lines. sway bar mounting points etc. TRY not to jerk it out with a chain. Wench is best.
In the 8 years I operated a tow truck NO ONE I pulled out ever had recovery points. Damage do to towing as very raw but having them sure would have made my job a lot easier.

Tim_MN said:

Recovery using an axle is your choice of last resort. You can damage the suspension or the axle if you are not very careful.

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i never understood why tow hooks were the best place to pull from instead of the axle. as mentioned, if the axle is what is stuck, wouldn't it place less stress on the frame and suspension to actually pull the component that is stuck? i understand the concerns about brake lines and such, but assuming you avoid them and actually get to the axle, the axle always seemed like a better choice.

badron said:

TRY not to jerk it . Wench is best.

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:shhh:


So I should get a wench and put her in my recovery bag? If I ever get stuck, just have her give me a jerk?

danw77 said:

i never understood why tow hooks were the best place to pull from instead of the axle.

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A tow truck, or a winch for that matter, has a slow and steady pulling force that might allow you to use use an axle as a valid recovery point. The axle however is usually buried in mud or just inaccessible. I would never let anybody hook up to my axles.

With a recovery strap on the trails if you need to yank on somebody who is truly buried you are instantly doubling or tripling the pulling force and in my opinion the danger of damage. What are you going to do miles from pavement when you rip a control arm mount off you axle? What would you do if you bent a tow hook ?

Why are real 4x4's equipped with tow hooks ? For easy access when needed and for safety's sake.

For less than $150 (much less if you get used parts) you can equip your Cherokee with proper and safe tow points, front and rear and a recovery strap. Why would you risk damage ?

Where do I get one of those wenches ?

Tim_MN said:

For less than $150 (much less if you get used parts) you can equip your Cherokee with proper and safe tow points, front and rear and a recovery strap. Why would you risk damage ?

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i have them and use them, it just never really made sense to me why the axle wasn't just as good.

danw77 said:

it just never really made sense to me why the axle wasn't just as good.

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Well, I can't help you with basic common sense. Check the rules at any off-road park ( Super Lift, Rausch Creek), organized 4x4 trail ride (Jeep Jamboree, Camp Jeep), or 4x4 club (, and my local club), proper and safe tow points are one of the requirements to be able to participate. If you want to be a Bubba, don't ask me for a ride, either to home or to the hospital.

Wow Tim, calm down. I was just hoping someone could give me a little better explanation, that's all. As I said in my previous post, I have tow hooks and use them, I never pull from the axle. I've owned 4x4's for almost 15 yrs and consider myself pretty knowledgeable; however, this one point that i never fully understood.

If i step in deep mud and my shoe gets stuck, it seems to me that the logical thing to do is reach down and grab my shoe, not my leg which is attached to my foot which is inside my shoe. Likewise, in a vehicle, it would seem the best option would be to pull on the part of the vehicle that is closest to that part that is actually stuck.

i try to do things because i understand the reasoning behind them, not because that's just what everyone says to do. i have asked this question a couple times when this type of thread shows up, and i usually get the same response type of response (common sense, check the rules, etc).

I am not disagreeing with you. I understand what you are saying about the effects of a hard pull increasing the forces, and that axles aren't meant to handle those forces. I guess in my mind I was thinking more of a slow, constant pull. You're right, that's not the reality of it. I was just looking for some more info and hoping to maybe help someone else out in the process.