Thinking ahead

anyone know where i can get stock xj tow hooks besides a junkyard? online would be preffered. also does anyone have pics of them mounted?? i dont want to get a new bumper im just looking for a good place on the frame to mount some hooks at least two front and one rear. or maybe even two rear... were do you guys think you end up towing from more??

maine96xj said:

anyone know where i can get stock xj tow hooks besides a junkyard? online would be preffered.

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Custom 4x4 Fabrication has them. Most importantly, they come with the reinforcing plates you'll need to mount them and not have them tear out of the frame rails the first time you use them. They're $75, but an OEM set will run about the same if not slightly more by the time you track down all the necessary parts.

were do you guys think you end up towing from more??

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For towing? The rear, definitely For recovery, it depends on how either me or the other guy is stuck and which end is most convenient to drag one or the other of us out by.

try ebay...there's a seller on there selling c4x4 / factory style brackets for $45 + 20 for the hooks...he also has that 'make an offer' option...i just picked up a set of the brackets for $40+ shipping!

Rusty's has them.

how do these mount? and what is the purpose of the extended mounts?

if i went to a junk yard what years/models would i find them on?

maine96xj said:

how do these mount? and what is the purpose of the extended mounts?

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They mount by bolting through the backing plates which in turn mount to the frame rails. The backing plates essentially spread the load placed on the hooks over a greater area, thus preventing the hook from tearing out of the frame rail. I'll see if I can't get a photo of how my OEM ones mount, but I suspect that the front skid is going to make that difficult.

if i went to a junk yard what years/models would i find them on?

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Any year will have them, but it's highly-dependent on whether or not they were specified at the time of sale. Quite frankly, this isn't an item I'd necessarily want to grab from the junkyard - you don't know how they've been used or abused, and probably don't want to find out in the middle of extricating yourself or someone else.

I'd also strongly recommend going with the C4x4 items - their stuff is very beefy, and they stand behind their products.

This is what the factory ones look like mounted
http://www.rjpsystems.com/jeepnoselow01.jpeg

Any of the aftermarket ones are better.

What's the point of the skid, you're going to damage your Hella's and the air dam first anyway

Good choice of tire, though......thumbs up!

Blaine B. said:

What's the point of the skid, you're going to damage your Hella's and the air dam first anyway

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Not necessarily. As annoying as that skid is if you're trying to work on stuff in that area, it's saved the tie rod and other steering bits in that neck of the woods from damage on a couple of occasions. It's also been rather useful in the snow (not that I spend tremendous amounts of time wheeling in the snow, but you get the idea).

Suppose so, but I'd have not mounted the lights there anyway......

delete

thanks for the info... ill be ordering a couple to get them on the front and ceck out where they go on the rear