Recovery Points

[RaveDigger]

I've never seen any posts about these, so I'm curious what other members think of them:

http://www.4x4groupbuy.com/store/hicountry-offroad-dring-mount-p-9582.html

They're basically shackle mounts that bolt to the bottom of the frame. I'd like to hang them from the front of my Ex because I like the appearance of D-ring shackle mounts over solid tow hooks. This mount will accept a standard 3/4 D-ring shackle, and mounts to the frame using 1/2" hardware. If I use all grade 8 nuts and bolts, will this be strong enough to pull me when (not if) I get stuck?

Edit: I also will probably need to drill holes in the frame to mount this to, is there anything I should be aware of before doing so?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Slowlyvverot]

as long as they are made of a stout metal and you use tough hardware than I'd say they would work fine

 

[KPSquared]

I've never seen those before but they look like a decent idea. I've never seen something for hanging a shackle instead of using a hook... I like it.

Just make sure you plate the top of the frame where you are bolting to. Just like the tow hooks you bolt on, they can stretch and buckle the frame where you run the bolts through. Even just a plate with 2 holes in it like a giant washer will add a lot of strength.

I may have to look into those as well!

 

[RaveDigger]

Awesome, I'll order them as soon as I get paid and install and throw up some pics when it's all done. I'll have to find some sort of material to plate off the top as KPSquared mentioned, but I can get creative!

 

[RaveDigger]

I went to order the d-ring shackle mounts I linked to above, but the company that makes them went under, so I ordered these instead:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0017KMLGI/?tag=serious-20

They're designed for a steel Jeep bumper, but I saw no reason why they wouldn't work as front recovery points for my beast. They mount to the frame with three 1/2 inch bolts and they have some steel plate pieces that fit inside the frame to increase the structural integrity of the mount.

You'll need to drill holes in the frame which is kinda a pain in the ass, but I think the end result looks pretty awesome and will be plenty strong.

This is what they look like before they go on. I lined up the front hole with the existing hole in the frame, then marked the location of the other two holes using the mount as a template.

There was some grinding and cutting of the front bumper mounts in order to get a box wrench inside the frame. You can see what I took out here:

Side view:

Both sides completed (pay no attention to the puddle of coolant beneath my explorer):

I trimmed out the center section of my bumper because otherwise it would block the d-rings. If anyone does this, you may be required to cut a taller section out of the bumper if you don't have a body lift:

Finished product:

I've read about d-rings working themselves loose and falling off the mounts during everyday driving, so I used some cable ties to prevent them from unscrewing. I also figure that it might make it more difficult for someone to steal them. If they don't have a knife or scissors on hand, it's pretty hard to break a cable tie.

Let me know what you think!