Tow hooks on first gen?

[thewishkah]

I bought 10,000 lbs max load tow hooks today for my first gen and im wondering where I should mount them? I got rid of the bolts it came with and put in stainless stell allenkey 1/2 inch bolts / nuts and locking washers. I was thinking about mounting them at the very bottom of my push bar so that they are easy acsess and its the most sturdy part closest to the chasis where the bar is mounted any suggestions? I want them visible and functional thanks in advance heres a pic of them.

 

[thewishkah]

bump*

 

[nak4af]

In this pic you can see where I mounted mine from a newer F-250/350. I had to grind the frame a little bit to make it flatter but that's all. It also doubles as a jacking platform for my Hi-Lift jack. Hope I helped you out!

 

[thewishkah]

thanks for the idea

 

[bmxking5]

Here's a pic of mine. You can use a hole in the frame for one of the bolts, and then drill the second one. Hope this helps

 

[rhyno]

I would suggest that you do not mount them on your push bar and try to find a way to mount them directly to the frame. The forces those things can see when in use require a very solid mounting point. Good luck!

 

[thewishkah]

well I did mount it to the push bar and it works well. I mounted them approx 2 inches from the frame for the strongest point on the bar. I used it to pull my friends 2002 tacoma uphill for about one city block at about a 25-30 degree slope with no problems not so much as a hairline movement in both the hooks or the push bar. heres some pics...

 

[bates]

That looks good, but I have a feeling somebody will say its not strong enough.

 

[bmxking5]

Those aren't gonna be strong enough




j/k , looks good.

 

[thewishkah]

lol thanks well i know there pretty stong to pull a 2001 4 door tacoma up hill in reverse with ease.

 

[rhyno]

Static pulling is one thing, getting jerked out of a mudhole is a whole different thing. If they will only be used for light duty use, you should be fine. I think that a hard pull will bend your pushbar, but I may be wrong.

 

[SVO]

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81364&highlight=turn+signal

 

[DeRocha]

At least you have a decent frame mounted push bar. It looks ok for light duty use, but I would be very careful when using it. The Straight line pull you did was one thing, but often times the pull is off center and could cause your push bar to wrack under the force. BTW what grade allen bolts did you install?

 

[HR57]

Stainless Allen Bolts are only grade 3 to 5. Regular Allen Bolts are Grade 8. You can't harden Stainless Bolts they are made out of 300 Series SS. Regular's are made from high carbon steel and are Hardened.

 

[Rhett]

I plan to install tow hooks as Bryan has done, in the pic above. I am going to use long bolts (several inches long) that will go through the entire frame rail, from top to bottom. That way each hook will be anchored at the top and bottom of the rail.

Often the hooks you buy come with bolts and such but they are short and not Grade 8; personally I can only recommend gr8 bolts for this type of application.

 

[bates]

Jeff: Your hooks aren't cast are they? I have hooks that look just like the ones he has and they are cast. I've heard from many a source that welding cast things is very very bad. Have I been misinformed?

 

[MazdaOR]

Welding cast iron/steel is not the smartest thing to do. It will be very prone to crack while welding, and if you get it to weld... It will be prone to cracking/breaking while under load. Bolting with grade 8A allen or hex bolts would be the best method. If you decided that you must weld them on, use 60XX or 50XX series sitck welding rod. It is soft in comparison to 70XX or 80XX series rod and will be less prone to cracking.