anyone tried making these hooks? i'm looking at them, and thinking to myself, those are simple looking hooks, the hardest part would be a) finding the steel to make the hook part, b) finding an oxy aceteline torch to heat the steel with...

i'm thinking i could simply make a jig which would consist of 2 pieces of piping welded together into a T, one piece (approximately) 1 inch in diameter, welded, on end, to the side of a piece of tubing that was 1 1/2 or so, this would have something come out the bottom, probably a piece of the same steel being used for the hook, as it would be strong as hell, have this metal come down about 2 feet, to a bench vise

basically how it would work, is you take the piece of metal to be bent, heat it up with an oxy aceteline torch (a section away from the end of the bar) take that chery red section, put it behind the vertical piece of the jig, pull towards you, to bend the metal into a u shape, if the current heating allows, continue at this point or re-heat it, and proceed to push the metal downwards (both sides evenly) and proceed to bend this into a u shape around the horizontal piece, stopping just short of 180* at this point you can let the metal cool down, preferably by quinching it in water, which will help to temper the steel, and make it stronger (athough will increase the risk of it shattering, rather than bending, if too much stress is put on it) once this is done, cut the ends of the piece to a rough length, mainly trying to make them the same length... put the ends into a bench vise, with the hook end up, heat the metal at vise level, and proceed to bend the hook downwards, to give the hook the angle that is closest to the mounting bracket... again, quinching in water

at this point, i would take the closed loops that are on, forinstance, my truck, and are CRAP, cut the loop off, and proceed to weld the newly made hook to the mounting plate, and if need be, modify the mounting bracket, and add additional supports to compensate for the body lift on your vehicle... (see redneckstone's how to for body lifted modification of tow hooks)


has this been done? what do you guys think?

 

Well, sounds like a lot of work when you can just go to a yard and get them. BUT if you got the tools, I say do it, itll be custom.

 

I dont see the point in putting all this effort into some tow hooks... Whats wrong with the factory closed ones.

 

Receiver hitch.

 

x2.

 

the problem with the closed ones, is you can't slip a loop over them, you have to have a hook of some sort, or a d-ring, and i've always been taught in rigging (done mostly for hanging truss systems for lighting equipment for large concerts and raves, and rock climbing that metal on metal is a big no no... always go metal to fabric... and in some instances, fabric to fabric is bad also, as it can get super stuck together (with the dynamic rope)

i would grab them from the junk yard, but i have yet to see a level II that is in one around here... not sure why, but i haven't seen a single one...

 

loop strap through both hooks. hook strap loop to strap via shackle. basically making a triangle. or....be super sketchy and dangerous with hook end straps. or...just front hitch the ***** with a shackle insert. lol. problem solved.

 

eh, i don't really like the look of front receivers...

if i were to make a triangle, wouldn't that put stress on the hooks, pulling them inwards, and over stress the cross member that everyone says is so dellicate?

 

If you're so worried about a "delicate front x-member", then why are you even bothering with messing with stock tow hooks if they're going to be used? Once again, hitch ftw.

 

yay common sense!

 

i don't follow you... the stock front tow hooks i'm using because i can, and i have yet to hear anyone say that under proper conditions, it will cause problems with the cross member, it's when it puts uneven stress on the 2 hooks, or inward pressure that the issue happens

i mean, people are buying these hooks for like 250$... i think that i could make a set, including my time, for less than that, plus, i could very easily make them for body lifted trucks

 

A front hitch that is bolted to the frame rails will be way stronger than tow hooks attached to the front crossmember.

 

X2. Its not always about looks. I mean, if you actually plan to use it as a recovery point.

 

what ppl are trying to say is... THE FRONT XMEMBER IS B!TCH!!!!

 

and here is the reason a front hitch is better, if this guy would have had a hitch that woudent have happened lol.

 

ok, fair enough, for how much i use it though, i don't think it will be worth the work, where as the 02-04 level II hooks are more functional than mine, plus they look good

i really don't like the look of the front receivers



his first problem was that he was using a metal d-ring on the metal loop... had he not done that, and had the 02-04 level II hooks, and been able to drop the loop of the strap onto the hook, he wouldn't have had this problem...

(yes i realize this is not correct, it probably would have helped had he had the strap anchored to 2 hooks, not just 1, and not drove like a retard) 4low, take up the slack in the strap completely, and gently pull, that ranger probably would have had no problems pulling that truck out)

 

that guy is a moron, and beats the **** out of that truck, look at the MASSIVE dent on the rear of the cab under the window... WTF DUDE!!

 

Ive pulled heavier trucks than that out of worse stuff then that and never went that fast with that much slack with my Jeep. I'm not surprised that he ripped the bumper off he is lucky he didn't do more damage.

But seeing this thread I know now to be careful with the tow points on my truck hahaha

 

They're stout enough and they do do the job....it's when stupidity happens and necessity happens is when that front x-member gets tweaked out. Stupidity with the really hard yank on just one hook, not spreading the load. Necessity with being totally stuck and it's the only tug point.

 

hook to both, even pull on both, it should be fine don't drive like a reject-tard

 

the things I have just seen... can NEVER be unseen.... my god.


"thats what your supposed to do with these straps" jesus, I hope that guy goes and buys a bus pass and doesnt touch another vehicle again... EVER lol

 

and weezl, whats wrong with using a d-ring on the stock hook? Ive never had a problem and ive been ripped out of mud holes harder than I would have liked

 

i've just been taught in rigging and in rock climbing that metal on metal is to be avoided at all costs, i think the main reason for it is a flexible strap contours to have as much surface area as possible on the d-ring, or on the loop, and not to damage it... where as a d-ring on a metal loop, all the pressure is being put on one tiny little spot...

take the d-ring, put it on a loop, and give it a good hard pull, it's going to leave a small dent on both, right at the point of impact, you can do this with a strap on the same loop, or d-ring, and pull 10x harder, never going to get a dent or any type of physical damage other than maybe bending it, (or snapping the hook off if it's cast) which you would get if you had the metal on metal anyways...

i was just taught it was a bad thing, as it fatigues the metals, and any clanking of metal on metal, slowly fatigues the metal... weither or not this is true, i don't know completely, but it does make logical sense to me, and i would rather not take the risk...


off topic, i found some 3/4 roundstock at a store for dirt cheap, a 6' length for $16 but looking at it, it looks a lot bigger than the stock loop on my truck, which i measured at .746" with my caliper, but i am no longer able to find my brand new caliper, to go measure both...

 

in for future fail at making tow hooks, I cant wait to see this!

 

LOL