tow hook vs tow hitch

[bchcky]

here's the deal, i'm going to end up getting the rusty's front tow hook kit for my zj most likely. just seems to be the easiest and most reliable option.

however for the rear....i was looking at mounting a tow hitch. those are about $100. but i was looking underneath, and the bolts where the hitch mount would be attatched seem to stick out enough where i might be able to rig something to put d-rings on there or something. anyone have any ideas about this? or if it would even work? my thinking was just that if the bolts would hold a tow hitch in the first place, they should hold d-rings as rear recovery points. or am i dead wrong? i'm not even sure how i'd put something like that on there though, so if someone does think this idea is possible....could you also point me in the right direction? thanks in advance!!

 

[randomjeeper]

hey,
i have a tow hook mounted to one of those bolts under there (94 zj), but that was a temporary fix as i needed to have a rear tow point for a couple of trips. i also got stuck once and it was good enough to get me out with, but after that incident i realized it spins around. i recently bought a tow hitch from a junkyard, but am waiting to put it on because i am way too busy right now .

 

[bchcky]

thanks for the info. i'll have to check again to see how far the bolts are mounted from eachother....if they're the right measurement maybe i could mount a tj/yj hook upside down on the bolts?? that would be sweet. sometimes i amaze myself :wink: :wink:

 

[randomjeeper]

you might want to ask others about that, i'm not sure how sturdy a tow hook mounted there would be for your purposes. also the way i got stuck, the tow hook was visible, but had i not been stuck at an angle, my bumper might have gotten in the way of being pulled out (for example, had i been stuck in mud). i have seen tow hooks on the back of zjs (in the grocery store parking lot) and it looked like they had some type of bracket or something, so that it stuck out from under the bumper.

 

[bchcky]

thanks for the input randomjeeper. i'll have to look around some more i guess. it was just going to be a quick fix. i've been hard pressed to find rear hooks for a zj. and i'm pretty sure with my new lift and tires i might try to bite off more than i can chew and get myself stuck once or twice

 

[LauraBoston]

I don't think you can put a hook on the back.

http://store.uhaul.com/(rmjzau45vsrasp2fqjof2g45)/wizard_hitches.aspx

I think the warantee is $5 and it's no matter what you do to it...

Im sure some others have some other options.

 

[L33TJ33P]

Just get a ClassIII Hitch Reciever and a Clevis Shackle. your all set

 

[graewulf]

Just get a ClassIII Hitch Reciever and a Clevis Shackle. your all set

What he said... don't even bother with the hooks.. get the hitch. You will be thankful down the road. Plus, being unibody, the frame is lighter (yes, the ZJ does have a frame, it is just lighter than a normal frame, and welded to the body) the hitch will distribute the load to BOTH frame rails, lessening the chance of twisting something.. which is why I recommend the ZJ radiator support as opposed to the tow hooks in the front, same amount of work, gets you extra clearance in the front, and distributes the load to both rails...

 

[bchcky]

thanks guys....grae, you got a link or something to show the radiator support in the front?

 

[graewulf]

Here ya go.. this is on my list real soon....
http://www.kevinsjeepparts.com/zj/zj_rad_support.html