tow hooks?

[MudDawg]

1058085

When i got my project XJ i knew right away the stock bumpers had to go..they are barely more than tin :roll: the front has 3 mount bolts to the "frame", 2 of which are thru metal that is maybe 12 gauge.. i went to my local steel supplier and bought a stick of 2" x 6" x 11 gauge rectangular tubing and a a piece of 3/16 x 6" flat stock.. using the original bumper mounts as a pattern for the mount holes, but extending back further and following the shape of the "frame"..I bolted the mounts in with the stock bolts and then welded the mounts to the frame..for hook mounts I bought 2 receiver blanks from a trailer supply house and cut them into the bumper.. my hooks slip into the receiver..welded everything up good... capped the ends...good bumper..good hooks and a handy air tank to boot...

Dawg[addsig]

 

[mujaman]

1058092

heres another good and very strong solution... an ARB bull-bar not exactly a cheap choice, and i realize that the jump from a tow hook to an entire new bumper is rather large, but i thought i'd mention it anyways. if you are ever planning on buying a new bumper... definitely go with the ARB. it fastens on to the chassis with ten 1/2" bolts and comes with special fittings that slip down inside the frame to bolt in to and even the load out. it also has 2 tow points on the front as well as mounts for a 12,000lb. warn winch... so you can basically hook on to anything and pull as hard as you can without having to worry about pulling something loose. [addsig]

 

[MudderChuck]

1058238

MudDawg, if you can get a digicam send us some pictures. I like the sound of your approach. The last hooks I put on a Jeep were my wifes 87 XJ a long time ago. And I´m planning on doing a 96 XJ and a 91 pretty soon (spring). I need some ideas.
On the wifes 87 I used a combination of the existing bumper brackets and a frame sandwhich (like trailer hitch frame mount stiffeners) backing plates. I also hide a 1 1/2" peice of water pipe behind the bumpers between the bumper brackets. I tried to pick up as many existing bolt holes as possible. The layout of the front of the 96 is a little different than the 87.
I saw one guy that made a class 3 type hitch for his front, that mounted right under the bumper, with hooks at the ends. And he had a reciever hitch in the middle for his receiver winch. I might go this route for the 91, it will be used often off road.
The inspecters around here, are not fond of anything that doesn´t have a DOT stamp on it. But they did let the pipe backing for the front bumper go on the wifes 87, just giggled a little. I giggled when she broadsided, a VW (totalled) and all it cost us was a fender (didn´t even break the headlight).[addsig]