tow hooks/recovery

[crawlin91]

I NEED RECOVERY POINTS! how easy is it to put some tow hooks on a 2nd gen ranger? I also considered front and rear receivers so that I could do a cradle mount winch in the future.

 

[Jason]

I would buy the receivers and a d-ring to fit the 2".

 

[Mutant Pony]

Tow hooks were a factory option, they are a direct bolt in, if you can find them.

 

[crawlin91]

I would buy the receivers and a d-ring to fit the 2".

yeah the receivers and D-rings look sick. That and I never really plan to part with my ranger. I really Love my truck. I may even have someone fab some bumpers. there was a guy on Craigslist not to long ago that would do simple bumpers starting at $140. Maybe I will check that out.

So if they are stock I need to hit the yard? The last time the ranger broke I just threw a tow strap around the D35 as best I could and did the damn thing.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

receivers are a much better option than hooks. jerking on only one frame rail, its quite possible to jerk your frame askew. receiver hitches help to distribute the force between both rails.

i know they make bolt-on front hitches for gen III's, not sure about gen II's though.

 

[Mutant Pony]

My mud truck and my offroad truck each have the factory hooks on the front. You put each end of the strap on a hook, the middle of the strap hooks to the other vehicle. I've broken straps but, never pulled a frame rail.

 

[mkpecor]

ya i have a shackle on one side and tow hook on the other[in front] and have never had any probs.

 

[crawlin91]

That makes sense about bending the frame. Wouldnt that also hold true then for a fabbed bumper that has shackles that are mounted towards the corners of the truck?...just curious?

 

[hitech_hick]

That makes sense about bending the frame. Wouldnt that also hold true then for a fabbed bumper that has shackles that are mounted towards the corners of the truck?...just curious?

A well constructed bumper would act as a cross-member and help to reinforce the frame.


hick

 

[Birdman09]

heres teh poormans setup on my bronco, and has yet to fail me.. i have 2 towhooks mounted up front which have yet to be used. out back i have a reciever, i have a really heavy duty hitch but i dont take it wheelin, heres how it do it

hitch pin, and my 4" strap

lock pin in and your done

it may not look to heavy duty but i have snatched a 9000lb cummins dodge, 95 f150 on 35s and this behemoth out of this same hole...

this is my friends van, its the baddest van around, its a 76 ford clubwagon, factory 4x4, it has a 460 big block with some goodies on some 33-34"s ( ignore the rednecks in the picture haha)

in pic is my friends stock fx4... ( i made it through hole hehe)

i was first to make it through center, i only got stuck once, keep in mind this is some thick soft mud, and no ruts in it, so u just had to plow through the sht

i stand by my cheap ass methods, im lucky i even got straps, the chain came with the bronco when i got it, and my dad found all my straps and a box full of locks and stuff in the warehouse at his work for free

 

[94STXRanger]

Where do you find a front hitch for the gen 3s?

 

[bobbywalter]

just buy the hidden hitch. its a unifit model.









and, your not gonna wreck a street safe non rusted in half ranger frame pulling on one rail. unless it is cemented or frozen in. and you need jack hammers/spud bars to bust the cement/ice around it.


hooks are fine to get you going, reciever hitches are expensive, hell the junkyards that will even sell them get 25-75 bux usually. for 15 bucks you can mount one hook front and rear, i usually keep a few extra with me just to install on trucks i have to recover that dont have them.


though it is best obviously to pull from a reciever or at least from center if you can mount the hooks on a piece of channel that way, i did that on the back of mine too.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

CLICKY!

draw-tite CUSTOM fit front reciever for gen III's (none of that fugly universal fit crap).

 

[northerncountry]

I just found a reciever laying around hacked it gusseted it with 1/4 inch plate made brackets and it has worked fine I'll post some pics of it k. as for the back I just went to auto zone and picked on up for the rear for like 150 bucks or so.

I MID'd it together then sand blasted it threw some bed liner paint on it and bolted it on using grade 8 bolts can't remember the size off hand but they are big !!!

 

[rickcdewitt]

the cast hooks for a f 150 late 80's -early 90's bolt right to the bottom of the frame in the front