Tow hooks.

[heptofite]

Today i purchased two reese brand hooks, rated 10k pounds each.

i had to go to two stores, because each store only stocked one hook each, which didn't make a bit of sense since they are generally installed in pairs.

so i get home, and bolt them up to the holes that are already drilled in my frame from when a previous owner had a tow bar installed.

only one hole on each side lines up, fine i'll drill it.


NEVER AGAIN.

Drilling the frame was probably the worst experience of my life, made worse by the poor tools i had available too me.

right now my arms are made of jello, my head is vibrating, and there are metal shavings embedded in my arms.

But i have my f***ing tow hooks damnit, and that's what matters.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

How do you think I felt? I had to drill 6 holes 1/2" in diameter on my F-150 for mounting a tow hitch. I've also had to enlarge countless holes to replace rivets with bolts. And my Choptop got a good 12-14 holes added to the frame when I built my suspension and re-worked crossmembers.

Not trying to put you down, just saying that it can be a bear even with good equipment, lol. I hate drilling through the frame, it's some tough stuff. About the only tool that I've used that seems to work fairly well is an old electric drill. The only problem is that it's too big most of the time for drilling holes and after drilling a hole or two your arms ache from trying to hold the monster.

 

[crawlin91]

those metal shavings burn too. working with shit tools is no fun

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

those metal shavings burn too. working with shit tools is no fun

They don't burn nearly as bad as soldier.... ask me how I know...

 

[nate09]

i think welding wins out for burning the worst.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

i think welding wins out for burning the worst.

Be a tough call...

I've been hit with welding splatter before but never a blob like the soldier I got hit with. Fell right on my bare arm while I was wiring up a plug on the back of my F-150 and fixing some wires. Couldn't get it off my arm fast enough - 3rd degree despite dropping the spool and soldiering iron and frantically brushing it off. I'll be sure to wear long sleeves next time....

 

[kunar]

the trick is to sharpen your drill bit after each hole. i bought a 1/2" drill bit to do 2 holes in my frame for mounting a receiver (only had 2 bolts in it when i bought the truck) so i started drilling one hole and was having a hell of a time. run over to the bench grinder real quick and sharpen it and i just flew through the hole. sharpened it again and did the 2nd hole just as easy. knowing how to sharpen a drill bit by hand is one of the most used things i learned in high school.

 

[TheOne]

hell i used a plasma to blow holes for my hitch MUHAHA

very carefully mind u! with 1/4 plate protecting the gas tank. little taps so the heat never built up...

worked like a damb tho!

 

[Shran]

Drilling holes sucks... some tricks I have learned:

- ALWAYS center punch before even attempting to drill.
- ALWAYS drill a pilot hole. I prefer using self tapping screws first, big fawkers. I don't know exactly what size the ones I have are, but they have a 7/16 hex head and make almost a 1/4 hole.
- Step your pilot hole size up gradually. For example, if you want a 1/2" hole, use a self driller to get a 1/4 hole, then move up to 3/8, then 7/16, then 1/2.
- Never try drilling a huge hole with one size bit (1/2" for example with no pilot hole will wear you out really quick.)

 

[TheBeast]

My plasma cutter, air tools, and 200+psi capable compressor comes in handy for that crap.

 

[strvger]

also, might help using colbalt drill bits instead of the standard high-speed M2 bits. way more spendy, but usually worth it, imho.

 

[Frank The Tank]

Impact wrench and monster self tapping screws...... yeah, really. Just don't let them snug up all the way and keep rapping on the impact or snap snap.

Frank

 

[GoodOld85BlueBalls]

Next time torch em like I do. If it don't line up just egg it.

 

[heptofite]

I forgot to mention the hilarious part.

apparently somebody before put their own homebrew hooks on, made of a quarter inch u-bolt and they ran it through the sway bar mounting brackets :|

 

[rkneeshaw]

Welcome me to the club of jello-arms.... gave up after getting only halfway through with the 1/4" bit I have. Got to get it sharpened in the morning and try again later. What a ginormous PITA.

But these hooks are gonna be bad-ass though!!!!