Okay guys... I have a question.. New to the truck scene... well first winter with one. Okay I put a bull bar on my truck so that took out the tow hooks. And currently I do not have ball or a hook in the rear. Where would you guys suggest hookin a tow rope up to if I would get stuck, or need to pull someone out.

 

Do you have a receiver hitch on you truck? Even if you don't have a ball mount in the hitch you can wrap the strap around the hitch. If you don't have the receiver, then my next choice would be to go around the frame and in front of the rear spring shackle (what the leaf spring mounts to, It is on of the strongest points on the truck) that way the shackle is stopping the strap from slidding down the frame.

As for the front I can't think of a good place.

 

First of all, don't ever put anything on the ball of your hitch but a trailer! Never use a tow-ball as an attchment point to pull anything out with a chain, rope, strap, etc.... Those are not designed for that purpose and can/will bust, sending a 30 oz cannon ball through someone's windshield/face....

"If" you need to pull anyone out and you don't have a reciever hitch in the back, then i'd say....wait until someone comes along that does have one and let them do it. If you really wanted to be prepared and didn't have a reciever hitch, you can buy a "tow-grapel" that hooks into slots in your frame. As far as your front hooks, if there's room available and you can do so, mount your tow hooks under the tow bar and buy longer grade-8 bolts to mount them with....

 

I tried it and you would need 1'' or 1.5'' spacer so the tow hooks fit flush.

 

if you can, just push the loop of the strap into the receiver and put the pin in it, it works but not so good on a side pull. i got a receiver with a clevis loops, and some solid 2x2 stock with a big clevis just in case.

 

Whatever you do, don't try pulling somebody out with the Bull Bar. As somebody else stated, hooking a strap to a tow ball can lead to a "30 oz. cannon." You ought to see what a 40 lb. Bull Bar looks like in motion.

I almost always pull somebody out from the rear to take advantage of my LS rear end. I also have a tow strap and a chain with J-Hooks that I attach to a towing eye that fits in my receiver. Before you try pulling anybody out though, talk to somebody who knows what they're doing. You can do a heck of a lot of damage to you, your truck or the person you're trying to help if you don't know what you're doing.

 

Yeah, use caution if your using a chain to tow. I've seen chains break before when towing stuff out and its not pretty. I carry in my truck a tow rope, a hitch but with no ball on it, and a couple of clevis' and if ever I have to tow someone I would just put the clevis through the hole were the ball should be on my hitch. I wouldn't recommend pulling from the front, specially without tow hooks. I try and not ever pull with the front of a vehicle when possible. A chain has no problem going through a windshield when it snaps, and thats usually were it ends up if they do snap. If not that then through the grill and into the rad.

 

hey thanks guys... Yeah I would normally never pull from the front or be pulled from the front, but I was just trying to figure it out if the front was the only option if lets say I were to be stuck.

Does this work pretty good just pulling straight back or whatever?

 

yea, strap in reciever works good unless you have a very large strap..

on the car being towed/yanked, make sure you have a good spot, on little cars you have very little choices... any one care to chime in on what to hook to on a small car without tow hooks?

 

I'll usually just wrap it around the reciever frame.

If you use chains, dont tug, pull slow and easy. I use chains almost everytime as long as i don't have to get momentum going

 

Or just dont get stuck lol

 

That's why I carry the J-Hooks. There's almost always something one can safely grab with them. I do also carry several "keys" that fit into oblong slots on the frames of some cars. (Same things they use to tie down the cars on transporters.) These have a short length of chain on them that then gets hooked to either my strap or chain.

Speaking of chains, never "yank" somebody out with a chain. You're more likely to break something or hurt somebody. When using my chain, I apply tension, then gently pull. When somebody's in deeper, I use the ****** em strap and appropriate hardward to jolt them out. You'd better know what you're doing to try that game though.

 

i've never had to pull anyone out that way, i always come prepared, now matter what, you just never know. especially when some drinking is involved everything becomes a good idea

 

it always makes for a good trip when carnage is involved i personaly like when people hook straps up to body panels

 

x2. i had to tow my friends car to a shop towing him from his bull bar (btw don't tow someone somewhere with a strap) and it destroyed his bull bar.

if im pulling someone from the front i will only do it if they have the hooks because i dont want to be blamed for something breaking while pulling. and if im pulling from the rear i have this cool thing that goes in the receiver thats inclosed that i put in there receiver and then i hook it up to my front tow hooks so there are no open hooks at all. wish i new what the thing in the receiver was called, it was a gift.