Jeep Wrangler Forum banner

where to put front tow hooks

18K views 64 replies 28 participants last post by  Tiki_Al 
#1 ·
i just installed offroading lights in the holes to to the outside of my milkjugs, i have tow hooks to put in also and was wondering where people put them. i didnt want to use the same holes as the milkjugs because that would be too close to the lights. Do you guys drill your own holes for the tow hooks closer to the center of the bumper? pics please. thanks
 
#4 · (Edited)
The front tow hooks are held by the bolts on top of the bumper that hold it to the frame. The tow hook bolts will be about an inch longer than what the factory used and they thread down into the frame, which is what actually holds the tow hook bolts. Don't ever bolt tow hooks just to the bumper, they always need to be bolted to the frame.

If the bolts that come with your tow hooks aren't the right thread and you need to buy longer bolts to mount the tow hooks, make sure to only use Grade 8 bolts there. Grade 5 will work too but Grade 8 are stronger and recommended. Don't use anything else but Grade 5 or 8. :)
 
#9 ·
Forget the milk jugs! Those use screw holes in the bumper's sheet metal, you cannot mount tow hooks to the bumper itself as its sheet metal is simply not even close to being strong enough for tow hooks. As I thought was carefully described above, you have to mount the tow hooks via bolts that thread down through the bumper into the frame below. They are large 1/2" diameter bolts. Please read post #4 above.
 
#30 ·
i went to sears hardware and they didnt have the correct grade 8 bolts. does anyone know what size grade 8 bolts a stock tj bumper takes?

i'm also going to get the tow hooks shown in this picture instead of the ones i have, that way i can keep my lights where they are like Jollyczar has.
 
#11 ·
Yeah, what Jerry's saying...use the top bolts that actually hold the bumper on. If they're too short, go buy new ones an inch longer in a grade 8 (it'll cost you less than $5 for them all probably). If you drill holes and attach them to your bumper, you're going to learn just how easy it is to bend and/or or rip your bumper off.
 
#12 ·
Even if you install an aftermarket bumper (as I have, see below), the tow hooks attach at the frame holes just like stock.

 
#15 ·
From the first picture, you don't have any milk jugs on. I believe "Milk jugs" are the plastic end caps, which you don't appear to have. Are you referring to the front bumper things? I'm not sure if they are also referred to as milk jugs also or not.

Those 2 torx bolts on top, next to the fog light in that second picture, is where the tow hook would go. I don't think there is a need to remove that front bumper jug. Well, not concerning the tow hook.
 
#26 ·
maybe it's just me...but it looks like your fog/driving lights (fog lights are yellow, dammit...) are too close to the hooks. :whistling: Having 'enabled' many other jeeps to get out of mudholes...I know if you get strapped from an angle across that light-it's going to get ripped right off the mount by the strap.
Move the lights out further to the ends of the bumper if you can...and save yourself from an 'oh sh$t' when you see one flying through the air when you have to get pulled (or YOU pull someone backwards)....
you don't always get pulled from directly in front of you!
:doh:
 
#28 ·
If there aren't any hash marks on the bolt and it fit the threads in your frame properly, it's not a Grade 5 or Grade 8. Only metric bolts like might have come from China where Harbor Freight gets their stuff don't have hash marks on the bolt heads and a metric bolt wouldn't have fit the threads in the frame properly.

You ABSOLUTELY cannot use bolts that aren't Grade 5 or Grade 8 (the better choice) to mount tow hooks, standard bolts are nowhere near strong enough for that purpose.
 
#33 ·
Since this thread has a pretty good following of recovery related information, i'll save starting another thread:

I just ordered an under-bumper tow hitch/receiver bar that is going to necessitate removing my rear tow hooks. The hitch bar really isn't intended for recovery (and i don't plan on needing to be recovered anytime soon...), but you never know when you're going to have to help a neighbor out of a snowbank. I'll eventually replace the stock bumper and tow bar with a bumper that has integrated tow hitch and D-Rings. In the mean time though, I was planning on just strapping someone to the front hooks and pulling them out in reverse.

I'm a bit concerned that if i have to lock the front axle to pull someone out (in reverse), i'll end up putting too much force on the steering linkages and breaking something. Should i be worried about that?
 
#34 ·
It's not recommended to pull anyone in reverse...you don't have the same gearing as you do pulling them hooked to your rear reciever so you are pointed 'away'. You can damage rear axle, steering, etc. by pulling in reverse. So unless you really can't turn around, be very careful!
 
#45 ·
Those tow hooks are the OE Mopar hooks. They are not rated for as high of a load as many aftermarket hooks are however. I seem to recall the Mopar hooks are rated at around 8,000-8,500 lbs. or close to that, while most aftermarket hooks are something like 11,000-11,500 or thereabouts.

Yes they would work with your '97. And while they physically sit on the bumper, they are not actually bolted to the bumper itself. Their bolts, and indeed the bumper's mounting bolts too, actually only pass through the bumper to the frame underneath. So the mounting bolts (be sure to only use Grade 5 or Grade 8 bolts) are really bolted to the frame underneath, not to the bumper which is only made out of sheet metal and not strong enough to be used for retrieval purposes. :)
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top