Here are a few points to consider:
1. There are 2 bolts into the frame rail. The rest are in thin gauge sheet metal. The sheet metal is not going to take much force to bend. Consider this situation: Someone is pulling you out of a deep snow rut. They start their pull nice and slow. Your rig gets pulled a few feet when all of a sudden the recovery rig starts to lose traction and slide back towards you. The driver instinctively guns it to regain traction at which point that sheet metal rips like a piece of paper. Not a very pretty picture, is it?

2. Most 4wd clubs have a requirement of safe extraction points on a vehicle for organized trail runs. They also perform tech inspections. Given that, no inspector I've ever met would allow that to be considered a recovery point.

3. A class III hitch can be had at most any j/y for $25-$50. That is cheap for a good recovery point. When installed using the nutstrips, you end up with a total of 8 class 8 bolts in the frame rails, 6 of which also pass through the hitch. The length of the nutstrips distribute the force of even a hard yanking pull evenly throughout the frame rail.

4. You are on a budget. No issue with that, I think most of us are. The question you really need to ask yourself is: "Do I want to be responsible for possibly hurting or killing someone because my weak recovery point failed?"

You can do it right, do it safely, and still do it cheaply. :thumbsup: Get a class III hitch minimum please.

Alright, I'll look into that class III hitch. Is there a sticker on the hitch itself I can look for, or some identifying feature? As always, learning...

If you got to a JY and get a hitch MOSt 2" reciver hitches you fidn will work, but a few wont. Jus tmake sure it has a 2" hole for a reciever and its a solid one piece hitch the ties into the fram rails via 3 bolts on each side. Like the photo posted earlier in this thread.

Sometimes there is still a sticker that is legible. As far as I know, any hitch on an XJ that bolts on using 3 bolts per side (for a total of 6) is classified as a class III. Here is a picture to refer to. <---Clicky.

Some class III hitches are only held on by square washers and bolts rather than nutstrips. I would strongly recommend avoiding that type of mount as it does not properly distribute the force of a pull and can actually rip holes in your frame rails. If the hitch you find at the j/y doesn't have nutstrips, you can still use the hitch, just be sure to get nutstrips and class 8 bolts to mount with.

For the record, I've used my class III hitch several times on hard recoveries with no issues.

Remember to use Grade 8 or 5 fasteners.

Fixed. Grade 5 will break. I've seen it personally twice on trail runs.

Nutstrip...?

Hang tight a minute and I'll get you a picture.

Hanging

thats scary!!!!!

Here you go. It is #16 in that picture.
Available new at: http://www.moparpartsamerica.com/spl...?siteid=214583


52001174 - right side
52001175 - left side

According to mopar, Jeeps are a station wagon.... :thumbdown:

Thanks for the linky's, I'll try to pull them off an XJ when I pull the hitch off.

No problem. When you do get that hitch, PM me and I'll give you some install tips. Takes about 1-3 hours with basic hand tools.

As in hanging out.

Will do. Just read your sig, AWESOME.