I just purchased a 1996 Cherokee XJ 4wd 4 Dr with a 4.5 inch lift and Nates 4x4 bumpers all around. The front bumper is the non-recessed winch version. I bought this to tow behind our motorhome for wilderness and local excursions as we tour the country including Alaska. The bumper has a set of d-ring mounts firmly imbedded. I needed to buy a tow bar and was looking at some pricey options including baseplates that would seriously compromise the off-road mods made by the previous owner.

After a good deal of Craigslist and general internet searching I came up with an excellent but inexpensive solution. I found a number of universal 5000 lb., class III ball mount tow bars with chains for $45 new. The brackets that came with the tow bar were hefty and crude, but would have required bolting to the bumper. Then I discovered the Warrior Products D-ring tow bar bracket adapters ($60). These readily bolted in place of the originals that came with the universal tow bar. They are clearly a very high quality product, far stronger than the universal brackets. All the rotational and alignment degrees of freedom are preserved. As the Warrior Products website indicated (I used their model 865 units), nearly all lower cost tow bars use a 2 inch high, about 0.75 inch wide, main beam and therefore these adapter brackets substitute for the originals cleanly. High quality hardware included. So for a total of $105 plus tax and shipping (I picked them up locally), the setup is clearly as good and effective as the $700 - $1,000 packages from Blue Ox or Roadmaster.

Hope this will save others with the same needs some time.

 

I'm loving this idea, but I'm confused -- where on earth did you find a Class III ball mount tow bar for $45?? Craigslist? Looks like they're usually $150-$250.