Mihogan

Hi guys. If you remember I put a rear tow hook way back during the summer, and have still never needed to use it! Only used it a few times to demonstrate how to do it by pulling a car that was in neutral while on flat pavement, and once trying to slowly hand winch it a few feet from a tree.

Anyway, after looking at it today, it seems as if the rear-most bolt is pushing through... not sure if the rail is just supposed to look like this, but it almost looks like the bolt head on the inside of the rail is pushing through the metal, and literally bubbled it outward. Basically looks like a big bubble on the "body" - I tried to get a pic of it but you just can't see it in pics, so I tried my best to draw the basic situation on paint... but first, a picture of the same tow hook mount... the bubbling part is between the body and the lower bar of the mount in this pic...



Here is my 'drawing'...



Thanks guys

(And I have a feeling a bunch of you will recommend me a hitch, but unfortunately unless I can find one dirt cheap - like around $50 - I can't do it. Saving up for a college that is charging $30,000 a year for tuition alone, and dad won't let me spend very much on the Jeep)

goodolevaboy

did you make it your self or buy it? and if you made it what metals did you use

Mihogan

Nope, I bought it - it was a Mopar rear tow hook bracket made for the XJ. Bolted straight through the existing holes.

goodolevaboy

im thinkin weak metal man, might wanna try to reinforce it somehow.

Mihogan

Man, any ideas on how to reinforce it? The bracket and bolt are holding up - it's the Cherokee 'frame' that is bending.

goodolevaboy

oh, holy crap, i thought you ment like the main beam on the tow hook mount. ummmmm idk man

96_xj

frame stiffeners... that is your only real choice. or make a plate to sandwich the frame rail like a nut strip

its_deer_not_jeep

maby run a piece of good steel along both sides of the frame maybe weld or sandwich it so it has more structural integrity like instead of pulling from one point its pulling from multiple or even a bigger point adding more strength to your frame...

Spoonman

I agree with both posts.Get 2 pieces of 10 or 11gauge and sandwich the frame rail with them.Make sure to use lock washers also.
If you have access to a welder,I would probably just run a couple of small tack welds around the perimeter of the plate. But you can probably get along with out the welding.

its_deer_not_jeep

id get some one to do some nice fat beads down both of them so the pressure pulling on the hook will be pulling from more area then just the holes... just a word of advise from experience....

freegdr

the frame on a xj is not thick enought to be pulledon either get aa large clevis/d-ring and go around the rear leaf or install a trailer hitch and a reciver with a dring in the reciver hole to pull with

Spoonman

That's true you could run a "fat" bead all the way around it if you want and risk burning through the frame rails or warping the hell out of everything.
Or you can run small 1/4 to maybe even 1/2 inch tack welds about 6 inches apart around it and get the same results with minimal warpage and risk of burn through . And if you alternate your welds it will further help with the warpage.
I do agree though that welding it would be better than not for the reasons you stated its_deer_not_jeep. I simply suggested that Mihogan could get away with out welding it if needed.
freegdr's suggestion about the trailer hitch is probably the best option though imo since you would be pulling from both frame rails instead of just one.

freegdr

in a pinch the shackle on the rear leaf works great ive been pulling this 74 f250 out for a long time when and if he gets stuck he weighs in at about 7,000 pound my xj like to play with heavy weights lol

its_deer_not_jeep

lol yeah lol i use low heat and slow wire speed unlike alot of people and my welds are better then my friend who is a certified welder lol i like taking my time you know?

buckbagger

This is your best options the unibody frame on the cherokee is not even close to strong enough to be pulled or winched out of situations by just one side of the frame. I would recommend either making a tow point that uses both sides of the frame and at the least weld on frame stiffeners because once the frame starts to crack you will have a even larger problem on ur hands lol trust me on that one.