GallasCherokee

I Have a 98 XJ. I have an aftermarket bumper that has d-ring mounts on it. My question is should I use the d-rings on my bumpers to pull someone out/get pulled out?! Or should I get after market tow hooks that go on the unibody? Please help! Any advise will help!!

dmill89

If your bumper had D-ring mounts it probably should have come with "frame" tie-ins (though not all do), if it didn't come with tie-ins it is highly recommended you add some (buy/make) before doing any recovery.


Here are some links to tie-in kits, or you can make your own if you can cut and drill 1/4" (preferred) or 1/8" (minimum) plate:


http://www.jcroffroad.com/product/XJMISC/XJUNF.html
http://www.dirtboundoffroad.com/fron...-brackets.html

Turbo X_J

Be careful, peeps get killed doing this

Stabsthedrama

That coulda been a lot worse. See the one where the guys on the dunes got the tops of their heads taken off?

Ya....I won't link that one.

GallasCherokee

Ok so the bumper I have now does tie into the frame with the 3 bolts but stops before the power steering box bolts is that what you guys are talking about?

ThatDude114

Is that an Idaho plate I see? Where you at? I'm up in Moscow! Anyway, if its just attached with 3 bolts like this




Then its not tied in to the frame well and you should pick up some tie-in plates liked what was linked above.

If it's something like this or similar




Then you're all set man

caged

only that one doesn't have the tie ins bolted any more than a stock bumper would.

those accidents wouldn't have happened if their equipment wasn't jerry rigged or shoddy built.

don't cheap out when it comes to safety. get a bumper with proper tie ins and use all the tie in bolts for petes sake.

as for the rear, simplest is a trailer hitch and d shackle insert.

GallasCherokee

I'm in boise!

dmill89

^This, you'll notice that the stock bumper attachment points aren't very strong (they were never designed for pulling, stock tow-hooks also came with tie-in brackets that pick up a hole further back the rail), the front two aren't even into the boxed part of the rail, just a flat sheet metal "extension" in front of the cross-member, the third one is in the boxed part of the rail (barely) but is a weld-nut that only picks up one side of the rail and is not much stronger than the others. You want tie-ins (like the ones linked and shown above) that go back an pick up the stock tow-hook mount hole (and steering box bolts on the driver side as well) which is well into the boxed section of the rail and goes all the way through.


Here's what the brackets/tie-ins that came with my bumper look like, you can see they pick up several more holes than stock like the others linked and shown in this post, that is what you want for recovery. Also make sure to use Grade 5(minimum) or Grade 8 (preferred) hardware.

Kycheokee

I am not clear about your use of stock. Do you mean the " stock" bumper? I have been on the lookout for the factory installed optional tow hooks for my 2000 XJ. Are these sufficiently braced for vehicle recovery?

dmill89

I'm referring to the 3 bolts holes at the front of the rail that the stock bumper attaches to. An aftermarket bumper designed for recovery (has D-ring mounts, etc.) should have tie-in plates that go further back the frame and pick up more bolts in stronger parts of the frame (not all aftermarket bumpers come with these though and you should add them before attempting to use your bumper for recovery if it did not come with them).


Below is a diagram of the tie-ins that came with my bumper explaining the stock vs. additional holes:



You could use OE tow hooks if you want to, but be careful with sideways pulls, the stock tow hook brackets are sufficient for recovery, but still are made of sheet metal (albeit heavy gauge) and aren't exceptionally strong. If you already have an aftermarket bumper with D-ring mounts but lacks tie-ins your best bet is to add tie ins, these will be stronger as the bumper itself adds bracing for sideways pulls and most aftermarket bumpers and tie-ins will be thicker steel than the OE tow hook mounts (also likely much cheaper, the Dirtbound tie-ins are only $36 + hardware while OE style tow-hooks generally run around $100).


This side pic of the dirtbound tie-ins also shows you how many more holes they pick up vs. the 3 stock bumper mount holes at the front:

GallasCherokee

Yes mine only have the there bolts it doesn't go back all the way. So do I need to weld a better bracket on or how does that work?!

ThatDude114

You can just buy a set of frame tie ins. Theres no welding or anything, they just sandwich between the frame and your current bumper mounts.