Yes, definitely! I was stuck in a nice rut literally 20 yards from a paved road. Tow truck company was going to charge me 85 dollars because it was considered an "offroad recovery". I said, "Ma'am, I can LITERALLY spit and hit pavement. The winch on the tow truck could extend half way out and still make it past my Jeep and you're telling me it's extra because it's an 'offroad recovery'?".

She replied, "Is your Jeep off the roadway?"

Touche' towtruck dispatcher, touche'.

 

I have a front and a rear hitch reciever that I picked up over the summer. Are these "good enough" recovery points or should I get some tow hooks too?

 

Pintle ring/tow eye or a hook and you are GTG.

 

D-Ring hook-ups are the very best way to go for safety and strength. My rear bumper has 2 built-into it and the receiver has another one mounted for the center of the bumper, its a Class IV hitch. Avoid hooks as they encourage the use of chains and that combo can get you killed, use straps only for recovery.


The front/ winch and rear bumpers were the first things I bought for my XJ after I purchased it.

 

Set of tow hooks and installation: $ 125.00
Getting your XJ stuck wheelin' with the bro's and destroying it in the process: PRICELESS

 

As Fred stated, it's really better to have the hooks and brackets (I'll explain), but having the hitch is absolutely better than nothing and as long as you're smart and not trying to ****** the hell out of it, you'll be fine.

The reason I say the hooks and brackets are better:

Hitch mounts to the bottom of the frame rails and the force of recovery is then spread out in a single line against the bottom of the rail. The effort of recovery is shared by both frame rails, however it's still all on the bottom of the rail where there is less surface area. (For those questioning it, yes I am aware that the hitch on the back of the Jeep is the same concept. This is why I say be careful).

Tow hook brackets mount to the SIDE of the frame rails using 4 attachment points. 2 top and bottom up front and then 2 directly in a line going down the frame rail. This spreads out the stress of the recovery effort and also adds rigidity to the frame up front - especially in combination with frame siffeners and/or an aftermarket bumper.

 

Thank you, that was very informative. I see those tow hooks mount up front. Is there a way to mount them in the rear with a stock bumper?

 

No way to mount them in the rear at all. Stock bumper or not. There is a cross-brace in the way:




Best way to have stronger recovery in the rear than just a hitch, it so build a bumper that sandwiches the frame rail (or at least the underside of it) and uses the stock bumper mounting holes, and has d-ring shackle tabs.

 

The rear you get a trailer hitch you can buy a d ring receiver for it like https://www.amazon.com/Smittybilt-29.../dp/B001CF1A7O or in a pinch you can put a tow strap inside the hitch and use the pin to lock it in place.