What do you think about using those gmc j hooks on a cherokee?

[Mikes off road]

The jeep I was pulling out was a XJ. The guy drove into a mud pit and only made it about 15' before it stopped. I could not reach the front end so I had to pull him from behind. After a few good yanks the hitch broke right were you would slid the reciever in.

[JackstandJohnny]

The jeep I was pulling out was a XJ. The guy drove into a mud pit and only made it about 15' before it stopped. I could not reach the front end so I had to pull him from behind. After a few good yanks the hitch broke right were you would slid the reciever in.

 

guess you wouldn't have pics of that eh?  i've never heard of that.  i mean, maybe if you were haulin out a heavy truck or something, but on an XJ?

[jpthing]

I bent a guy's hitch with my winch. Of course some fool had been tugging on it repeatedly, over and over, yanking it as hard as he could with only a chain around 3 feet long for about 10 minutes beforehand. I was standing far away After the 10 minutes the guy trying to pull's rad let loose and went into his fan ending his day and probably his long weekend. He was pulling backwards and his rad was attached with coat hanger. The other truck, a f350 was really stuck and being the nice guy/sucker that I am I agreed to help the drunk fools. I chained the rear of my TJ to a tree (yes i used a tree saver) and winched him out with a pulley block. about halfway he got hung up on some roots which was when the hitch bent. IT bent outwards about 2 inches. we stopped and attached to the outside edges and got buddy out. We drove by the same gigantic mudpit an hour or two later and the same guy was stuck in the same place...we did not offer any further assistance.
I do not have any pix of the hitch but I have a great vid of buddy's rad launching into his fan and his reaction is priceless.
Just put a strap to both sides and this will probably never happen...
The other two I have seen bend I was not there to witness the exact technique used.

[apeman]

My hitch is reinforced with 3/8's flatbar behind the main beam, and 2 gussets on each side...to avoid such a fiasco..took me an hour at work to do..but didnt put much thought into the hitch pin itself...hate to see a reciever go rocketing towards someone who is trying to help me.
also my hitch is now welded to my unibody, as well as bolted..i should look at reinforcing the main reciever somehow..i will post a pic if i find something that works.
can you buy pis that are rated for 8000 - 10000 - 12000lbs as opposed to the 5000lbs pin?  how bout a piece of rebar and some belt dressing so it doesnt squeel?

[frenchy]

  how bout a piece of rebar and some belt dressing so it doesnt squeel?

HaHa 

Have enough space in there to drill in another hole for an additional pin?

[1988 Cherokee]

Took some Jeep hooks off a XJ today, man were they hard to get off. No reinforcing plate like the $170 kind from the store. The XJ had the metal welded in and I think the reinforcing plate for $170 is the generic universal kind. I will think of something strong for the 2 good gm hooks I got.

[dubbleJs]

Took some Jeep hooks off a XJ today, man were they hard to get off. No reinforcing plate like the $170 kind from the store. The XJ had the metal welded in and I think the reinforcing plate for $170 is the generic universal kind. I will think of something strong for the 2 good gm hooks I got.

Are these OEM hook brackets you took off? What was welded to the xj?

[1988 Cherokee]

I think its that metal bracket or plate used in quadratech packages that was welded onto the frame.
The hooks look like they are OEM, its stamped 10000 lbs.
I will just bolt the gm ones onto a custom bumper

[cLAY]

Those hooks are just generaic hooks that can be bought anywhere(CT, PA,etc)  the bracket kit is the important part.


When making the bumper make sure you go back along the unibody far enough to capture all the same bolts holes that the factory tow hook brackets do.

Its also a good idea to incorporate the 3 steering box bolts. On XJs the frame can crack around the steering box mounting points. Adding the 3 bolt holes into your bumper mounting will reinforce the frame.

Here is a pic of the factory system.

[cLAY]

It doesn't show well on the grey background. Right click on it and chose to view pic to see in a new window.

[1988 Cherokee]

I got about 3 to 4 feet plate inside the frame, with 4 bolts on each side, that is plenty of structural strength for hitch and recovery point isnt it? for rear on 4 door xj

[w squared]

I got about 3 to 4 feet plate inside the frame, with 4 bolts on each side, that is plenty of structural strength for hitch and recovery point isnt it? for rear on 4 door xj

On a unibody rig, you're taking chances if you use anything other than engineered recovery points. I've seen chunks of metal thrown over 100 feet when a recovery point was not properly fastened.

[JackstandJohnny]

I got about 3 to 4 feet plate inside the frame, with 4 bolts on each side, that is plenty of structural strength for hitch and recovery point isnt it? for rear on 4 door xj

if you want to do that, you have to 'sandwich' the unibody then bolt the towhook to it.  think of how a hitch works.  the mounting surface of the hitch 'sandwiches' the unibody frame rail between the bolt plate inside the frame.   if you want to do that then it should work. don't just bolt the hook to something on the rear.

[P-Dubb]

do it right.. one barely missed me about a year ago.. smashed the sh!t outta my truck.. i still cant get pulled out without getting nervous as hell.