whitescrew77

Thanks for the size hardware you used.

Good grief that is high priced on ebay, but they are chrome. I'd take an old black set out of junkyard and just repaint them and use them. Gotta be cheaper!

ultradriver10000

Just use you´re trailer hitch of you´re pulling out back.

I´m sure you could get these to work...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/GMC-CHEVY-TRUCK-4X4-4WD-BLACK-TOW-TOWING-HOOKS-11-LONG-/320625347185?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4aa6c28a71&vxp=mtr

Ford850

This is more like it.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/04-08-09-10-11-12-Ford-F-150-Truck-OEM-Front-Black-Tow-Hooks-/121099937869?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item1c321e684d&vxp=mtr
Ok, I see one of you just bought those, so here's a link for some others.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/FORD-F150-TOW-HOOKS-O-E-M-/151024556736?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2329c3dac0&vxp=mtr

Chrisj

A lot of work for nothing. I installed a class III hitch and wondered if it was strong enough to use as a tow bar. I dont think I would want to attach a strap to the middle area of the bar to get me unstuck...too much force for that bar IMHO.

So I got a reinforced axle sling from Tractor Supply. These can attach to the hitch attachment point and that is a strong pull point.

gDMJoe

Took a slightly different approach to attaching a set of front tow hooks to the rear hitch ...

Grade 8, square U-bolts ...

• no fabrication necessary.
• in-stock items at a local spring shop. *Co$t was $12 for the U-bolts, washers, and nuts.
• no fuss, no muss, less than 5minutes installation time.

Specifics:

billf

I have successfully used gDMJoe's approach and am quite happy with the results. Here are the details:

o I recently put a winch mount on the front of my truck and as part of the process had to remove the stock tow hooks, so I just mounted them on the rear using gDMJoe's approach.

o I couldn't find 1/2" diameter grade 8 square U-bolts anywhere on the web or locally, so I wonder if the ones gDMJoe got are really grade 5 like the ones I got.

o I couldn't find the exact size I needed, either online or locally, but I found a spring shop that would bend them to order using grade 5, 1/2" diameter threaded rods they have in stock. They only cost me, with nuts and washers, a little more than $6 apiece.

o I have a 2012 F150 with the tow package, so it has the factory hitch. The crossbar is 2-1/2" square, so I had the U-bolts bent to leave an opening between the legs of 2-1/2". Because the shortest rods they had were 12" long, that made the legs of the U-bolt, after bending, about 5" long. This is 1" longer than I needed, but not so long that I had to cut them down.

o Here's a picture of them mounted:




o Here's a close-up from the outside:



o Here's a close-up from the inside showing how close each tow hook is to the frame rail (the three bolts seen on the left are holding the hitch and the bumper onto the frame):

whitescrew77

Looks good. Nice job.

gDMJoe

Double-checked my invoice and grade 8 is noted.

AH HA! and Urethra!!! Mine were in-stock, no assembly required items. *Part # 12021203SO.

With a C length of 3˝", the tip of the threads is even with the bottom of the nut.

No matter. It's all good.
.

billf

gDMJoe: I wish I could have found grade 8, but grade 5 should be OK. It was actually kind of cool to have them bent to order. I called them on the phone to ask if they had what I wanted in stock and they said they'd bend them up. By the time I drove over they were done!

Toddman38

iTrader: (5)

Where did you purchase those u-bolts? A local shop? Thanks