Front Tow Hooks... Tough?

[Husker Fan]

Anybody know how tough the tow hooks in the front bumper of the truck are? We

[ratlover]

Dont wrap around the axel! Dosnt sound like you will but figured I would add that.

Another good recovery point is the hitch. either make a tow loop(I welded a large d ring to a plate and the plate to a peice of 2" square tubing) or a big honking screw type clevis through the hole were you would bolt a ball through also makes a good removable tow point.

Use low range to ease the load on the tranny and let her eat.

I would try to avoid jerking it unless you are using a recovery strap(the strechy ones) A tow strap has less strech to it.

oh....I forgot to mention. You would probably shear the bolts first.

Be carefull, if a clevis lets lose on a strap it can come flying back at you and go through a window and kill someone. Also. straps or ropes with the hooks on em are JUNK. Straps with loops are pretty safe. if you use a chain make sure it is attached to itself. Never use the hook part of a chain to grab anything but itself.

[mackin]

Back Hoe or Bull dozer .... tongue.gif tongue.gif

Nine inch in diameter is no twig ... I hope you cut it high for leverage .... Unless you hook it to the front and back up I doubt you will grab enough traction ... Chains are better then cable rope or slings ... If they should break they will simply drop ... I don't know what the rating on the stock tow hooks but I've bent some good quality chrome hooks doing less then what your trying to attempt ....
Good ruck ...
Mac

[Husker Fan]

Thanks for the advice.

We'll use logging chains, and I've got industrial clevaces. I'm just worried that the front hooks, or at least the bolt, won't stand up. I don't know if I like the idea of using the rear trailer hitch on something like this. I wish those hooks pulled out.

We'll do some digging and chopping of the roots before we pull (Or maybe not smile.gif ).

[HD-Nate]

.. Chains are better then cable rope or slings ... If they should break they will simply drop ... Whoa, got to disagree with you there on the chain. I had one break on me pulling a stump out, big heavy logging chain. It went flying into my back window, missing my head by inches stopping with the broken end imbedded in my windshield.

Someone once told me (after that of course :rolleyes: ) that if you throw a heavy blanket over the chain it will stop if from slinging if it breaks.

I've used 3" tug straps since and have yet to break one.

Just my experiences and my .02 cents worth
;)


OH....PS. I have always seemed to have better luck pulling off the hitch in back. The trucks are designed to pull in this direction and I believe have better (lower) gearing in Forward than reverse.

The factory calls those hooks "recovery" hooks. I will assume to pull the truck out if stuck. OH and never loop the chain through both hooks. Seen a F*rd frame get drawn together doing this, like Super Man would bend a bar of steel together and touching :eek: :eek:

[DMAX Daddy]

As Nate mentioned, get a big, heavy, wool if possible, blanket and soak it with water, then toss it over the chain. It will drop like a rock if your chain/strap breaks.

[TxDoc]

Stump Puller (http://products.warn.com/warn.nsf/pages/TruckProducts.Winches.winchM15.html/)

I would not jerk on the tow hooks. I have put 16,000 pounds of pressure thru them with a winch, with the slack taken out slowly. But, have also seen them snapped with a sudden jerk by on truck trying to extract another. I guess they were not make with a lot of shear strength.

[ryeguy]

Get a buddy with a winch and cover the cable. That's a big stump.

I've broken 2", 3", and 4" tow straps.

--Rob

[mackin]

Nate

What kind of chain did that ??
I use three-eighths welded link certified chain, some five-sixteenth's .... My bud owns a trucking business hauls 40,000 LB steel coils,loaded suicide .... Can't buy chains at Walmart .... http://www.turbodieselregister.com/ubb/hihi.gif

Mac :eek: :eek: :eek:

[GMCTRUCK]

Like they say the chain is only as strong as it's weakest link. When they break they don't snap and shoot like a strap but they can do a big slow motion flop right across the top of your truck. Chain, strap, or whatever you're supposed to lay something heavy like a tarp across the middle to help catch and drop whatever breaks. Anyhow you'll probably bend the butter soft front frame before you break a hook.

[JimWilson]

Originally posted by HD-Nate:
Whoa, got to disagree with you there on the chain. I had one break on me pulling a stump out, big heavy logging chain. It went flying into my back window, missing my head by inches stopping with the broken end imbedded in my windshield.

Someone once told me (after that of course :rolleyes: ) that if you throw a heavy blanket over the chain it will stop if from slinging if it breaks.He's right! When a chain lets loose it's a very nasty thing. Don't ask me how I know. :(

Always, always, always use the blanket, unless you (actually your heirs) want to see how good your will is. :D

[cruzer]

When chains break they will fly back at you. I ve seen them go thru a tailgate. A blanket over them is advised.Chains are not made to be jerked on. I have done it b4 but never really liked it. On that jerk you can sometimes exceed the wt limit of the chain.Try to use a nylon retrival strap. When they break they go limp. DO NOT USE A STRAP WITH HOOK SEWN IN THEM. They are certain death.
The strap should have loops sewn in them(no metal) and use screw type clevises.Becareful that the strap will not be cut. Never pull from the front. You can break the front diff gears or axles. The hooks are for recovery of your stuck vehicle from another unstuck vehicle. Turn the truck around. Nevr pull off the trailer ball or any chrome hooks. They will snap and fly like a cannon ball. When parts are chromed heat is applied to the part, which can cause hydrogen embrittlement(air bubbles in the steel that weakens the steel). Don't get the strap or chain tight then pull you are putting major stress on the driveline, especially on concrete or blacktop. Have slack and then go, let off gas when strap gets tight. Let the weight of truck do the pulling, not the drive line. I've been 4wheeling for 25yrs and have seen a lot of stupid stuff done to get vehicles out, and have pulled my fare share of trees,stumps and what evers. Saftey is first. Always consider the failure of the parts you are using and where they are going to go when they break. Not if they're going to break. Keep spectators a safe distance away.

[ 09-19-2003, 10:29 AM: Message edited by: cruzer ]

[a64pilot]

Back Hoe or Bull dozer ....
Gotta second that, the possible damage to the truck out weighs the cost of rental IMHO

[wushaw]

No one has asked what kind of stump or tree this used to be. Some have shallow root system and some have very deep roots.
Like a pecan tree, the tap root is as deep as the the tree is/was tall.

There is also this thing called a stump grinder that will grind the stump flush or just below flush. I have been told they work real well.
I just use my backhoe to remove mine.

[Husker Fan]

The tree is a plum tree. I have no idea what kind of root that has. We'll do some digging around the tree, and cut some roots before we hook the truck up to it. My problem right now is I'm strapped for time.

I don't know why anyone would want to use a strap to pull a tree. I'm confident that my chain won't break, but I won't take any chances, I'll use a blanket.

[HD-Nate]

Originally posted by Husker Fan:
I don't know why anyone would want to use a strap to pull a tree.As I posted, I use a 3" strap. It takes the shock, not the drivetrain. You can jerk on the strap, much easier on the drivetrain than the chain.

The higher you leave the stump 5-6 feet the better/easier it will be to remove. If you have a garden hose around, soak the area around the stump. Mud moves easier than hard packed dirt.



Originally posted by Husker Fan:
I'm confident that my chain won't break, but I won't take any chances, I'll use a blanket. Well.....OK. Be careful

[DieselDixon]

Just make sure you use both hooks and just not one. Don't need to tweak the frame while doing this.

[Husker Fan]

Wow,

This thread turned into a lot more than I had expected, but the extra information is great.

Diesel Dixon wrote
Just make sure you use both hooks and just not one. Don't need to tweak the frame while doing this.

But HD Nate wrote:
OH and never loop the chain through both hooks. Seen a F*rd frame get drawn together doing this, like Super Man would bend a bar of steel together and touching

I would imagine that I would not want to use both hooks, unless I make a spreader bar, like when you use a crane to pick up equipment that cannot be crushed. But it doesn

[ratlover]

http://www.awdirect.com/awdirect/catalog.cfm?dest=itempg&itemid=7286&secid=73&linkon=subsection&linkid=209

I welded one of these dudes onto a peice of 1/2" plate and that onto a hitch I cut the end off of.

Or you can do the screwclevis through the hole of the hitch deal.

Hooks are bad imo because they can let things slip off or out. A loop makes things more secure IMO.

[Big_Blue]

Have you yanked it out yet??

I have pulled about a dozen BIG stumps with my max this year. All off the front tow hook. My method, chain choker about 5 feet up the tree attached to a recovery strap attached to the passenger side hook, blanket or carpet over the line closer to the tree then the truck. 4 low and just back up smile.gif

If traction becomes a problem, air down to about 15psi.

a little jerk action never hurts :D

pulling backwards allows you to see what is going on, the offset hook is safer for flying projectiles.

[DieselDixon]

OH and never loop the chain through both hooks No, guess I should have been more specific. I would not loop it between them. I would get about a 6' length and hook one end to both hooks, then hook the longer piece to the middle. That way you are splitting the force between the 2 hooks and pulling evenly from the middle of the truck.

Good luck

[Big_Blue]

Originally posted by DieselDixon:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />OH and never loop the chain through both hooks No, guess I should have been more specific. I would not loop it between them. I would get about a 6' length and hook one end to both hooks, then hook the longer piece to the middle. That way you are splitting the force between the 2 hooks and pulling evenly from the middle of the truck.

Good luck </font>[/QUOTE]I wouldn't think this is a good idea. The force of the chain would pull both hooks toward the center of the truck. Probably not what the hooks are meant for. If you want to use both hooks, double line it from the tree. and try and get as big of a triangle as possible. (long straps)

[DieselDixon]

I wouldn't think this is a good idea This is a really crude drawing, but I would only use the right picture when using the hooks to pull something with great resistance like a stump. If you are using the left picture, then that is not a truck I would want to buy used, think about, yank from one side of a rectangular box and what happens?

This drawing is not to scale obviously, the triangular strap needs to be as long as possible.


http://www.offroadtoys.com/tdp/pull.jpg

[Big_Blue]

Originally posted by DieselDixon:

This is a really crude drawing, but I would only use the right picture when using the hooks to pull something with great resistance like a stump. If you are using the left picture, then that is not a truck I would want to buy used, think about, yank from one side of a rectangular box and what happens?


This is a good point. However I don't think using a strap you could twist the frame out of spec. If this is a concern, think of the side loading on the frame and cab the engine produces? Things can get realy twisted up!

I have seen rear windows pop out of tubbed drag cars because of this. I would hope GM makes a strong enough frame to yank from one side.

I also wouldn't consider a stump something of great resistance. At least not the ones I pulled. They all pulled out with very little encouragement. I think the key is to leave 4 or 5 feet standing to use as leverage.

interesting discussion. We often pull our 4x4 from different sides under much harder conditions, and have never had a problem.

[cruzer]

I have seen many broken ring and pinion, axles/axle joints and consant veloscity joints from pulling from the front. Ive even seen these parts break when the most of the wt of the vehicle is on the frt end and tring to get out of a situation in reverse. The GM independent frt suspension is not very strong. If it were a dana 60 I might consider pulling from the front as a last resort w/the wheel straight,but why risk it. A Ujoint & or CV joint lose most of its strength when it is not in a straight line. The rearend is always stronger than the frt end and it rotates on the driver side of the ring gear.

Turn the truck around, use the driveline the way it was intended plus you put the bed between you and the chain/strap/and what ever you are pulling.