 | Home > Maintenance & Modifications > Front recovery point - hooks or something else? |
 
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| gaijin Member Since: 25 Feb 2015 Location: Lausanne Posts: 9  
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Hello,
I'm happy that I am once again a Defender owner. Trying to sort out what to do with front recovery points. I've used hooks like this https://www.expeditionexchange.com/curt/ but beefier and without the retaining clip. But that was in the middle east almost exclusively on sand. Now in Europe, everyone seems to have jate rings or other points that use a shackle. What I liked about the hooks you could use a recovery strap without having to use a shackle. Figured that taking a potential projectile out of the equation was a good thing (plus it was just faster.) Is there an advantage to using jate rings or another shackle based system? In the sand the pulls could be rather high energy and generally pretty straight. Not sure the same applies to the terrain here, but I'm, for the time being, fairly ignorant about driving in mud and rocks. (on the latter: anyone in Switzerland (VD/GE or France) willing to show me the ropes?) Thanks |
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20th Apr 2015 5:36pm |
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| gaijin Member Since: 25 Feb 2015 Location: Lausanne Posts: 9
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Thanks. Will hooks fail an MOT even if they are mounted under the van on the chassis, meaning you can't even see them?
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21st Apr 2015 9:29am |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17382  
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No, and I don't think that front towing pintles/jaws protruding from the bumper will fail the MOT (mine never have), though you ought to make your insurer aware of them.
I think that the reason so many opt for JATE rings is ease of mounting - you don't have to figure out a custom mount of adequate strength, which you will have to do if you want to mount hooks. |
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21st Apr 2015 9:59am |
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| McGeordie Member Since: 20 Feb 2012 Location: Central Scotland Posts: 220 
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I've installed these from one of our helpful and friendly sponsors...not used them in anger yet...but the look and feel the business:
http://www.4x4overlander.com/product/gmb-recovery-eyes/ |
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21st Apr 2015 10:33am |
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| Pickles Member Since: 26 May 2013 Location: Melbourne Posts: 3784  
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McGeordie, I've seen them, & I believe they look very well engineered, but I've never seen what they look like installed on a Defender. Any chance of putting up a few good pics?
Pickles. |
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21st Apr 2015 12:18pm |
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| Supacat Member Since: 16 Oct 2012 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 11018 
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Are the bumper mounting bolts, or more to the point the surrounding chassis set up to take the sort of loading a heavy recovery could have?
Look at the chassis reinforcements where Jate rings fit & compare. I have never used them but I am intrigued by the soft rope shackles on the market. A good idea to take the metal shackle out of the equation perhaps? |
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21st Apr 2015 12:33pm |
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| McGeordie Member Since: 20 Feb 2012 Location: Central Scotland Posts: 220
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Pickles here you go, they mount on as over and through the chassis legs as per the bumper.
I'm not sure how they'd hold up if you were using them for heavy recovery, but for what I need they seem spot on.  Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge |
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21st Apr 2015 12:48pm |
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| zone30 Member Since: 07 Sep 2012 Location: Gent Posts: 669  
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They should be fine if the bumper is HD. If not, buy a bumper with eyes welded in.
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21st Apr 2015 12:54pm |
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| Supacat Member Since: 16 Oct 2012 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 11018
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Does it make any difference if the bumper is HD or not if it's still only attached by the two bumper mounting bolts?
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21st Apr 2015 7:07pm |
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| McGeordie Member Since: 20 Feb 2012 Location: Central Scotland Posts: 220
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They came from Brendan at 4x4 Overlander and are made by GMB, I can't see anything that says you need an HD Bumper...but I'm sure Brendan would be delighted to provide insight...as I said for me they are fine for what I need...I don't do too much testing stuff and don't want to go for anything over the top, when most of the time its a really practical family wagon.
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21st Apr 2015 8:10pm |
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| kmac Member Since: 07 Oct 2009 Location: Middlesex Posts: 1309 
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Got this on my Santorini black 110, from Devon 4x4 - Heavy duty bumper with towing eyes
They used to be closer to £100 though, now over £200 |
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21st Apr 2015 8:45pm |
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| Windowlicker Member Since: 24 Aug 2014 Location: East yorks Posts: 290 
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Not sure whether you have a steering guard or not, but if not then maybe something like I fitted, for the same reasons as yourself ( no solid tow points on the front as standard )
http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic34663.html They are also available without the 2" receiver if you just want to use the two tow eyes already mounted. As I mentioned in my post in the link, I have the option now of choosing/using any bumper variety, as it doesn't need to be HD enough to withstand recoveries nor be beefy enough to mount tow eyes to. Cheers, 
Nick. "Procrastination is the thief of time" |
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21st Apr 2015 9:43pm |
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| Pickles Member Since: 26 May 2013 Location: Melbourne Posts: 3784
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Yes, Mcgeordie, they are definitely the best I've seen, for my purpose anyway. I don't envisage any "heavy duty" off road stuff, so these should be fine for me. Did you have to take the bumper off to fit? Any chance of just one more pic, standing a bit back from the front of your Defender (something like Kmac's image of his front bar!), so that I can get an idea of what the general vehicle looks like with 'em on? Thanks, Pickles. |
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21st Apr 2015 10:08pm |
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| Supacat Member Since: 16 Oct 2012 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 11018
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Pickles - have a look here:
http://www.lro.com/detail/motors/4x4s/land...-110/56421
Here's my concern with mounting a recovery point off the bumper fixings: Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge The metal at the end of the chassis legs is folded over but not welded together, and underneath the curved sections look like deliberately deformable crush cans to limit the cost of low impact repairs. Compare to the chassis where the Jate rings fit - there's an extra length of metal folded and welded in: Click image to enlarge If your vehicle ever gets stuck remember how heavy it is, together with factoring in a level of safety. A final thought - if the point does fail during a recovery then it's flying through the air - not towards you but the good samaritan who's pulling you or the person you have offered to help - rather embarassing then when the shackle goes flying through their windscreen! I'd refuse to recover off that point unless I was really desparate. |
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22nd Apr 2015 7:29am |
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