blackwolf wrote:

Possibly it is worth bearing in mind that the traditional front towing and lashing rings supplied by Land-Rover from the very earliest days through to the early 110 and 90 vehicles (the "D"-shaped jobbies) which are fitted in a similar way are secured by either 3/8" BSF grade S, 3/8" UNF grade S, or 10mm Grade 8.8 bolts according to age.

Four M10 8.8 bolts will be substantially stronger than the fitting above with two SS (presumably A4?) M8s at the front, even if the rear pair are the original M10 8.8 steel, and even more so if the rear pair have also been replaced with stainless.

The other reason why I wouldn't use those is that due to small diameter hole a shackle will be fairly small and will most likely bind unless the pull is directly ahead. This means that using a bridle with a single pull in the centre of the bridle will bind up the shackles and tend to twist the attachment points, which can generate significant unexpected loads. The only safe way to pull hard on those would be to use a recovery whiffle tree and that is very unlikely to happen.

In most respects the old genuine D-shaped rings are the best, since you can use virtually any type of attachment (including a knot, soft shackle, or winch hook) and can pull safely at virtually any angle. They are startlingly strong as well (in fact I have never heard of one failing, provided the chassis is sound). The downside is that although I believe the later "long plate" version (designed for the early 90 and 100 vehicles) will fit any later non-a/c vehicle, I don't think there is a way to fit them to an a/c-fitted vehicle without modifying the grille or fabricating a mount.

Although the GMB-Mount points look smart and would certainly be OK for an emergency road tow on a rope, I'm sorry to say that if you asked me to recover you from a stuck situation and I saw those, I would decline - unless I could put two slings or J-hooks round the front axle where the radius arms attach.

Strictly a breakdown recovery point rather than a "stuck vehicle" recovery point, in my book.

LandRoverAnorak wrote:

Looks good. My only comment would be that 15mm ply is quite heavy and that thickness may not be necessary for all components. Also, look to make use of cutting or drilling holes in panels to further reduce weight where it won't affect performance or aesthetics.

LandRoverAnorak wrote:

Weight saving on this scale may not make a significant difference to the vehicle but will help if you plan to take this stuff out and refit on a regular basis.