I am looking into putting some tow hooks on the front for recovery purposes( stuff happens .) Onlt really need one. Suggestions? Pics? Thanks guys.

 

Just make sure you mount them to the frame and use your own judgement as far as location. If you have the clearance, mountine them on the side of the frame with the hook opening slanted upward will help keep the chain in place when it slacks up.

Dave

 

i got the same truck i just plunked a hook up behind the bumper theres brackets that face out to the sides see if you can find a hook that will work in there

 

guess your gonna use them for pulling people out huh

 

^ Yep, somebody is going to get pulled out...

So, anything bolted to the frame will be safe and secure? Should I go with a 2 or 3 bolt hook?

 

well if you look under the front end behind the bumper right off the frame theres a bracket (basically a big piece of angle iron) thats welded right to outside of the frame i use that and it holds well and i wouldnt be worried by drilling/welding on it and theres one on both sides so you can put it where you want it

 

On a chevy....

seriously.

The chevy front end frame (S/T/C/K/E/V models) is reinforced (twice as thick, boxed, 2 times as thick front cross member) to support this operation.

the ford frame is notoriously weak in front of the engine cross member and any forces placed on it WILL bend the frame.

I did not say MIGHT

I did not say COULD

I said WILL.

Partially good news is that you can bend it back with a CWOUS (crescent wrench of unusual size)

Does not matter what size F series truck this is - all weak weak weak

But if you are gonna do it anyways, find an old scrapped plow for a ford and cut off the frame mount and weld it to your truck. then at least you can say you made the effort.

 

How is it that snow plow equipped F series apparently dont have problems with frame bending?? I would think that the stresses of plowing snow with a big blade and deep snow would have the same or almost the same stresses as vehicle recovery when using tow hooks on F series.

 

Exactly.
Fords have the big heavy rear bumpers and chevy's have the reinforced front frames. Guess chevy knew the destiny......

 

they do? the same company makes nearly all the bumpers for all domestic trucks and I can tweak them by kicking them. read: cheap crap

 

they dont? that would be news to us up north (point be known, plowing affects in a negative way all trucks but hit a chunk of ice off center with the blade straight and you will bend the entire front frame to the opposite side 3-4 inches. except for the torture bar front springs, the chevy frame is a much stronger setup.- partly because why torture bars are needed the chevy front axle is a stressed member which adds lateral and torsional rigidity over a ford. )

but by any means, never take my word for it. just climb underneath a few trucks and check it out for yourselves.

 

i still would NOT buy a chev they only reinforced the front end so it could stand up to the numerous tugs performed by a ford

 

yup and they usually come with front tow hooks on them-so we can drag em out when they get stuck

 

chevy doesnt and it says right in the manual that they do not recomend their trucks for plowing purposes, wonder why that is, cause of their weak front ends, a arms suck, at least ford puts a real axle under their old F.series, a arms are good on 4 wheelers and cars, but thats bout it, btw i had a 91 f.150 with a home made winch bumper and a warn 12,000 lb winch, ive parked sideways on the road and pulled people out of ditches which are at a lower point than my truck and my receiver in the back chained to a tree and my frame was as straight the day i sold it as it was when it rolled off the assembly line, if ford figured these trucks would get stuck they would have put factory tow hooks on them btw pi$$ on chevy