On my way to work this morning on a beautiful -39C day and low and behold I came across a guy in a Ram who had crossed the center line and hit the ditch on my side of the road and was stuck in the snow. So against my good judgment I decided to be a nice guy and tow him out. For safety's sake I decided to tow him out in reverse using my front tow hook so I wouldn't be shining my headlights into oncoming traffic. Well everything was going good until the 2nd tug when I heard a pop. Got out of the truck and found the hook on the tow strap had popped off my tow hook and decided to grab my front bumper, which on the 2nd tug damn near ripped half my front bumper off, TERRIFIC!!! Called the local dealer here and they want $800 for the bumper and then I still need to get it painted to match. Does anyone know of a cheaper place to find a front bumper? Or is anyone running a nice aftermarket bumper that they would recommend? Any help on this would be appreciated. Thanks

 

I'd go aftermarket for sure. I am running a frontier extreme on mine.

Tip...be glad it grabbed there and did not go in the back window of his truck.

Lay a blanket or coat or something on the strap. If it breaks or comes loose it will just lay down and not be a projectile.

 

Thanks Senix, wasn't too worried about the strap because the heavy nylon straps that I use don't have much elasticity especially at -39C. I looked into the Xtreme bumpers but am looking for something less bulky. I checked out Ebay and found 2 painted rear bumpers but no fronts. Guess I'll just have to keep looking.

 

Wow...sorry to hear about the bad luck, Brandon!

After three weeks ago I'm going to be VERY careful both towing others out as well as being towed out.

My company car is an '09 Pontiac G6. I was up in rural Wisconsin picking up an applicant, and I missed his house. Went to make a u-turn and found out the hard way that the shoulder wasn't flat; she slid right in.

A friendly guy in an F150 came and offered to yank me out, an offer I happily accepted considering that I didn't want GSA to have to pay the tow. Unfortunately there is no good spot to hook a strap on a G6, and in a temporary moment of insane stupidity I hooked it around my right rear wheel.

As he pulled, the wheel started to spin, the strap came off and took my brake line with it. So there I was, STILL in the snowbank in rural Wisconsin with a busted brake line and a helpful guy who wanted to try again....

After loosing two days of work getting a ride back and forth to retrieve my car, I learned the hard way to be MUCH more careful about how to pull a car out of a spot.

Seriously, I'm sorry about your bumper. I'm willing to bet insurance would cover that under Comprehensive, which at least down here is often a lower deductible than collision. I'd call your insurance agent and find out.

 

Thanks Tom, I've heard many horror stories like yours and am always a little cautious but I just couldn't leave the guy on the side of the road in -39C temps. I guess S**t happens and life goes on. I'm gonna call my insurance agent on Monday but I'm betting I'll be on my own on this one. I'm hoping to find a used bumper as lots of guys swap them out and then just leave the original sitting on a shelf in the garage. At least my truck is still drivable and things could always be worse.

 

Hey Brandon the wreckers down here in Lethbridge have a chrome bumper for $500.00

 

You missed a major Road Armor Sale at Top Gun Customz - here's a link to the current price. I run one of these and love it... well built, great finish and strong!

http://www.topguncustomz.com/Stor/Ge...view=248512040 There's a 12,000lb winch behind that license plate too!

 

I have a spare chrome takeoff front bumper. But I am on the other side of the world from you!

Sam

 

Guess it depends on price range but the road armour (I like the stealth one I think it's called, no bars) that will hold up for sure!

 

Thanks to everyone for their reply's. I actually need the painted bumper not the chrome one which in the end should prove a little cheaper. I'll look into the road armor bumper too and see what their pricing is like. Still hoping to find a discarded painted bumper in someone's garage but I might be dreaming.

 

This is why I prefer to use shackles instead of hooks.

 

To bad about the bumper.
But throw any strap you have with a hook on the end in the garbage.
A flying strap with a hook will bust a windshield or worse. Use looped straps meant for tugging.

 

Yep, loops and shackles. I have 4 of the red 26,000lb straps w/ shackles in my truck, I use them on cranes to set MRI magnets in hospitals. They are handy.

 

Thanks for the advice guys, I'm not crazy about using the ones with hooks either but that was all I had with me. I'm definately going to buy something better the next chance I get. I'm sure you have a variety of tie downs and straps in your line of work ruschejj!!

On a brighter note I contacted my insurance agent today and it looks as though the damage is going to be covered under some additional insurance I have on my truck. I hate to put in a claim for that but I guess that's why a guy has insurance. I've gone 15yrs without a claim and then in Sept my house burnt down and now this and both times make me remember why you should never cheap out on insurance!! Luckily my insurance agent is a family friend and always looks out for me.

 

I have a 4" 30' 40,000lb strap, I go back to back, hitch to hitch and they come out. Never failed yet but I refuse to grab onto a newer uni-body car. Use your best judgment on how stuck they are, sometimes a winch or tow truck is better, you can't Win them all. I do not like pulling from the front hooks, just my preference.

The 30' strap if it does break, withers into a noodle and does not become the flying object of death, believe me I have broke them before. One thing I did see, a guy looped his strap over a hitch ball. The ball snapped and became a loose canon, right through the windshield of another vehicle. I unfortunately was long gone and screaming like a little girl for everyone to take cover.