I don't know where would be a good place to place this question but I figure here might be the most fitting.

I recently purchased a Bubba Strap tow strap rated at 23,500 lbs. This isn't really a ****** strap or a recovery strap its clearly states it as a towing strap. I got this mainly as I don't go off roading but I have used my truck for pulling before, pulling a broken down vehicle out of the way, pulling one of my vehicles out of a tight spot after the brakes locked up for sitting, ect.

With this said previously I always just looped the strap around the end of my bumper at the front when I had to nose in or wraped it around the ball on my diamond plate aftermarket bumper in the back.

I am wanting something a bit more safe to attach this new strap to. Something that wont damage the strap itself and would be safer on my truck.

I have a hitch receiver and was looking at the D shackle 2" receiver mount but that would take up space in the cab having to have my 2" hitch ball mount as well as a 2" hitch D shackle. I was looking at OE D9TZ-17A954-A and D9TZA955-A tow hooks to mount on my frame, would have to use a spacer as I have a OE cross brace that mounts under my radiator that uses the rear most hole. I figured I could use this for front use hook the strap to one hook run it to the vehicle in question then run it back to the other hook. But those hooks are hard to locate and when they do come up they are quite pricy. I have found some aftermarket ones with spring clips to hold the strap/rope in place but not too sure the hole spacing would be the same as the holes in my frame.

I still would be stuck on deciding for the rear. Hard for me to mount tow hooks or shackle mounts to the frame in the back since my 2" hitch receiver mounts from frame horn to frame horn in the back.

If anyone has any ideas I would appreciate it. If it helps this is for my '82 F150 short bed flare side truck. I might just go with the 2" hitch D shackle mount but trying to figure out a way to help eliminate equipment behind the seat.

 

Cheapest and simplest would be a screw pin shackle. Take the the ball off your ball mount and use the shackle. This would be fine since all you do is static towing. Do NOT use this for ****** recovery.
That said, the Warn 29312 is very compact, rugged and much cheaper than tow rings. Again, fine for static towing and light-medium ****** recovery if you get the correct strap.

 

Sometimes I'll stuff the end of a recovery strap into a receiver hitch, then put the pin in. Works pretty well. If I have it, I use a hitch insert with shackle. Front and rear receivers are handy.

 

same here. strap into the receiver and a pin through the strap. and always at least one blanket laying over the rope.
i always have a half dozen or so cheap harbor freight moving blankets in the back of the truck. they work very well as tow strap weights.

 

I'm not saying the pin through the strap is a bad idea or that it's unsafe. But it's not as strong as putting that same pin through a drawbar and putting a shackle in the drawbar. With a drawbar the pin is loaded in double-shear. Going through the strap it's loaded in bending. It still works well, but it does reduce the rating of the pin (sorry, no hard numbers).

 

Try a pintle hitch with a ball mount. One piece. Lots of options for it.
Just an FYI imho. For pulling/retrieving a stuck vehicle, try a chain instead. If it breaks it just lays. Doesn’t snap back like straps and cables.





well.... I just saw the original post date... anyway....

 

The chances of a strap breaking with static towing are slim to none.
Using chain for towing isn't a good idea because no matter how good you are, there's a good chance there will be at least some shock loading as the towed vehicle overruns the towing vehicle.
Also, if on pavement, it doesn't take long for a chain to abrade enough to ruin it.
Even a tow strap will have a little bit of elasticity to help absorb the shock.

 

I should have clarified. I agree. Towing yes, I meant not pulling/retrieving.