Tow Question
 

All

I know our Expys have the front tow hooks but I was wondering what is available for the rear. I purchased the heavy duty trailer two option for our EB and just wondered what hookups were available just for pulling for the rear. In other words when the snow season sets in and you want to pull someone out rather than pulling front in what do others recommend for the rear including types of tow cables etc

Thanks

WC

I have many years experience at pulling other stuck vehicles in both off-road and on road so here are my suggestions.

NEVER pull in reverse with your front tow hooks. The front tow hooks are there mainly for your vehicle to be pulled by anther when you get stuck, again NEVER use your front hooks to do any heavy pulling in reverse because the drive train is much weaker in reverse then it is in forward gears, By pulling in reverse you stand a good chance of braking axles, driveshaft’s, ring and pinions, etc. I know this from experience. Light pulling in reverse is OK, but ALWAYS do your heaving pulling and hard snatching in forward. If you really want to pull with the front of your vehicle then install a winch to the front bumper and do your pulling with that.

NEVER use chains or cables to do any heavy pulling or snatching, they will brake and cause damage to one or both vehicles and or cause personal injury, if you must use a chain or cable, tie large bath towels or rags to each end and one in the middle incase it brakes. Snatch Straps are by far the BEST to use, if they brake and or come loose there is less chance of damage or personal injury, they are light weight, easy to carrying around, and do not rust, etc. The Home Depot, etc. do not carry them, get them from a 4x4 store, and get one at least 3” if not 4” wide and about 30’ long. Make sure they are “Snatch Straps” and not tie-down and or plain tow straps there is a big difference. Using Snatch Straps greatly increase your pulling powering because you can get your speed up and the rubber band affect they have.

To answer your question, you could add some D-Rings or tow hooks to the rear frame but you stand a better chance of damaging your bumper. All I have ever used on the rear is the trailer hitch to pull with. I have bent a couple ball mounts over the years but only during extreme hard pulling. A Pintle hook or Lunette ring instead of a standard ball mount in your receiver would be easier to attach a Snatch Strap too. Tip: apply grease to the inside of the receiver so the ball mount does not rust allowing easy removal later.

I highly recommend you put a ball mount or other accessory in your receiver and leave it there 24x7 even if you never do any towing or pulling, many times over the years my ball has saved my vehicles from bumper and body damage when another vehicle rear-ends me and or if I back-in to something, the ball gets hit first and takes the brunt of the impact.

Any suggestions for stores and part numbers etc?

Thanks so much for the info, really useful

You probably cannot go wrong with Warn products
http://www.warn.com/truck/accessorie...y_straps.shtml
PN 29899 3" x 30' premium
PN 11392 3" x 30' standard
Both are 21,600lbs so the standard should do you just fine

Thanks so much. I will pick up one of the 29899s. Also any part or palaces you'd recommend for the hitch attachment (pintle or lunette)

Thanks

do a Google search or try
http://www.reese-hitches.com/WD/pintle-hooks.htm

A receiver shackle is what you're looking for. Everything I've read says not to put your strap over the ball on a ball mount because the strap could easily slip off or the ball could break and become a very dangerous projectile. Straps with loops on the end are far safer then with hooks, as hooks can break and fly off. Shackles should not be used for joining two straps for the same reason.

http://warn.iwebcat.com/imgVD/WAR/Shackle.jpghttp://warn.iwebcat.com/imgVD/WAR/RecoveryStraps.jpg

http://warn.iwebcat.com/imgVD/WAR/Shackle.jpg

Northern tool Supply is where I got my tow strap and a schackle for mine. I will go get receiver shackle next. Plus it's a cool place to find stuff you will need some day. You might also want to get a small shovel to help dig out a path when gettting ready to pull some one out. Carpet strips about 5' or 6' long are also good to use for traction when some one is stuck in sand