farm shackle as '06 front recovery point

jhblackwell · **Posted:** Sun Aug 16, 2009 2:27 pm

O.K., ya'll. Got my Tractor Supply Co. farm equipment 2" draw bar shackle installed and I think it looks great and it was a breeze. Hangs out there somewhat, but if someone gets skewered they're too darn close anyway. :twisted:

This is the shackle I used. $35.00 at T.S.C. Notice the pin hole is vertical for use on farm equipment which made it easy to mount to the factory tow hook bracket.

After priming and painting it was a simple matter to line the hole up with the front hole of the mounting bracket and the end of the bar flushed up perfectly with the bracket. Notice the draw bar is a square tube which made drilling the back hole a snap.

It was a simple matter of re-installing the factory bracket with new bolts onto the frame.

I have complete step-by-step instructions, with pictures, of how this was done if anyone is interested. But most of ya'll are better at fabrication than I am and probably have plenty of comments and criticisms , which I welcome.

KJKev · **Posted:** Sun Aug 16, 2009 6:04 pm

Nice job.....

jhblackwell · **Posted:** Sun Aug 16, 2009 6:36 pm

KJKev wrote:

Nice job.....

thanks. BTW, the shackles are rated at 4.75 tons (9500 lbs.). Hopefully it won't take that much to pull me out of the mud or over an obstacle.

John

WXJeep · **Posted:** Sun Aug 16, 2009 6:41 pm

Very Nice! Can you order the tow hook brackets by themselves?

jhblackwell · **Posted:** Sun Aug 16, 2009 6:59 pm

WXJeep wrote:

Very Nice! Can you order the tow hook brackets by themselves?

I don't know, but I suspect not since it took a breaker bar to get the 18mm bolts off of the bracket. I'd suggest calling the dealer and asking. This picture is misleading as I had to put the hook in a vice to break the bolts loose.

LibertyFever · **Posted:** Wed Aug 19, 2009 10:57 am

Nice idea, D-Links are definately better than tow hooks.
I'm going to start shopping for those farm shackles.

Boiler · **Posted:** Wed Aug 19, 2009 1:29 pm

Did you have to trim the bumper or is that the stock tow hook cutout?

jhblackwell · **Posted:** Wed Aug 19, 2009 1:35 pm

LibertyFever wrote:

Nice idea, D-Links are definately better than tow hooks.
I'm going to start shopping for those farm shackles.

The link below should direct you to a TSC store near you in Canada. Good luck.
http://www.tscstores.com/stage/index.php

jhblackwell · **Posted:** Wed Aug 19, 2009 2:50 pm

Boiler wrote:

Did you have to trim the bumper or is that the stock tow hook cutout?

Stock. The hardest part was getting the hooks off. The "M", or double bolt was either over-torqued or had locking nuts that cross threaded the bolts when taking them off with GREAT difficulty. The spring-clip bolt came off with no problem and was re-used. Maybe the picture will help.

Notice the flat threads on the bolt. Because of that I couldn't re-use them and used grade 8, 3/8" bolts instead.

Hood297 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 19, 2009 3:13 pm

Thats one of the best looking recovery point set-ups i've seen.

Excellent job!

dgeist · **Posted:** Wed Aug 19, 2009 5:17 pm

I like the setup so much that I'll forgo the otherwise obligatory comment about your front license plate :wink:

The link on the TSC website looks a bit different than what you have above:

Do the ones you got have the nice tapered transition or the visible weld as above? Also, with the new frame bolts and what-not, did you reinforce the area on the other side of the uniframe crossmember with anything (small section of steel plate, etc)? I know that when detours did the KJ backbone setup, there was a lot of focus put on mounting a good a triangulated support in place BEHIND the frame sections before attaching anything that would be used for recovery. I might get overzealous with those big shackles, try to tow a superduty out of a ditch, and tear off the body's front crossmember

Dan

jhblackwell · **Posted:** Wed Aug 19, 2009 6:40 pm

dgeist wrote:

I like the setup so much that I'll forgo the otherwise obligatory comment about your front license plate :wink:

Ahh, a Techy. Be true to your school, bubba, be true to your school. Oh, and...GO DAWGS! :twisted:

dgeist wrote:

Do the ones you got have the nice tapered transition or the visible weld as above? Also, with the new frame bolts and what-not, did you reinforce the area on the other side of the uniframe crossmember with anything (small section of steel plate, etc)? I know that when detours did the KJ backbone setup, there was a lot of focus put on mounting a good a triangulated support in place BEHIND the frame sections before attaching anything that would be used for recovery. I might get overzealous with those big shackles, try to tow a superduty out of a ditch, and tear off the body's front crossmember

Dan

They're the "nice tapered transition" type. I didn't reinforce the uniframe since I wasn't aware (or forgot...remember, I'm old) that that was necessary. I don't plan on pulling any superduty out of anything anyway. I figure if the factory thought the hooks were stout enough to pull the Libby out of trouble it should work. I will say, however, that I did think about the increased length of the pull point from the frame increasing the fulcrum arm length (I think)

Whatever..it looks COOL! :wink:

Albert · **Posted:** Wed Aug 19, 2009 6:58 pm

That looks pretty good. Nice job/idea. That should work good.

That bolt going through the bar....is that a grade 8? I can see that it is a graded bolt from the pic, but I can't read it.

jhblackwell · **Posted:** Wed Aug 19, 2009 8:32 pm

Albert wrote:

That bolt going through the bar....is that a grade 8? I can see that it is a graded bolt from the pic, but I can't read it.

Yes, all the bolts used were grade 8. The bar bolt was a 1/2" X 3-1/2"

To all, thanks for the compliments. I'm really having fun modifying my KJ with the help and input from this site and can't wait to try them out at the East Coast Safari this October at Coal Creek, TN.Hope to see some of ya'll there.
John.

CRDMiller · **Posted:** Wed Aug 19, 2009 9:31 pm

blackwell,
looks good man, i'm going to have to give this a spin. I hate it when straps slip off hooks.

Thanks for posting.

LIV42DY · **Posted:** Wed Aug 19, 2009 10:49 pm

By far the BEST job I have seen for front tow points

Nice and clean

Cobalt-60 · **Posted:** Thu Aug 20, 2009 12:32 am

That looks really good, John. I'd like to come over and take a look art that some time this weekend. Free sometime Sunday?

Also remember that the M-bolts and U-nuts (even damaged) are worth their weight in gold since they are OOP and not available separately outside if the Mopar tow hook kits anymore...

Cobalt-60 · **Posted:** Thu Aug 20, 2009 12:37 am

dgeist wrote:

I might get overzealous with those big shackles, try to tow a superduty out of a ditch, and tear off the body's front crossmember

Dan

ROTFL Nah, Dan, I don't think you have to worry about any of the rest of up tryin' that. We will leave that to you Oilburner drivers who have the extra low end torque. :wink:

jhblackwell · **Posted:** Thu Aug 20, 2009 8:11 am

Cobolt-60 wrote:

That looks really good, John. I'd like to come over and take a look art that some time this weekend. Free sometime Sunday?

Absolutely! Saturday I plan on riding with Cycle World in a benefit ride but, so far, the wife hasn't planned anything for me Sunday. But you know how that is..."what mama wants, mama gets" :wink:

I'll pm my home and cell no. and you can call for directions.

Cobolt-60 wrote:

Also remember that the M-bolts and U-nuts (even damaged) are worth their weight in gold since they are OOP and not available separately outside if the Mopar tow hook kits anymore...

Unfortunately, I verge on being a horder. I've been saving all my factory stuff in case I want to put the KJ back stock, so I still have all of that.

Cobalt-60 · **Posted:** Thu Aug 20, 2009 8:19 am

jhblackwell wrote:

Cobolt-60 wrote:

That looks really good, John. I'd like to come over and take a look art that some time this weekend. Free sometime Sunday?

Absolutely! Saturday I plan on riding with Cycle World in a benefit ride but, so far, the wife hasn't planned anything for me Sunday. But you know how that is..."what mama wants, mama gets" :wink:

I'll pm my home and cell no. and you can call for directions.

Oh, I remember how the "honey-do's" can crop up, and yes, it better than sleeping on the couch... :wink:

Cool. We will find some time.

jhblackwell wrote:

Cobolt-60 wrote:

Also remember that the M-bolts and U-nuts (even damaged) are worth their weight in gold since they are OOP and not available separately outside if the Mopar tow hook kits anymore...

Unfortunately, I verge on being a horder. I've been saving all my factory stuff in case I want to put the KJ back stock, so I still have all of that.

I am a bad pack-rat as well. I did that until I had to move, and then scrambled to find a way to get rid of it all!!! :lol:

farm shackle as '06 front recovery point

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