Factory tow hook failure

[JTMcCracken]

I guess this is the place to post this, tow hooks are accessories, right? Anyway, a friend of mine with a 10,000 + lbs welding rig, on a very steep right of way, turned one of the Dodge factory tow hooks into a straight piece today. He was only hooked up to one hook, as is normally done on the pipeline, and when the operator grabbed a gear, it pulled all of the hook out of the hook. He now has a funny looking piece of metal sticking straight out the front of the truck. On the plus side, he backed down the hill and made it to the top under his own power, as did one other truck, all others had to be towed. We are going to combine our great and powerfull minds and build ourselfs a couple of plate based recievers that will be capable of picking the entire truck without damage. Anyone who wants one factory tow hook, cheap, e-mail me. JTMcC.

 

[dan_gilson]

Ouch!



I guess it was a good choice for me to get the rings added to my bumper. I did not like the idea of the rings when I 1st got them. I was of the mind that hooks were better. I always thought it more of a pain when you had to attach with a clevis. Now I understand the advantages: better safety in that it will not slip off and a lot stronger.

 

[illflem]

Better to bend the hook than the frame...

 

[Loren]

Also better that the hook bends rather than breaks.



Loren

 

[JTMcCracken]

Better to just pull the truck to the top of the hill! Being a welder and rigger for my adult life I disagree with better to bend than break, it is better only if you have a partial failure of a hook, you then know to destroy the damaged hook and rethink your strategy as you have done something wrong. In the case of a hook bending to the point of loosing the load, it makes no difference at that point, youve had a catastrophic failure and you loose the load immediatly, same as if you break it. Anyway we are not talking about hoisting a load, just dragging a truck up a big hill, He was the only Dodge to climb on his own, the other one was a Ford. Talk about frame damage, when they hook three trucks together and pull them with a D-8, It's time for me to go home! You don't want to be in front, in the back, or in the middle!

JTMcC.