I would like some opinions on using the factory trailer hitch as a recovery point. How does pulling a trailer compare to pulling out a stuck vehicle, or being pulled out ? The stress on the vehicle and attaching points would seem to be different. The Jeep Liberty I'm working on is rust free , very solid. I'm just concerned that the hitch might get torn out of the unibody. I'm not sure what my other options would be in this 2006 KJ. I've got to figure out front recovery points also. Probably going to find some base plates from the optional tow hooks and attach d rings to those. Same concern up front, I'm bolting these to the sheet metal unibody. Any ideas or thoughts would be appreciated.
D ring reciever hitch
- Thread starter Vtpeter
- Start date
Member III
Certainly, if you are buried to the axles and getting a full 20,000lb snatch from an Excursion with a running start, you might see some deformation.
However, I would personally not be too concerned about it for most mild recoveries, and I have never actually heard of a receiver being bent when used for a recovery. Of course, people putting their rigs in serious situations usually have armor and such, but that anecdote is still telling.
All that said, I think the receiver-mounted D-rings are largely a waste of money. Simply run your strap through the hitch pin itself and call it good.
However, I would personally not be too concerned about it for most mild recoveries, and I have never actually heard of a receiver being bent when used for a recovery. Of course, people putting their rigs in serious situations usually have armor and such, but that anecdote is still telling.
All that said, I think the receiver-mounted D-rings are largely a waste of money. Simply run your strap through the hitch pin itself and call it good.
Member III
On my 2014 Cherokee, the factory recovery points are rated at 4500 pounds. The trailer hitch is rated to tow 4500 pounds but that’s largely understated for safety reasons and the jeeps suspension. But I feel a little more confident in an entire hitch holding together better than a recovery hook with two bolts
As for the base plate going through the unibody, they may end up ripping a giant hole in the Jeep. That sheet metal isn’t structural. The unibody seems to have frame rails that are just part of the unibody. But those would be much stronger points to attach something to. But you are right, those libertys don’t have much to work with
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As for the base plate going through the unibody, they may end up ripping a giant hole in the Jeep. That sheet metal isn’t structural. The unibody seems to have frame rails that are just part of the unibody. But those would be much stronger points to attach something to. But you are right, those libertys don’t have much to work with
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Pathfinder I
Should be fine, just use common sense. I would not use it to pull at 90° as it was not really designed for that kind of force vector. And I second just putting the strap into the receiver and run the pin through it. Put the receiver d-ring money towards some Maxtrax or other recovery gear.
This is definitely a workable, and less expensive, alternative. I've used this method a number of times when giving a light tug to vehicles without other attachment points. However, I recommend you try to get your strap into your receiver before settling on this solution. Some of the wider and less pliable recovery straps may be a pain to get into the receiver. If you have a 2" strap you should be good, but if it's a 3" you may want to check that it fits.
Pathfinder I
This often works in practice, but I have seen a hitch pin bend and nearly fail using this method. Luckily it didn't fail and hurt anyone. The force conveyed through the hitch assembly utilizing a receiver recovery point loads that pin much differently stressing it as it was designed to be stressed. While threading a strap through the pin alone can stress it quite differently.
Member III
Just threading the strap through the reciever is different than using a shackle mount. It puts different type of stress on that pin. The shackle mount puts a shear stress on the pin. But the pin is designed for that. It’s pretty hard to shear a pin of that diameter. Just putting the strap through the hitch will put stress on the center of that pin and like @systemdelete said, will bend it if too much force is put on it.
You can upgrade the bolts if they aren't grade 8. You can always look into adding more mounting points but if it has 3 bolts on each side, they are pretty stout in shear. There are charts online where you can estimate the capacity of each fastener. That will give you an idea of the forces you can deal with in a static loading situation.
Spend the coin and find a proper attachment point. If you don't like the idea of a $50 ring, then you will hate the idea of having to cut that 5/8 pin out of the hole when it bends and wedges itself in the hitch. I bought the big cast steel donut looking hitch insert but you can find others. I got mine because I have an 8K lb truck and a 20K lb snatch strap. I don't want to take any chances with cheesy mounts or Chinese welds in 1/8 steel that they sell all over the place. You can get the tractor looking hitch with the two plates that have a 1" hole through them. Then you can use a pin or clevis.
Spend the coin and find a proper attachment point. If you don't like the idea of a $50 ring, then you will hate the idea of having to cut that 5/8 pin out of the hole when it bends and wedges itself in the hitch. I bought the big cast steel donut looking hitch insert but you can find others. I got mine because I have an 8K lb truck and a 20K lb snatch strap. I don't want to take any chances with cheesy mounts or Chinese welds in 1/8 steel that they sell all over the place. You can get the tractor looking hitch with the two plates that have a 1" hole through them. Then you can use a pin or clevis.
Thanks for all the input. I think I'm going to replace the mounting bolts with grade 8 , and be done with it. That will give me some more confidence, even though the shear strength of the original ones are probably fine. My experience has only been with vehicles with a body on frame. Lots of thick metal to attach things to.
