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D-ring suggestions?

16K views 32 replies 11 participants last post by  Jack Stilts 
#1 · (Edited)
Looking to get a D-ring / clevis to put on my hitch receiver, but don't know where to start. Do I attach it right to the receiver? Use a shaft? Any suggestions or recommended products would be awesome. Thanks!
 
#4 · (Edited)
That's what I figured. I've seen those, but I've also seen different styles and didn't know if one worked better than the other.
 
#5 ·
Not to stop you from spending your money, but you can just use a hitch pin. It works quite well, it's cheap, and it wont effect approach or departure angles like a large shackle sticking out. Plus, with our already low hanging hitches, a lower hanging shackle just does look right to me. Just feed a looped rope through the receiver, then put the pin through. Success.
 
#6 ·
@Dimo - I've heard of that. But I've also heard that from an engineering perspective, that's a big no-no. I've heard both success stories and horrible failures. At this point, I'm thinking of just shelling out the $40~ and going with the "rather safe than sorry" approach.
 
#7 · (Edited)
The load is carried through the hitch pin regardless of which device you loop your strap to. The only difference is whether you have the strap on the pin or the shackle. Depending on how you loop the tow strap around the pin, you could get an uneven stress distribution/concentration in the pin. The good thing about the receiver/D-ring is it ensures the stress in the pin is always uniform. For most tow jobs, I wouldn't think it would cause a problem, but there is always the possibility. I have no experience either way, this is just a little engineering thoughts off the top of my head.

On a side note, since this is a related thread:

My X has stock bumpers and no trailer hitch. Do I need D-Rings for stock tow points? I've crawled around a little bit under the X and wasn't really sure. I haven't been off road yet, but am working towards having my X trail ready...what are my options?

Thanks :D
 
#8 ·
Rob:
I'd suggest picking up a hitch if your not going to upgrade the bumper soon. The stock bumper mounts are held to the frame with sheet metal and outing a load like a tug in it will just find you staring at a bumper on te ground.


I tried the shackle pin idea before but you can't really get the recov straps loop in the receiver very easily. I use a synth shackle to make it easier.



 
#9 ·
OK cool thanks, good to know...I will bump the trailer hitch up a little bit higher on my priority list. Is there any place to recover from in the stock front tow points, or should I just never go somewhere that I can't be recovered from the trailer hitch?
 
#10 ·
You know, I was just wondering the same thing. How would I go about mounting front-end D-rings, or some other recovery point?
 
#13 ·
I used my shackle receiver in the stock trailer hitch a few times for recoveries. I didn't leave it on the truck because it sticks out a lot and I didn't have a locking pin but it was handy to have in the back. Don't really need it now as my rear bumper has welded on recovery points but I still keep it with me.

My tow rope is 1" thick marine-grade nylon so it's too big to fit in the hitch and hook to the pin anyway...
 
#14 ·
Now I'm even more interested in a front-end recovery point (or two). I have a stock bumper and I plan to keep it that way for now. Any suggestions?
 
#15 · (Edited)
X2...stock X's are allegedly fairly capable offroad...apparently as long as you don't get stuck and need a yank out!

Davcos, could you take some more pics of your D ring mounts from your build thread? The pics are dark in the area (lots of shaddow and black from the frame/bumpers/grills etc) and tough to tell exactly how you mounted it up there...that looks to be the best option for me right now.
 
#16 ·
Let me clarify...I'm the guy who carries "zombie" ammo (mostly as a gag), but it's that "just-in-case" mentality! I'd rather be prepared than not :wink:
 
#17 ·
Now I'm even more interested in a front-end recovery point (or two). I have a stock bumper and I plan to keep it that way for now. Any suggestions?
Even though we only have a factory tow hook on the front passenger frame horn, both frame horns have the pre-drilled holes for the tow points. You can buy generic solid '4x4/Jeep/Toyota' tow hooks that fit our factory mounting holes at almost any auto/4x4 store, even some big hardware stores (Lordco, Canadian Tire, etc).

There are two varieties of the generic hooks, 'short' ones like this:


and 'long' ones (notice the mounting surface has three holes instead of two):


The long ones are what you want, they'll bolt right up to the front frame horns.
 
#18 · (Edited)
X2...stock X's are allegedly fairly capable offroad...apparently as long as you don't get stuck and need a yank out!

Davcos, could you take some more pics of your D ring mounts from your build thread? The pics are dark in the area (lots of shaddow and black from the frame/bumpers/grills etc) and tough to tell exactly how you mounted it up there...that looks to be the best option for me right now.
Can't get any new pics because I no longer have this setup, but here are a few more


This is a pic from under the truck, you can see how its welded on, also added a bracket on the bottom for more support/strength
 
#19 ·
The long ones are what you want, they'll bolt right up to the front frame horns.
Going to try and snag a couple of these soon. Thanks for the info!

@davcos - thanks for the pics, man.
 
#20 ·
Hey guys. Looking for some more advice regarding these tow hooks. Picked up two, but when I lined them up, it looked like if they were used to be recovered, the strap would rip the bumper piece off. See picture:


Before mounting these things, I'm assuming it would be a good idea to remove that piece. Suggestions, experience, write-ups? Thanks.
 

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#21 · (Edited)
For the rear, I'm currently working on designing two rear recovery points.

They will look similar to these (already on some 2nd gen Xterras):


but for a first gen.

I'm thinking of selling these as a kit that would include 2 shackle brackets and all the bolts and hardware necessary to mount it up. To install them, the person would need at minimum a dremel with a cutting disc for metal and whatever size metric wrench is needed on the bolts. It woud be super simple to install. TO make them look even better, you can weld the shackle bracket to the outside of the bumper, to give it a cleaner look.

The reason that I personally will be using these, is that I go on trails where I need a good departure angle. When I had my trailer hitch mounted up it would always drag. Now that I have taken my hitch off and move my tire into the cargo area while wheeling, I have MUCH better departure angle, but no rear recovery points because I took off my hitch.

With my design, they should still be compatible with the stock trailer hitch, which I know is a MUST for many people.

I'm just curious how much people would be willing to pay for these. It would be much cheaper than buying a Shrock or similar bumper with recovery points.

So how much would you pay for a well built, strong, good looking set?
 
#23 ·
I have personally not done it, but I know some people will use the shackle (tied into the leaf spring) for recovery rather than have the hitch there so you keep the break over angle as efficient
I'm no expert, but that sounds like a bad idea. Do you really want to risk making your car no longer drivable if you bend or break any part of your leaf spring assembly? They weren't designed for that kind of sideways pull. Maybe as a last resort. But true recovery points should always be the first spot to recover a vehicle from.
 
#25 · (Edited)
lol, again, haven't done it but it's a free option if you're stuck
If you broke anything, it would cost a lot more.

But I do like the shackle idea. Will that be bolted to the frame with the hole drilled thru the bumper to let the shackle thru?
It will be bolted to three points on the frame (Same 3 where the bumper mounts up) with the metric equivalent of Grade 8 bolts with a hole cut in the bumper to allow the mount to stick through.

Anyways,
For my shackle brackets, I was thinking between $50-$75 for the pair with all hardware and cutting template. Does that sound fair to people?
 
#26 ·
Yeah I'd rather leave the truck somewhere for a night than yank on a leaf spring.
 
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