Rob,
There is nothing wrong with a properly rated hook for the load. Every new Warn and Superwinch, etc. ships with a hook.
That TJ hook is rated for more than light pulls, infact, it is rated to near frame-bending pulls. The Jeep engineer who field performance and load tested that hook was standing right there. I wont mention the MBS on that hook, as it is not for public consumption, but it is many times higher than GVWR.
It is just the spreading of misinformation that got my hackles up. . . some forum reader will look at your comment and think "I should remove these dangerous recovery points from my TJ". Nothing could be further from the truth.
I agree with that. I see a lot of "hook=death" comments posted all over the net, including here. Rover owners seem to be the worst culprits. Personally, I don't have a problem with them, and have used them to pull on Jeeps myself. As long as you're aware of their limitations, and act accordingly, I think they're fine. It's like anything else. I'd be more hesitant to use a farm store hook, but something from the Jeep factory... no problem.
My questions wasn't about the strength at all, even sideways strength. I just meant that when you're not pulling *into* the hook, the rope is at greater risk of slipping off.
I'm cool with a "Yeah, I know it wasn't ideal, but we didn't have a choice, everybody was standing clear, and we had a TV show to shoot so we took the chance."
When I said I gasped, it was mostly because I know how careful you are with providing advice on proper recovery, etc. So I was surprised they showed that. There wasn't even a "this could slip off and we could all die!" comment.
I have driven the trail in question, and it is not so much a cliff to the right but a short drop that would result in multiple roll overs if you happened to go over it. You would survive, but your vehicle would not.
Ok, cool. I can see the camera not giving it justice. I was just looking for the "cliff".