Question About 2006 Dodge Ram 1500 Tow Hooks

[acolic]

Hi

While picking up some parts at a scrapyard I stumbled upon an OEM (mopar 82209854 ) front tow bar for my truck.

It’s rated for 5,500 pounds or 1.5 times my vehicles GVWR.

I’m used to shackle type recovery points.

Any thoughts on this OEM setup and it’s max weight rating?

Thanks



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[Low_Sky]

Not sure what answer you’re looking for. I google searched the part number and found the same rating information you did.

I’d use a bridle to distribute the load to both hooks/frame rails. Beyond that, don’t exceed the rating and it should be just fine.


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[acolic]

The instructions say they are light duty tow hooks.

The ‘light duty’ part concerned me and I was wondering if the 1.5 weight rating is sufficient.

I’m just doing some light off-roading.


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[Low_Sky]

I’d assume that’s the lower of 5500 lbs or 1.5x GVWR.

For your truck, that’d be 5500 lbs.

It’s adequate for being flat towed or lightly winched. I wouldn’t let someone do a kinetic recovery on them or any heavy winch recoveries.


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[acolic]

What about the scenario where you’re driving down a country road late at night, faster than you should, in Northern Ontario in the middle of a snowstorm and you hit a patch of black ice and start spinning end yo end down the road eventually ending up in a ditch.

With four tires sitting on top of a snowbank and your kids in the back screaming let’s do that again.

And you have to get a tow truck to winch you out because your wheels are off the ground and you have no traction.

Just a hypothetical scenario, not that that’s ever happened to me.

Would these tow hooks be sufficient?


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[Low_Sky]

What about the scenario where you’re driving down a country road late at night, faster than you should, in Northern Ontario in the middle of a snowstorm and you hit a patch of black ice and start spinning end yo end down the road eventually ending up in a ditch.

With four tires sitting on top of a snowbank and your kids in the back screaming let’s do that again.

And you have to get a tow truck to winch you out because your wheels are off the ground and you have no traction.

Just a hypothetical scenario, not that that’s ever happened to me.

Would these tow hooks be sufficient?


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Depends on the snow conditions, how buried it is, and how steep the ditch embankment is.

I’m not going to get into recovery calculation here, but the answer to your question is “it depends”.


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[Howard70]

No advice to offer, but the orientation looks odd to me? Does it mount across the frame rails resulting in one hook being on the left and the other on the right? If so, the orientation of force when pulling from the front of the truck seems to be at 90 degrees to the lay of the hooks.

I'm from currently sunny New Mexico - what's the white stuff under the part?

Howard

 

[Metcalf]

Honestly, that is probably better than most aftermarket options. The OEM likely ran it through FEA, testing, and then derated it a LOT to CYA.

I would make a bridle to allow using both hooks with a shallow vector angle to spread the load out as much as possible.
I'm guessing you would mess up a LOT of the truck before that failed as long as you are using good quality hardware to mount it.

 

[Howard70]

Yes, Intended to fit across the front frame member, its hooks protrude thru the bumper horizontally

Thanks, that makes sense & looks strong. I was envisioning the hooks pointing down.

Howard

 

[acolic]

Hi

I guess a bridle like this should work well.

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[DaveInDenver]

Honestly, that is probably better than most aftermarket options. The OEM likely ran it through FEA, testing, and then derated it a LOT to CYA.

Truth in that. I don't know that many OEM points even come with a rating at all, being intended primarily as a place to tie down the vehicle while shipping or get them on a flat bed tow truck.

I will point out something on the one the OP linked, it looks like two studs were cut off at the ends. I rotated the photo so it looks more like how it will on the front of the truck when installed. Hook facing forward.

 

[acolic]

Hi

Good catch.

I didn’t realize that until after I got home.

Unfortunately those studs only come in packs of three and they’re actually mounted to a left / right backing plate.

It’s going to cost around $30 to get the two studs.


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[Low_Sky]

Hi

Good catch.

I didn’t realize that until after I got home.

Unfortunately those studs only come in packs of three and they’re actually mounted to a left / right backing plate.

It’s going to cost around $30 to get the two studs.


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If you’re trying to keep it budget, cut the plates off and just use a new bolt (unless that bolt is on a backing plate for unreachable assembly location reasons).


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[acolic]

If you’re trying to keep it budget, cut the plates off and just use a new bolt (unless that bolt is on a backing plate for unreachable assembly location reasons).


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That likely won’t work.

The issue is the stud heads are somewhat embed into a recessed into the back of the recovery hooks.

And then everything is bolted and sandwiched against the frame l.

I’m not sure if a protruding bolt head would have space between the recovery bar and the frame.

But first I’m going to sandblast and powder coat everything and then this will turn into a spring project.


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