it's not fun in less you break something

[vortec]

long story short, i bent a tow hook and i'd like to straighten it. suggestions, besides golf-swinging a sledge hammer at the front of the truck? read the explanation, if you want. i find it amusing, but maybe you had to be there, or know a jeep guy who's always telling you jeeps are the best 4x4's ever made.

story: out mudding with friends, today, i embarrassed some jeep guys by freeing a stuck jeep, with my 23 year old k5, after they'd been trying for half an hour with 3 late model jeeps. busted two straps (not mine, ha). going forward, i was just laying rubber in the dirt with all 4 tires, but in reverse, the front end grabbed better and i got him out. bent his bumper bad, and bent my tow hook a little. do you guys use any tricks to straighen yours out? just say "screw it"?

 

[blazerpro79]

or buy a new one? they are probably pretty cheap

 

[Hossbaby50]

I would buy a new one. If you bent it now it means you have stressed it beyond its limits. If you bend it back and make another similar bull it will probably snap. Snapped tow hooks can kill people since they turn into little steel missles.

Harley

 

[darkshadow]

you bent a stock gm front tow hook on a jeep??????

wow he must have been stuck something fearce.

next time hook on to both hooks then to the strap, spread the force works great.

 

[vortec]

yes, it is a stock gm tow hook. i was a little surprised too. the straps that broke were 20k lb straps, so that gives you an idea how bad he has stuck. he had no traction and had both diffs and axles buried, so he could floor it all day and not help me a bit. but the worst part is that a burried log about 3" thick, had wedged in one of his coil springs and trashed it, while also holding the jeep down in the mud. we tried a few things to remove it, but it was under the muddy water so we were workig totally blind. in the end, i dragged it out with the jeep. that guy had a rough day.

i was thinking the same thing about the hook being weaker now. maybe i'll make a trip to the junk yard for a replacement.