Aftermarket front recovery points for 150 Series

[electron Member Find all posts View Profile Close electron]

So what should the minimum WLL be for recovery points?
Would it be be the same for all vehicles or related to the strenth of the vehicles chassie.
Ron

[Richoson Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Richoson]

So what should the minimum WLL be for recovery points?
Would it be be the same for all vehicles or related to the strenth of the vehicles chassie.
Ron

Ron

What a hot topic this is, but in the end it is the responsibility of the two vehicles involved in the recovery to make a "safe and valued judgement". I doubt you will find a NATA stamped aftermarket recovery point, shackles are stamped as they are produced for lifting commercial loads, not recoveries.

Look at the quality of the point, cast is suspect due to imperfections in base material (product produced in third world countries use recylcled steel with the impurities and rust included!), laser cut steel is probably best valued on thickness, but overall the weakest point is the fixing to the chassis.

Mild steel bolts will bend first then break, therefore warning, high tensile bolts (there are several levels visible on the head of the bolt) will hold longer but then will break quickly, usually without bending. Welded points, unless x-rayed as in commercial applications again, are suspect to individual processes, car manufacturers use robotic welders so that is probably the most consistant weld available.

Therefore the breaking point is the chassis, there is a picture on PradoPoint where on a brand new 150 Prado the chassis broke and the standard "emergency tow point" was intact.

So ultimately, see the first line, it is the parties involved responsibility to make a decision on the safest way for a recovery, if they don't have experience, or others with experinece, or done a 4WD course then they need to be very careful.

See ya on the tracks, Richo.

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

Mild steel bolts will bend first then break, therefore warning

Sorry Richo, I have to disagree totally with that statement, mild steel bolts will break instantly if enough force is applied; and with mild steel bolts the force required to do this is substantially less than with high tensile bolts. I would only ever use high tensile bolts Minimum grade 5 or 8.8 in Metric, grade 8 or 10.9 in metric is even better if you can get them.

Cheers Andrew

[KAKADAZ Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close KAKADAZ]

I had a thought the other night after thinking about the latest snatch strap misuse death. If you connect a snatch to a recovery point, factory tie down point etc also use another shackle through the snatch strap at both ends of the strap then use say 1-2 meters of chain through that shackle and attach to another secondary point on each car purely for backup if the snatch tears off the recovery point being used ? Even if your towball broke off the snatch would then be caught by the chain, even if the chain was wrapped around the rear diff housing or something solid. For the sake of four more D shackles and two times chain at 1.5m each it would save some lives.
Just an idea
Daz

[Richoson Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Richoson]

Hi Andrew

I possibly wasn't clear in my statement, high tensile is definately the stronger but when breaks it goes without warning, where as mild steel bends first at a much lower level of strain then breaks, my point was to point out the differing levels of strength.

Daz your ideas about a secondary safety mechanism is great and something that even accredited trainers don't recommend, it is something that I will now use when the level of recovery is high enough to consider breaking strains.

See ya on the tracks, Richo.

[yowie Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close yowie]

I've been trying to buy rated 'D' shackles in Sydney, but no company seems to want rate them. The only ones I found were rated 1.5 tonnes, which is less than my 2 and a bit tonne van, so I bought some large stainless steel ones. Does anyone know of any rated 'D' or even 'C' shackles that are over the 2 tonne mark?

Yowie.

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

I've been trying to buy rated 'D' shackles in Sydney, but no company seems to want rate them. The only ones I found were rated 1.5 tonnes, which is less than my 2 and a bit tonne van, so I bought some large stainless steel ones. Does anyone know of any rated 'D' or even 'C' shackles that are over the 2 tonne mark?

Yowie.

As a general rule D shackles are not usually rated, you need to look for bow shackles. type bow shackle into Ebay and they come up by the dozen, Nobles would be able to supply rated shackles, any half decent 4WD shop would stock them as well. They should have the WLL stamped or cast into the shackle, the pin should also be larger diameter than the bow.

Don't waste your time looking at the local harware store as the shackles they usually sell are not suitable for recoveries.

Cheers Andrew

[yowie Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close yowie]

As a general rule D shackles are not usually rated, you need to look for bow shackles. type bow shackle into Ebay and they come up by the dozen, Nobles would be able to supply rated shackles, any half decent 4WD shop would stock them as well. They should have the WLL stamped or cast into the shackle, the pin should also be larger diameter than the bow.

Don't waste your time looking at the local harware store as the shackles they usually sell are not suitable for recoveries.

Cheers Andrew

Thanks Andrew.

I tried TJM, ARB and other stores in southern Sydney, and they do not sell rated shackles, apart from the one rated at 1.5 tonnes which has the thicker pin. It would appear that the 4WD stores up here are not half decent stores!

Even Hayman Reece do not rate the shackles they sell.

There is a Nobles store in Sydney, so I will try them.

Thank you,
Dave.

[Ryzz Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ryzz]

Thanks Andrew.

I tried TJM, ARB and other stores in southern Sydney, and they do not sell rated shackles, apart from the one rated at 1.5 tonnes which has the thicker pin. It would appear that the 4WD stores up here are not half decent stores!

Even Hayman Reece do not rate the shackles they sell.

There is a Nobles store in Sydney, so I will try them.

Thank you,
Dave.

Hi Yowie,

Try a rigging shop, i went to a local rigging/lifting shop in Northern Sydney (not near you i realise) and was about to get 4x 4.7T Bow Shackles for <$50. You will find them a lot cheaper than a 4wd shop!. Just google a rigging place near you, should be a dime a dozen.

[yowie Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close yowie]

Hi Yowie,

Try a rigging shop, i went to a local rigging/lifting shop in Northern Sydney (not near you i realise) and was about to get 4x 4.7T Bow Shackles for <$50. You will find them a lot cheaper than a 4wd shop!. Just google a rigging place near you, should be a dime a dozen.

Thanks Ryzz.

[electron Member Find all posts View Profile Close electron]

I was reading "Australian 4WD Action" today and in an article about Nissan Patrols, they quote " the factory recovery points are pretty decent, but heavy duty bolt-on and WELD-ON replacements are available".
No wonder there is so much confusion about recovery points, because there are so many differing opions about.
Ron

[Dobbo Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dobbo]

Guys, I'm after a bit of help here.
I was fitting a set of Outback Ideas recovery points today and discovered that once I removed the bolt on the rear of the bullbar bracket on the side chassis rail, the long piece of metal inside, with the captive nut on the end, dropped away from the hole and is now sitting loose inside the chassis rail. It appears to be about 300mm or so long with a captive nut at the end, so I can only think that this is used to place the nut over the hole in the chassis from the front while the side bracket is bolted on.
Does anyone know of a way that I can manouver that piece and hold it in place over the hole without having to remove the whole bullbar?
I was thinking of something like a magnet out of a speaker to hold it.
There are some photos of Richos on page 8 (post # 76 ) of this thread that show the recovery points in place. It is the rearmost bolt hole I am referring to.

Dobbo.

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

Hi Dobbo. I had the same thing on my 120 series when I removed part of the bullbar mount, I was able to retrieve the nut with a small piece of wire with a hook bent on one end, didn't take long to get it hooked into a spot where I could put the bolt back in.

Cheers Andrew

[Boris Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Boris]

Hi all
I know this thread has nearly all been about hrs OI points, but to go back to the original post - the question was about any alternatives...
Has any one fitted the All Terrain 4x4 points to a 150 with an ARB bar?

I purchased a set of these from my local ARB store in Welshpool yesterday and when trying to fit them today they look like they are not the right shape at all.
Where they hook around the back of the bar / bash plate they don't come near two of the existing bolts, and even a little short of the 3rd (lowest) bolt.
I am wondering if I have missed something obvious or if they have given me the wrong ones - maybe something for a car without a bar... (they are unpainted & stamped with the code "All Terrain 4x4 150 rec hook"

If anyone has a photo of a successfully install t would be much appreciated. As soon as I work how to post a photo myself I will post one of the gap

[REV Find all posts View Profile Close REV]

Hi William,

When I bought the Outback Ideas recovery points for the 150 series from TJM (they were ordered in for me) & had a look at them I realized that they were set up for a vehicle that had a ARB bar fitted. I have a TJM bar & they could not go on as they were.
I went to TJM & they rang Outback Ideas & I spoke with John who makes them & he told me to measure & drill to suit my vehicle with the TJM bar. The new bolt hole is foward of the existing rear hole so I don't see how that would Would mess around with the integrity of the points.


Cheers
Lawrie

I was in TJM yesterday & the OI recovery points for the 150 now have both rear holes (for ARB & TJM bars pre drilled)

Cheers
Rev