Aftermarket front recovery points for 150 Series

[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

[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.

[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]

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.

[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]

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.

[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.

[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

[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

[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.

[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

[Crisp Image]

Just going back a few posts on shackles.
The WLL in a shackle is for lifting and does not really apply for draging along the horozontal where there the load is not supported (such as a snatch recovery).
The new wire puller (read Turfer) has a lifting capacity of 1500kg and a pulling rating of 2500kg.
I could be wrong here but this is the information that I have been told.
Also my opinion is that if something is rated then it should be marked with the relevant AS/NZS and capacity so that anyone looking at the item can clearly see the rating and not have to go looking for certificates that may or may not match the item being inspected.
Remember these are my opinions only and could be changed at any time.
Regards
Crisp Image

[wooley]

i'm talking about other vehicles, from landcruisers, to magnas.

[Corigator]

Woolley and keencdk,
Which year are you referring to.

The pre ?2007 models had a welded on point that looks quite flimsy, and I wouldn't trust them.

Those manufactured after 07 have a point drilled through the chassis, bolted and welded at both ends. I would be very surprised if they could be ripped off. The only way would be for the 15mm steel rod to break or the chassis to break. As I mentioned before there is one documented case on pradopoint - (I wish I could find it now) where the whole front of the chassis broke in a tow, but the tie down points were intact.

Cheers,

Greg

[keencdk]

The factory tie down points are on what looks to be a welded on piece of box section running at right angles to the chassis, welded to the chassis rail. Anythng welded has an inherant weak point, and I would think while the tie down point may be strong, the section it is bolted to would be a weak point. The outback ideas recovery point uses one bolt through this welded on section, and one through the actual chassis rail.

The factory tie down point is designed to pull down at about 45 degrees and hold the car in one spot, if it was designed for recovery it would make sense for the loop to run parallel to the ground.

I have owned 3 Toyotas with tie down points and the first thing I have done is remove the tie down points and fit purpose built recover hooks/points.

Some people are happy towing with these, and some people are happy snatching with a tow ball too but I am not.