Brock Lee

Naturally my 94 Toyota 4x4 does not have the shackles that modern trucks have. So I'm wondering... If I'm stuck what are the best options for me in terms of attaching a recovery strap so somebody can help pull me out? And where on my truck should I attach a recovery strap if I'm pulling SOMEBODY else out? :-)

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

Depends just how and what your stuck in

Every time is different

The two M12 bolts on both sides of the front bottom of the frame you can make mounts to attach shackles.

Do you have a Receiver Hitch that makes a good point I just put my pintle Hook in

Figure is it easier to pull with the front of the truck or the rear

Any place where the strap will not damage anything or be cut .

Get under and look on a nice dry place so you have game plan before you need to be figuring thinks in a foot on mud

Brock Lee

M12 must mean Metric 12? I'll look for those bolts on the frame.

No hitch receiver, just a hitch built into the bumper.

Thanks for the tips!

RJR

Most trucks and 4runners of this vintage came with a front forged hook on one side and a tie-down loop on the other, bolted to the bottom of the frame. If you don't have them, forged hooks with a WLL of 10,000 lbs with the correct hole spacing for your frame are readily available. As stated earlier, the frame has welded internal nuts that will accept a 12mm x 1.25 threaded bolt. Use grade 10.5 bolts (the metric equivalent of SAE grade 8). A pair of 12mm grade 10.5 bolts will have a shear yield strength of over 25,000 lbs, so if you have two anchor points bolted on that way and use them both, it will be plenty strong.

For the rear, check the rating of your bumper mounted hitch. If it's class II or above, you're probably OK to use it as a pull point. If it's only class I, it's marginal for that purpose. In that case, you'll want some kind of frame mounted pull points. The rating should be labeled or stamped somewhere in the metal close to the receiver.

SOME DO's and DON'TS:
- DO sit down and think about the situation before you pull out any recovery gear. Have snack and a drink of water. Then, be smart when you do a recovery. Often 10-15 minutes of shoveling or moving rocks, logs, etc., can reduce the required extraction forces by a factor of 4 or more. Resist the temptation to just apply more force. It shouldn't ordinarily take 10,000 lbs of pull to dislodge your 4000 lb truck. MaxTrax or equivalent recovery boards are also extremely useful and can make a recovery a lot easier.
- DON'T use a hitch ball as a recovery point on a receiver hitch. They are not designed for that much pull, and can break off with disastrous results. Get a receiver shackle insert.
- DON'T use any other part of your stock bumper as a recovery or jacking point. All though the '94 bumpers are metal, they are not designed for significant loads and will either bend or fail.
- DON"T attach a tow strap to your axles, unless that's the only piece of your truck that you're wanting to recover from the bog.

Stay safe and have fun!

Brock Lee

You are correct. I got down there and peeped it. I unbolted the tie-down loop since that's useless for recovery. I'll try to acquire a second forged hook or something heavy duty to bolt on in its place. Thanks for all the tips, also. I've been looking into all this stuff and currently doing my homework.

Nah. I don't feel comfortable using the bumper for a pull point. When I bought the truck I reattached the bumper and I'm sure I didn't use factory bolts or anything that's rated for recovery. :-)