Rear recovery, D-Shackles, winch hook

[lesstutrey]

I have a 2002 OBW VDC with a tow hitch. Pretty sure the hitch for some reason has a bolt right through the tow eye in the rear. Anyway, what is the best method to pull my car out from behind, given i have a 3500lb rated hitch, that i think is factory (don't know got this car used last December and it has had it.) My tow strap is loop ends, no hooks. Should i weld something in?

I am Looking into purchasing a d-shackle (or pair) for my front eye. When hooking up the d-shackle should i be hooking the pin through the eye, or run the shackle through the eye... it seems like i should be putting the pin in the towing eye. If so, what size is the eye, i can go measure with a caliper, but my car is outside and it's time for me to sleep.

I also looked at a winch hook, it was like 6$, G43 steel at 5/8" giving it roughly 13,000lb SWL with a half inch or so clovis pin that doesn't screw into place (just a little key pin). Would that work in place of a d-shackle for front tow point hookup? I am avoiding hook tow ropes at all costs.

Current plans: Primitive 3/16 FBA and 2" strut lift in the near future, king springs spring or fall, bigger tires when this set wears out, and of course finishing up all the off-road survival gear i need. I'll be sure to post plenty of pictures of mods.

[ETC]

Well you have a hitch so ... you're ahead of many when it comes to recovery.

So, the hitch is not a receiver type ? with the square hole that you put the square piece in and secure with the hitch pin ? . If it is, I don't know what you're calling the "eye", what I think you're saying is the hole where the ball goes which can be between "3/4-"1 1/4.

If it is actually a receiver type which most are, you can buy accessory tubes with a hole for a d-ring or with a hook on it or you can just do what you're thinking and run a d-ring pin through the ball mount hole. There are "better" ways to do things but more often than not it's what you have with you and what will work in that situation. Even if you're car is set up to recover ... the other car may not so ... have to get creative.

I've done pretty much all my recovery with my truck which has large hooks up front and a 2" receiver in the rear. In the rear I just shove the tow strap in the square hole in the hitch and use the hitch pin to secure it but, even if you have a receiver hitch, it's probably "1 1/4 so that won't work.

Just over kill your equipment and don't use cheap junk and you'll be fine. I've pulled fullsize trucks with 10k lb trailers out of the sand with a standard 2" heavy duty tow strap so it's not going to break pulling out an Outback.

If you're not sure of what you have or what you need, take a couple pics of the hitch and describe what you want to do and we can let you know what we think. I'm not sure what's bolted and what the hitch looks like so I'm just guessing right now.

[lesstutrey]

What i meant by the tow eye i meant the one subaru lists in their manual, however mine hitch bolts too it. My hitch does have a standard old 1 1/4" receiver. I have been having this discussion elsewhere and everyone agreed the my class 2 draw-tite hitch aught to be good enough for pulling my car out a ditch, one guy mentioning he's even done short snatch towing with his, so not too worried about ripping it off. And if i bend it.. new hitch time. Maybe i'll upgrade to a class III, or heck build a new bumper with 2" receiver, if i get into off-roading a bit more (new tires and springs will be needed too, also front bumper i can winch up, probably mostly pipe dreams, but if i do it in stages it could be real).

I got some pictures. I'll post em.. they are from the underside though.

This picture shows the bolt that goes from hitch into the normal tow eye.

IMG_2055 by lesstutrey, on Flickr

Yes there is a bolt that is connected up at the top to the "frame"

IMG_2056 by lesstutrey, on Flickr

And this is the left side, again there is a bolt above on the "frame" and the extra bolt through, on this side the "tie down" eye.

IMG_2058 by lesstutrey, on Flickr

[lesstutrey]

Went to the hardware store today to see what i could do.

First i thought i would take a ball hitch mount, tap 2 1/2" holes in it and attach one of the typical 5 ton hooks on to it. Use an extra nut and lock washer as a spacer for the drop on the hitch. Figured i'd be able to tow with a ball hitch on there as well. Looked into that, but thought i found something simpler upon going to screws and bolts isle. It also happens to be where they keep chain and wire fittings. I notice a 3/8" forged hook with a 3.25 WLL and a 1/2 clovis pin. I took the hook and compared it to the hitch i had with me. Seemed like an nice easy fit. No drilling required, just stick the pin in the hitch and blamo.

Got my stuff home, and went to put the hook onto the hitch, no dice! I noticed flashing from the forging process (that had been grinned off somewhat) was preventing me from getting the hook on. I i filed down the flashing, i know it weakened the overall strength of the hook, a little by taking about 1/16 of material out, but at 3.25 tons it should still have plenty of strength, and heck the hitch is only rated at 1.75 ton. Guess what? Still didn't fit. I noticed something, the edge of the hitch was flat, and hitting a curved surface, preventing it from going that 1/4" deeper i needed the hook to go to allow me to pin the thing on.

Had a couple thoughts, grind down the hitch so it was shorter, file the hole on the hitch a bit bigger , and then the good idea came to me:lol:. Make the end of the hitch match the curved part of the hook!:banana: So i took the hitch down to my grinder, and gave the edge a curved lip. Not much of one, mostly just at the direct back. Figured this weakened the hitch as much as possible, instead of shaving 1/4" entirely off, i only did it on the edges. Took the hitch back to my vice, smacked the hitch a few times with a rubber mallet and presto, in place :grin:

Due to the location of the hook on the hitch, it will not turn. It will only go straight back, no play at all. Had to slightly hammer the clevis pin in, but since it's not a key on a gear, i figured that was ok.


Also while at the store i came across the same 48" high jack they had been selling for 70$ on sale for 40$. Had to buy it. Grabbed a tree saver, and a snow shovel for the car (already have a tri-fold shovel most of you are familiar with) but i just needed something for volumes of snow, not heavy stuff.
Now i need a 2 ton come along and snatch block to work in conjunction with the high jack, and a high jack accessory kit, so it's more useful than as just a jack, and to get my car up and lifted, and some LT tires on it. And i guess a portable air compressor..


Here is my beautiful rear hook.


Recovery Tongue 1.25" by lesstutrey, on Flickr