When it comes down to it is this. If you pull someone out and damage their car, "the fragile little female" per say, they are gonna want you to fix it, or their husband will come after you for screwing up the car. If you damage your Jeep, you'll have to fix it. If you try and pull someone out and break your transfer case or axle, you'll have to fix it. No matter what, you are screwed for trying to be a nice person. I would be pulled out. But if someone is stuck on the side of the road, i.e. not your buddy or JK trail buddy or family and something gets FUBAR'd, You are better off giving them a ride, calling a wrecker or waiting with them until other help arrives. This is coming from a countyr boy with law enforcement and legal experiences. So I have helped people because that is how I was raised to being educated on how someone shaft you no matter your good intentions are, the first chance they get. Secondly, the person in the ditch is probably the prick in the Beamer that blows your doors off and cuts you off everyday to work. It is called Karma. Climb up in MY Jeep and I'll take you for a ride. Plus it akes a split second to break something and you could both be stranded for hours. A person is just a grateful if you drive them to safety as opposed to being a hero and pulling them out. Pick your poison.
Just my two cents.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnX2BoZE9w4&ob=av2e

 

Unless you pull somebody out, everything is fine, and you all go on your merry way.....which believe it or not, still happens. If you want to live like that with that kind of mind set then fine, but don't think for a moment that everybody else should....

 

I'll help if I can, just be really careful

 

That is why it's called Harsh Reality. Offering assistance without punity.

 

I'm up for offering them a ride or warm seat and cell phone until the new Jeep is built. My old TJ never had a problem but I can definitely see where people are coming from with the "be careful" advice!

 

Its funny how stuck people assume that a 4X4 is the same thing as a tow truck, and how many 4X4 owners assume they are driving tow trucks. Up here in the empty wilderness I would never, ever drive past someone who is in the ditch. But I also will never, ever wreck my vehicle trying to get them out. It's probably 50/50, the number of people I've pulled out over the years compared to the number I've given a ride into town or phoned a tow truck for. Some of these dipshits need a nice big bill from the towing guy before they will slow down when its -30 and the roads are pure ice.

 

My thought is this... Never pull someone out (if you can avoid it). If I don't have a winch i'm not going to strip out my gears or screw up my drive line because someone else got stuck.
Second the idea of not pulling in reverse only due to the chance of your strap or chain failing and flying into your windshield (YOU). Always use a "dead man".
If its someone else's gear ALWAYS assume its less than standard and it will probably fail!

 

A few people asked where the hooks go in a stock bumper.. Well, if ur jeep wasn't equipped with them, u can find many on the billboard. They bolt right up in the front with minor trimming to the plastic portion of the bumper (square cut). And no cutting required in the rear. The rear is just 3 or 4 bolts depending on the style u get. I've even seen plenty of free ones on here from people who upgrade. I gave mine away to another forum member, and will soon have another stock set (front) for free on here.