They might actually be pulling the front attaching brackets out of shape when they have tension on them.

 

check the mount, for the weight you describe that's not normal.

 

Please don't take this the wrong way but... did you tighten them all the way when you installed them? they are long bolts, if the nuts are backed out then i can see how the results you described would happen.

btw i installed my own also.

 

As tight as I could. I have taken it apart and inspected everything and it all looks fine..just like I did before I installed the hooks. This limb was in a pile of other trees, limbs, roots, etc that was pushed up with a dozer. It was not at the bottom but on the edge with some stuff on top it it. It was not just laying on the ground....I guess I should have said that earlier. I did actually pull it out some before we hooked it up to the 4-wheeler.

I was just curious if there was some flex in the hooks when they are used. I will just use extreme caution when/if I use the hooks soon. I will be so so busy in the next few months that I will not have the time to off-road anyways. By then, I hope I will get new bumpers and a winch..that should solve any problems that I might have.

Thanks for the fast replies.

 

i would recheck the bolts to make sure everything is tight and use a torque wrench to verify they are bolted tightly enough? since they 'went' back to normal it's probably kinda hard to get a picture but maybe you can hook a strap to them and to some other similar object (tree, boulder, vehicle) or something and recreate the issue while you take a look at it to see exactly where it is failing. i would not think what you are describing as normal. i installed my own tow hooks as well and haven't seen anything like this happening and i have seen a jeep yanked practically airborne by the front tow hooks and they are fine so something is definitely not correct here.

 

Jarne, I tugged and pulled on an FJ that nose-dived into a mud pit for over 1/2 an hour before I got him out and put one heck of a lot of stress on the hooks. They never moved a bit! I'm not sure why yours bent...leaned...tilted or whatever but I'm sure that they shouldn't have. Did you take them back apart to see what actually happened? If the frame horns bent you should see a bit of paint motteling and metal distortion. I doubt that there is any serious damage but it wouldn't hurt to take it apart and look things over well... Mike

 

They can handle the weight of another jeep getting recovered from Mud, I can attest to that. So, your little branch shouldn't be affecting anything.

 

I was YANKED out of a snow bankby two tj's (and I mean yanked)...my jeep was down a hill and stuck in 6 feet of snow. not a damn thing happened to the tow hooks..but mine are stock rubi hooks..not put on myself..something tells me the mount is wrong

 

Most of the strength of the front hook setup is in the reinforcement plates that go under the nuts. Should be hooks, rebar, frame rail lips, reinforcement plates, selflocking nuts. Don't be bashful about tightening the things down, either. Crank 'em down TIGHT. Maybe won't get it. You won't break these studs off....

 

Just to be safe I would ask the tow hook manufacturer. If they say that the leaning is OK keep the letter or email in case something go later. Not a big problem if you are using a stiff rope but if you use a snatch strap you will be building up a tremendous amount of tension which could throw a broken tow hook threw metal. I have seen the rear cross member of a Land Rover Defender sliced open when a tow hook gave under a big snatch strap pull. Just be careful of the loads you use.