Replacement Options for Stock DRings in front of car

[JustSomeName]

So I've been reading up on the recovery points on the front of the 4th gens and found this image from another thread on the stock Drings

Alot of the information out there are kinda back and forth, some say they're strong enough, others say they arent. My question is do we have any options for aftermarket upgrades for these DRings?

I was looking at the SmittyBilt & ARB DRing Shackles and was wondering if its even possible to mount these onto our cars without a steel bumper? If it's possible with the stock bumper, how?

ARB ARB207D Bow/Clevis D Shackle : Amazon.com : Automotive

Smittybilt 13047B 3/4" Black D-Ring : Amazon.com : Automotive

 

[stevec5000]

The stock rings look plenty strong for most normal uses like pulling it out of the mud. I certainly wouldn't try using them for actual towing on the highway since it's probably not safe unless you attached a tow bar to it. I wouldn't worry about it unless it was being lifted straight up by a winch or something but that's not a good idea anyway.

 

[zonianbrat]

I'm a little confused here. I work at a power plant and we have an abundance of those clevice type of d rings. They are very strong as we use them to hoist loads up to 80 tons (we use huge clevices for those lifts). Where I am confused is the application of use. If you are planning on just attaching these to the factory d rings that are attached to the frame then the weak point of failure will still be the stock d rings at the point of contact with the clevice or the welds on the frame. Unless you plan on getting a aftermarket bumper or cutting the stock d rings off and welding on some thicker ones I dont see a point in just attaching these to the stock d rings other than ease of attachment of a pull strap. I keep a couple in my t4r mainly for ease of hooking up a pull strap to the back hitch incase I am trying to pull out someone going forward (like that ever happens!). If you are going to be getting pulled out from being stuck I think the stock d rings will work just fine. Unless you have managed to bury your t4r axle deep in some sticky mud.

 

[berettashot117]

check out my hooks

 

[03_4x4Runner]

The stock d-rings were originally intended to tie the 4runner onto the boat for shipment to the USA. They are ok for mild pulling but as stated not for really hard stucks. The metal they are welded to is not very thick and could be easily torn off. There was a post several years ago where someones stock d-rings practically fell off from rust. The other problem with them is they are mounted to low and far back. If you are really stuck in mud or a washout out area in the rocks etc. you will not even be able to get to the hook.

 

[03_4x4Runner]

I found the link to the guy with the rusty tow hooks. you can see how thin the metal is that they are attached to. http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/105430-i-think-somethings-wrong-my-tow-hooks.html

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Those eyelets are designed for securing and towing a 4Runner in neutral on a relatively flat plane. They are welded to a section of the frame that is part of the radiator support which ties the frame rail ends together. You would think that would provide enough strength, but it doesn't. You can see that though the rings are thick gauge steel rod, the frame rail they are welded to is barely 1/8" steel, this is also not a solid tube, it is stamped plate that goes on to the bottom of the radiator support frame.

If you look at the mechanics of how you would tow/pull with those hooks you can see that they will tend to break the welds and/or bend the thin frame rail they are welded to. They are so low that most of the time you're going to be pulling up on the rings, essentially leveraging the bottom of the frame to lift upwards which the frame raill will not enjoy repeatedly.

When you use D-Rings on say an aftermarket bumper, the D-Ring is hinged at the point at which it connects to the frame, this alleviates some strain on the connection point that you don't see on the stock rings. They also more often than not use a triangular or trapezoidal plate to attach to the frame, this also helps distribute the lateral force. Thick this way, even if you were pulling upwards on the D-Ring, it would need to simultaneously push into the frame rail and tear out of the frame at its bottom point. This causes a levering effect that provides some rigidity, similar to why we use gussets on other components to reinforce.

And I think I have managed to over explain something as simple as a D-Ring... Sorry about that, hope it helps.