[Blueberry]

okay so i've been reading around and so far ive picked up not to use the towbar at all for any form or decent recovery, which i was not supprised about on sierra's but all i can really find info wise is what not to use.

whats everyone using?

ive seen the small recovery hook kits arb and various others do that seem to be just a bolt through a the chassis kind of deal and this is the way im leaning.

any opinions/ things i should know/ things i don't need to that will get your post count up

cheers

[appsie]

i used my sierra towbar for ages and on some decent recoveries without any probs,just had a tongue without the tow ball and a shackle through the hole.Not to say its works perfect or is entirely safe tho
i now have a haymon reece hitch in my rear bar.
Others have used rated tow hooks and bolted them up where the towbar monts.

[Fatzook]

Most towbars will be fine. But do not use the TOW BALL!!

Remove the ball and use a shackle through the hole.

[whatulookinat]

Considering what this car (sierra) was made for strange they are not standard

[Fatzook]

whatulookinat wrote:

Considering what this car (sierra) was made for strange they are not standard

Suzuki probably figured they would be so capable they didn't need any.

[whatulookinat]

You gotta help ur mates in lesser vehicles

[Fatzook]

whatulookinat wrote:

You gotta help ur mates in lesser vehicles

Yep. And the best form of help is to heckle them until they buy a zook

[zukmeista]

Ok so that's the back sorted, but how do you mount hooks on the front?

[Fatzook]

through your shackles??

[shep]

Fatzook wrote:

whatulookinat wrote:

You gotta help ur mates in lesser vehicles

Yep. And the best form of help is to heckle them until they buy a zook

i have no recovery points and therefore don't have to do recovery's.
mad kenny uses the loop thing on the chassis and hasn't broken it yet.
he snatched out this shit box ok

[buzbox]

Do you have a bullbar?



Do you have a towbar?



Recovering from the towbar is ok, After all it has 4 mounting points and would act like an equaliser spreading the load across the rear of the car.

I'm not 100% on the sierra's mounting point but I don't see anything wrong with it.

[jdk81]

buzbox wrote:

Do you have a bullbar?



Do you have a towbar?



Recovering from the towbar is ok, After all it has 4 mounting points and would act like an equaliser spreading the load across the rear of the car.

I'm not 100% on the sierra's mounting point but I don't see anything wrong with it.

Ugh discussing this again....
As discussed in a previous thread a few days ago...
There is sweet FA metal in the chassis holding the tow bar onto a sierra.
I highly advise against recoveries in this manner

[shep]

in my opinion sierra towbars are unsafe to tow trailers with, let alone expect
it to stand up to the forces of a snatch recovery.

[Blueberry]

yea to be honest i cant really see myself pulling out any mates cars at this stage.

ive got a stock bar at the front and i had a bit of a look but cant really see anywhere handy to stick a hook at all short of not running a front bar. and since i like whats left off my license id rather keep one on.

any ideas?

[appsie]

i know people have had big dramas on the front with the stock recovery/tie down hook(built4thrashing)from memory tore one out and had to replace crossmember
But all 3 of my zuks have had no dramas with them when ive had to use them.i avoid towing anything heavy and havent been pulled out of a big bother myself so its held up.in my current zook i have been winched up a couple of stupidly steep banks tho using the factory hook

[steak_knife]

Mr Blueberry, did I show you the bent tow bar at my house??

It was bent during recovery when not bolted on properly.. So ensuring thay are bolted on PROPERLY (not like your wheel) thay can do the job.

The 'loop thingy" shep mentioned is friggen strong, but I have seen em come off, but that were damaged before hand..

[whincup]

steknig wrote:

Mr Blueberry, did I show you the bent tow bar at my house??

It was bent during recovery when not bolted on properly.. So ensuring thay are bolted on PROPERLY (not like your wheel) thay can do the job.

i'll get a photo of mine tomorrow if i can find it, the damage to my towbar from using it in a recovery. mind you, i was so badly stuck that a pathfinder got stuck trying to get me out.

[Built4thrashing]

all i can say is DONT USE THE FACTORY TIE DOWN HOOP on the front of the sierra. It is a tie down point only.



I used mine and this is what happened.







B4T

[jdk81]

+1

Ive seen 4 sierras with damage tie down points. Not to that degree, but some worse than others.

[buzbox]

shep wrote:

in my opinion sierra towbars are unsafe to tow trailers with, let alone expect it to stand up to the forces of a snatch recovery.

I just saw that you did mention it in last weeks thread.

[zuk94]

shep wrote:

in my opinion sierra towbars are unsafe to tow trailers with, let alone expect
it to stand up to the forces of a snatch recovery.

A mate of mine ripped his Sierra towbar right off the car . The tow bar welds gave and it went flying through the air. Luckely they told people to keep well clear durung the recovery . So checking the condition of your bar and its attachment points isn't such a silly idea.

[Abraxix]

i'm essentially in this pickle myself using a X-90.. BUT!!! so far i've looked at alot of stuff before i've rumped in and gotten stuck, i have recovered other things though, GQ patrol's, Hilux's, Disco's and i've only ever used my factory tie down point *front end only*

it's never been a big snatch just giving the other car extra weight / traction to get out of where they are..

my option.. Custom made rear bar tube and custome tube at the front end so i can actually fit a proper tow hook recovery hook to the back and front end of my car, this will be happening over the next 3 weeks after the wedding and honey moon!

*QUESTION*

is there a benefit to fitting recovery points on one side opposed to the other side???? i've actually heard alot of controversary.... thoughts???

[shakes]

has there been any success using crush tubes with some thicker plate for a gusst and mounting proper recovery points through all that? I'm well aware custom bars are needed, but so far we have come up with lots of what not to do's, and no real way of doing it properly

[jdk81]

shakes wrote:

has there been any success using crush tubes with some thicker plate for a gusst and mounting proper recovery points through all that? I'm well aware custom bars are needed, but so far we have come up with lots of what not to do's, and no real way of doing it properly

Yeah good point shakes.
I will go grab the recovery hook I have.
Get some dimensions, measure up my 1.0L and WT zooks and provide a solution which will meet requirements, while being cheap and easy to make.

But I may need to put more beer in the fridge.

[jdk81]

Abraxix wrote:

i'm essentially in this pickle myself using a X-90.. BUT!!! so far i've looked at alot of stuff before i've rumped in and gotten stuck, i have recovered other things though, GQ patrol's, Hilux's, Disco's and i've only ever used my factory tie down point *front end only*

it's never been a big snatch just giving the other car extra weight / traction to get out of where they are..

my option.. Custom made rear bar tube and custome tube at the front end so i can actually fit a proper tow hook recovery hook to the back and front end of my car, this will be happening over the next 3 weeks after the wedding and honey moon!

*QUESTION*

is there a benefit to fitting recovery points on one side opposed to the other side???? i've actually heard alot of controversary.... thoughts???

Do you mean either drivers side, or passenger side, or fitting two and using an equaliser strap?

[jdk81]

I have a solution for the front of wt and nt.
However i will run it through fea at a later date when im not so wasted on pain killers.
If all works well in FEA I will post up detailed instructions, however for liability reasons, I advise that you dont use them.

[royce]

I reckon this is the best idea I have seen

http://www.bits4vits.co.uk/store/index. ... oductId=14

you dont have to worry about the chassis tearing out

[lordfury007]

royce wrote:

I reckon this is the best idea I have seen

http://www.bits4vits.co.uk/store/index. ... oductId=14

you dont have to worry about the chassis tearing out

Interesting idea, although the way i picture it, as the threaded rod doesnt touch the side of the chassis tube, all the pressure would be transferred fron that threaded rod to the chassis through the side of the inner nut wouldn't it?

[jdk81]

royce wrote:

I reckon this is the best idea I have seen

http://www.bits4vits.co.uk/store/index. ... oductId=14

you dont have to worry about the chassis tearing out

It is a good idea, however I feel it could use some refinement.
I am worried about the bending moments

This would be my first refinement.
The black boxes would be thick tube (minimal gaps) to spread the load better into the chassis rails.

I will draw it up and do the calcs, I am concerned how the chassis and cross member will hold up to recovery type loads generated.

EDIT: You could maybe get away with modified suspension bushes.

[atari4x4]

why not just put a solid bar the whole way thru that tube on the sierra's like what shep did to fit his toobe bar & polar_bear is running the same set up in his vitara with a solid bar that's been drilled & tapped to take a couple extra mounts on his winch bar.

those shackles on the Bit4Vits set up look like generic low bunnings spec...