Tow hooks installed

[Meanderthal]

Agreed, all else being equal.

As it happens, the solid steel rod portion of the factory hooks on the BS BL (see illustration above) is significantly larger in diameter than the bolts supplied with the aftermarket tow hooks. It appears to be at least as large as the Ford towing eye, if not larger.

The 2 front bolts would seem to have primarily a shearing force on them with an off-axis recovery. They also appear to take some of the load with a straight pull.

Regardless, what I was trying to point out (diplomatically) is that the aftermarket hooks, as designed to be installed with the supplied hardware, do not appear to be as strong -- and are not a replacement for the OE hooks. Are they still strong enough to be used for recovery? IDK. Probably in some cases.

It's too bad the OE hooks cannot be installed (as a bolt-on) on all trim levels. Unfortunately, as 69cuda said:

"The lower trims are missing a steel bracket welded to the frame that the badlands threaded end connects to. So the factory welds that bracket to the frame on the badlands but ford decided to save a few pennies and not included it to the frames of the lower trims.

You can bolt the badlands tow hooks to the bumper support if you want the look but they wouldn't have any strength without the rear frame bracket."

It's really a shame that Ford does it that way.

Agreed that the BL hooks are much stronger than the aftermarkets installed here. I think the way these aftermarkets are installed would be fine for a "straight" pull but anything off-axis by more than 15° is going to put a lot of torque on those two mounting points. Not sure the sheet metal can handle that. I also agree with others that a "snatch" type recovery with dynamic loads would be really pushing the limits of the attachment.

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[LazyDirtFarmer]

Inspired by this post... I got a set of FL3Z17A954C Tow Hooks (for an F150) and bolted them up under the Bumper, There's an M8 1.25 pitch screw under there on a metal bracket... The hardware I used to replace the screw is in the pic. Yes... There's only one screw holding them on; No... I ain't gonna try to get towed off of them. Put these on mostly for show, but I'd trust them as a front tie-down points.

 

[JerryC]

Back in the dinosaur days we would just drill two holes in the frame and bolt on a hook we got from the speed shop or 4wd store.
I never saw one of them come loose. All we had back then were straps without much stretch and we hit them hard.
I guess if the bolt is big enough and good enough they will hold.

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