Towing a Big Bend Without Tow Hooks?

Barry S.

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I have a 2022 Big Bend without tow hooks. If I got stuck in sand our mud and needed assistance being pulled out, where would I have to attached the tow hooks or straps to my vehicle? I don't see any reference to this in the manual.
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I have a 2022 Big Bend without tow hooks. If I got stuck in sand our mud and needed assistance being pulled out, where would I have to attached the tow hooks or straps to my vehicle? I don't see any reference to this in the manual.
Around the swing arm .
 

Escape2Bronco

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I have a 2022 Big Bend without tow hooks. If I got stuck in sand our mud and needed assistance being pulled out, where would I have to attached the tow hooks or straps to my vehicle? I don't see any reference to this in the manual.
Soft shackle around the lower control arm
 
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Barry S.

Barry S.

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I appreciate the response but could you elaborate. Don't know what soft shackle or lower control arm means
 

fsjdw2

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lower control arm is the part of your car (under the bumper, attaches to front left or right wheel) should be made out of solid metal NOT sheet metal. I'll see if I can get a photo of one.

A soft shackle is a short length of kevlar , dynema, fancy nylon(or other SUPER strong but still flexible ) stuff that is about 8-18 inches long with a loop at one end and a monkey fist knot at the other. put around whatever, then put the loop over the monkey fist.


link to soft shackle Soft Shackle (yankum.com) quality company too. DON'T cheap out on recovery gear, if it breaks not only are you stuck, you created a missle. always go overboard on working load.

When do the control arms need to be replaced? (testingautos.com)

Lower control arm.

(great basic diagram of Mcphearson strut layout (which is what BS's have))
@Barry S.

since things can (and DO) break while pulling stuck vehicles you want the weakest link (where it breaks) to be as light , soft and flexible as possible as the broken parts fly off like cannon balls. A 6500 lb F250 pulling a STUCK up to top of wheels f250 isn't simply pulling 6500 lbs, it is pulling ALL the mud in front of that F250 AND the suction of said mud, AND up a small hill of mud in front of each tire. Ball park that is roughly the same as 19000 lbs of load, put that force into a rope it stretches and things break EASILY.


Guy got killed last month when the tow ball mount on buddy's f250 broke off under tow, the tension in cord sling shotted it back through the front windshield of the stuck truck and through his head. I believe it went through the back window, hitting the top and changing direction instantly dead. I guess his wife and kids were in the cab too...
Kingman mom raising awareness about proper towing techniques after husband’s death (azfamily.com)

Your question indicates your level of awareness of towing and winching is low. "admitting you don't know something is the first step in learning"(famous Quote)
I would bet you could locate a recovery school on Facebook , or off-road club local that would have an actual class usually a half day class is pretty easy to get, it is pretty simple stuff but messing up can kill. I'm surprised the off road rodeo doesn't have a 1-2 hour session.
 
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Mark S.

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lower control arm is the part of your car (under the bumper, attaches to front left or right wheel) should be made out of solid metal NOT sheet metal. I'll see if I can get a photo of one.
Great explanation. One addition: Attach the soft shackle as close to the frame (away from the wheel) as possible.


Guy got killed last month when the tow ball mount on buddy's f250 broke off under tow, the tension in cord sling shotted it back through the front windshield of the stuck truck and through his head.
If this is the incident I think you are referring to, they attached the rope to the ball on a 10-12 inch drop hitch. This tremendously increases the bend stress on the hitch tube, which is not really designed for bending stress beyond the tongue weight of a trailer.

Nevertheless, your point is a good one. Another good technique during recovery is to place a blanket over the center of the rope or cable attaching the two vehicles together. That way of something does snap/break the blanket will absorb a lot of the energy in the rope.
 

hwildey

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Thanks to all for the advice here. Did you all see the post on here where someone installed recovery hooks on their big bend (I think there were made for jeep cherokee but they fit with some work). Anyway, I thought the bolts that they used to attach it were kinda small, but I am novice here. What do you folks think? Does that look like a safe set up?

https://www.amazon.com/Rough-Country-Forged-2015-2019-Cherokee/dp/B08D9RCTB8/ref=sr_1_23?crid=287L2M5NNZUD8&keywords=bronco+sport+big+bend+tow+hooks&qid=1663528065&sprefix=,aps,68&sr=8-23&pldnSite=1
 

Escape2Bronco

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Thanks to all for the advice here. Did you all see the post on here where someone installed recovery hooks on their big bend (I think there were made for jeep cherokee but they fit with some work). Anyway, I thought the bolts that they used to attach it were kinda small, but I am novice here. What do you folks think? Does that look like a safe set up?

https://www.amazon.com/Rough-Country-Forged-2015-2019-Cherokee/dp/B08D9RCTB8/ref=sr_1_23?crid=287L2M5NNZUD8&keywords=bronco+sport+big+bend+tow+hooks&qid=1663528065&sprefix=,aps,68&sr=8-23&pldnSite=1
I think they are mainly for looks only or perhaps just off the road in the snow. The bolts shown would still have a large amount of sheer strength but I'd want to hook a bridle up to both to improve my odds of not snapping the bolts. If someone tried to recover with a recovery rope or soft strap it would be better than a chain. I still think you are better off with a soft shackle around the lower control arm.
 

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Thanks to all for the advice here. Did you all see the post on here where someone installed recovery hooks on their big bend (I think there were made for jeep cherokee but they fit with some work). Anyway, I thought the bolts that they used to attach it were kinda small, but I am novice here. What do you folks think? Does that look like a safe set up?

https://www.amazon.com/Rough-Country-Forged-2015-2019-Cherokee/dp/B08D9RCTB8/ref=sr_1_23?crid=287L2M5NNZUD8&keywords=bronco+sport+big+bend+tow+hooks&qid=1663528065&sprefix=,aps,68&sr=8-23&pldnSite=1
I just got back from the NH Off Rodeo, they told us the only recommended recovery point on a BS, other than the factory tow hooks or a Hitch, is the tow eye, that should have come with the car and can be installed in the rear bumper, used in combination with soft shackles. This would involve a multi point recovery, if the car pulling you was not behind you. A multi point recovery will probably require a Tree saver strap, a pulley, two or more soft shackles and a considerable length of rope. Even though I have a Badlands with a hitch, I have ~ 135' of synthetic rope, 4 soft shackles, two pulleys, a tree saver, a 30' recovery strap, a 20' Kinetic energy Rope, a 3 ton heavy duty hand winch and 4 Recovery Boards.

What I've found most useful, so far, are the recovery boards and a shovel. I consider these last two as must haves, if you are going anywhere, that you might get stuck. And recovery boards can be used as Ramps, up or down obstacles, as well as a bridge, over a gap you couldn't normally go over.
https://usactiontrax.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwj7CZBhDHARIsAPPWv3c0XSUfuAroRUoVaH1W51r_V_qUOTTr7dBR_JAksWNmQ8fafvGPh4YaAtYvEALw_wcB https://usactiontrax.com/shop/ols/products/action-trax-full-nylon-teeth-orange-pair?gclid=Cj0KCQjwj7CZBhDHARIsAPPWv3c0XSUfuAroRUoVaH1W51r_V_qUOTTr7dBR_JAksWNmQ8fafvGPh4YaAtYvEALw_wcB
https://www.amazon.com/Ton-Ratchet-Puller-Amsteel-Blue/dp/B00455VCTY/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=Wyeth&qid=1663871688&sr=8-2
 
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hwildey

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So there is just no way to install real front tow hooks on the lower trims safely and easily. That is too bad. Thanks for the advice, I am not a heavy off reader but did buy a hook for the rear and have a tow strap. I think sand would be only thing I would potentially get stuck in. The ramps and a shovel sound like the way to go.
 

fsjdw2

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So there is just no way to install real front tow hooks on the lower trims safely and easily. That is too bad. Thanks for the advice, I am not a heavy off reader but did buy a hook for the rear and have a tow strap. I think sand would be only thing I would potentially get stuck in. The ramps and a shovel sound like the way to go.
The Mavericks with the Tremor option (off road package, something like that?) have an extra piece welded on to the frame in 2 places(in a giant L shape to reinforce the frame there) in front allow "real" recovery points on the front . I would assume the BS (same platform) would likely have that as well.

Rough Country is NOT a very well thought out, those are NOT safe recovery hooks. They look good though so and for going to GAP, or Old Navy, or Starbucks they are perfect.

A single 12 MM bolt(1/2 inch) has a single shear strength of just under 7000 lbs, so 2 of them means you have 14000 lbs(with ZERO safety margin). 14000 lbs is about 2.5 x what a loaded Grand Cherokee weighs. But remember my earlier post about you aren't lifting that car, you are moving the vehicle, the mud in front of the wheels, and up a hill, AND suction of the mud. you can EASILY get into 15000 lbs of stuck. Thing about bolts is they won't distribute that shear load very nicely straight ahead, they will likely spread it unequally (especially with just 2) so the first (closest to bumper) will break at then the second will break a fraction of a second later. I had a Rough Country Lift kit on my forester, their install instructions had me torquing 3/8th mild steel bolts to 120 ft/lb of torque. (you cant, they twist off right about 85; called them and they answered their instructions they had shipped with were wrong...)
 
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magicbus

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I thought everyone without rescue hooks had a tow eye (assuming no hitch). Isn’t this the case?
 

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I thought everyone without rescue hooks had a tow eye (assuming no hitch). Isn’t this the case?
All non tow package sports can have a hook threaded into the rear under that square access cover on bumper.
 

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I wouldn’t trust pulling on recovery points that are added to the front. The ones someone added on here under the bumper are too low, will increase shear force when pulling, they have the hooks on wrong sides, and are bolted through an area that isn’t reinforced. They look the part, but I wouldn’t throw strap on them. The one where they added them in the same spot as where the BL ones go, they’re in a good spot for recovery but are not reinforced. The BL has a reinforced area designed to be pulled from where they mount to the frame rails. Is weird they didn’t do an eye hook for the front of other models. I mean even cars have them front and rear.
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