Towing Straps/Extenders advice sort

Hi,

So I have just fitted Jimnybits front towing points to my Gen 4 and they are really tucked under the front bumper and it occurred to me that when I want to use them, they will be down in the mud



So I had a think about what I could do to prevent this and it make them more accessible, I will only need to fit this solution when going off road where there is a chance of getting stuck:

• James suggested I fit a bridle and secure it to the front and the idea had already crossed my mind, but I was worried it might snag and come loose, then end up under the car which wouldn't be a great idea;
• I then wondered if I fit short straps, say about 0.5m long andhold them round the bumper with a piece of shock cord in to the grille, but I would like to avoid a shackle round the recovery points as it will only hang down;
• My last idea is to have either a soft shackle or short strap that can loop through the recovery points, avoid a metal shackle and hold these up with shock cord.

So a few questions:

- If I go with the soft shackle, I assume it will be OK to pass through the recovery points, but I would like to find a long one, so it comes up the bumper, the ones I have seen so fat are probably too short.

- If I go with a short strap, say about 0.5m with a soft loop on the end would this be OK just to loop through the recovery point?

Has anyone else done anything like this and more importantly suggest where I can get some soft shackles/short soft strap that will be long enough?

Thanks

Robin
 

At a glance, soft shackles may not work with those recovery points - the holes don't look large enough to take them and I can't tell how "sharp" the edges are.

Soft shackles, at least the ones I have used, are essentially a loop of synthetic rope doubled back on itself, the hole (slot) in the recovery point has to be able to pass a double thickness (more like a triple thickness because the coating makes the looped end very stiff) and needs to have rounded edges to not cut into the rope.

Thanks fordem, your second point about the sharp edges did concern me. They aren't especially sharp and are around 20mm wide, but don't have rounded corners, so it might be an issue.

I could put a shackle on, I was hoping to avoid a shackle rattling around down there with the possibilty of it snagging, but could hold it in an upright position if it was tight enough on the shock cord.

Perhaps I will see if I can get a smallish shackle with enough load and use a short strop.

Robin

I found a shackle with rubber inserts, these might sit in an upright postion and not mark the bottom of my bumper.

 

The rubber washers round the shaft might clamp round the recovery points and hold them in a horizontal position.  The I could use a soft shackle or just a short fabric recovery strop.

Robin

Those look very over designed to me, like someone has tried to add everything they can think of to the point I wonder if they have designed out the functionality. I get that you want them to be quiet so why not just get some regular ones and some large heat shrink and then you can colour code them high visibility yellow.

I'm not sure of what the best solution is as I would be worried about scratching or rubbing the plastic bumper & bonnet. I haven't seen many or any Gen 4s with ropes or straps attached to them. I've seen plenty of Gen 3s and if you look in the gallery you can see their different methods.

Personally I wouldn't worry too much. I mean , how often do you actually get stuck and even then, how often are the recovery points burried?

I'd suggest it is likely a rarity. If you know in advance, attach a rope and stick it in through the side window, this would be handy if in deep water or a mud hole. Most other times you get stuck, you could probably get pulled backwards if needed or use a spade to dig out the recovery points.

Really, I just wouldn't over think it.

Soft shackles are great, but really the edges should be bevelled to avoid any risk of cutting them. A smooth edge might be ok, you'd just have to see if it damages the shackles in use.

My recovery points have a bevelled edge, so I only use soft shackles on them, as a D/bow shackle will take the paint off.
 

As I have a different front bumper, my recovery points are higher and much further forward. Making them less likely to be below ground level.
 

Ultimately, the best solution if you feel it is an issue is a different type of recovery point.

Jimnybits do offer a higher up front recovery point, but you need to cut a couple of holes in the bumper.
www.jimnybits.com/jimny-front-hd-tow-points-2019-on.html

DrRobin wrote:

Hi,

So I have just fitted Jimnybits front towing points to my Gen 4 and they are really tucked under the front bumper and it occurred to me that when I want to use them, they will be down in the mud

 

My only concern with those low down recovery points is (and I might be being way over cautious/over thinking things here). Is that if you are stuck down a dip or ravine, and the only vehicle to pull you out is in front on higher ground, my concern is the angle of the recovery rope! It could end up pulling upwards on your bumper? And if the recovery driver is a bit overzealous, could end up causing some damage. The other Jimnybits RC points which I have, that require cutting of the bumper, put the RC point up and in-front of the bumper. It might not be a problem in real life only in very extreme circumstances?

Enough for me



 

Just my opinion - I wouldn't use soft shackles with any of the recovery points pictured in this thread, the edges are too sharp. I'd prefer to see a smooth radius similar to the factory "tie down" points.

Filipao wrote:

Enough for me

 

Is that with a standard rear bumper? Who makes that recovery point? Thanks.

fordem wrote:

Just my opinion - I wouldn't use soft shackles with any of the recovery points pictured in this thread, the edges are too sharp. I'd prefer to see a smooth radius similar to the factory "tie down" points.

On mine the edges are bevelled nicely, you can just see it in the pictures, but it is hard to see in a photo. In real life they are clearly designed for soft shackle use. Which has been tested in my case