Front XK Tow Hooks

[2010XK]

Has anybody installed a set of front tow hooks on their XK? I see you can buy 100 dollar OEM Mopar ones....Would a set of 10 dollar ones work from the location parts place? Could someone take a pic of their OEM ones so I could compare to the Pronto ones? Don't want to sound cheap, but $10 sounds better then 100 bones to me anyday! Thanks in advance!

[LWM]

I ended up taking mine off when I installed my new front bumper so I cannot take pictures but I know others have installed the cheaper ones but I can tell you that the OEM ones mount with three bolts and the aftermarket will not be as sturdy as they do not connect the same way. I could be wrong but I think Cico7 installed aftermarket hooks.

[strokeZ]

From a hook perspective they are practically the same....some aftermarket hooks will be in with the open end down as opposed to up on the OEM. I don't think that really matters (D-rings would be optimal). What does matter is that you will have to be creative just a bit on finding mount points for the aftermarket and may have to cut into the front bumper. OEM are essentially plug and play. Its not terribly difficult either way.

[my4thjeep]

i actually had a rear tow hook from my tj i found. it bolted right in. i have it on the driver side. haven't had to try it out yet but looks like it'll get the job done? all i needed to do was to take the front bumper fascia off and cut a little piece off so that the facia would sit flush with the hook.

[wookie]

The factory tow hooks are pretty heavy duty compared to some of the after market ones and installation is simple as there is no drilling or modifications required. They are bolted to the front frame through an access plate behind the bumper. They fit nicely and the bumper/ tow hook clearance keeps tow straps in place if readjusting the vehicle for a different angle pull. I pondered the cheap ones and once I saw the Mopar ones in person I bought them. I will post a picture when I have a chance tomorrow (too dark right now). I personally recommend the Mopar ones unless you can get something made up that allows a D-ring.

[superacerc]

I did the cheap ones. just look at my garage to get a pic of what they look like. you can tell I cut my bumper and i did it in a hurry as the mosquitos were killing me. I have yet to go under to make it prettier but have never really noticed it. The only pulling i've done with mine so far is letting my boy scouts pull my jeep around the parking lot in a man vs machine tug o war (just in neutral).

[Sal-XK]

I have the cheap ones sitting in the garage. I plan on using them and bolting them up with grade 8 bolts. If you look up the specs for these bolts there is no way I could break them (150k lbs per square inch)the frame were there attached would fail first.

[superacerc]

^x2. The frame is going to be the fail point far quicker than the tow hooks. I did have to drill my own holes behind the first hole. Over all including bumper removal it took me 35-45 minutes.

[2010XK]

Thanks for all the great info and advice! Looking forward to pics from wookie...Just want to see the layout of the bolt holes...I like what people are saying...there is much to be said about OEM, lots of R&D goes into those things, prolly more then a $10 set of "fits most vehicles" tow hooks. I do like the idea of a set of D-rings...Maybe that’s what I will try....Anyway, need for it to warm up a bit before I try anything in my garage! Thanks again and will update as my decision is made and the install starts!

[wookie]

Here are some pics of the Mopar Tow Hooks.









The tow hooks are bolted to a mount that in turn is sandwiched to the frame with the stud mount plate. Another plus is if your ever decide to go with the Matrix 4XGuard it bolts up to the factory tow hook stud plate.