Tow bar & recovery options

Hey lads

Needing to fit a tow bar on my Jim. Also see it as an opportunity to fit a set of 'proper' recovery shackles. Anyone know what options there are out there for a good tow bar with mounting points for shackles? I've checked the wiki but it only appears to list self fabricated options from Bosniak and a couple of other guys, is this still the only way of fitting recovery ? I can't weld to save myself. I've noticed the Jimnybits HD recovery point, but they don't seem to mention if you can fit a tow bar on around it.

CAE.

Ermintrude has a witter detachable bar and it is ok. Zebedee on the other hand has a Towtrust fixed bar and that is a much better thing,less like a plow on the back and generally heavier and stronger looking. If I were buying again it would be a Towtrust.

As for combined tow and recovery I think it is not an off the shelf option it will require some custom work.

Mine has the Suzuki towbar with the detachable tow ball. Its nice and neat so it don't get court up offroad. For recovery I have
just fitted a small tow loop/strap to one of the mounting points. Works well and its cheap.

Unless you're in 4ft of mud and being snatched by a hooligan in a unimog then there is no problem recovering using the tow ball. Even better if you have a clevis hook. Or, if you can operate a drill and a spanner you could always fit some M12 lifting eye bolts through either side of the towbar. They are rated at 2,500 kg each which is more than any Jimny towbar.

www.gsproducts.co.uk/12mm-120mm-stainles...long-shank-eye-bolt/

If you are being recovered with a snatch rope, if something is going to break, you want it to be your end, then your towball goes through his windscreen, rather than the other way round. :whistle:

A 50mm towbar is rated to 3500kg, if you like you can fit a ring type, or a combi like I have with jaws that you drop the ball through as a pin.

Don't like snatch ropes, I've seen then cause damage, and youtube is full of snatch recoveries leaving axles behind in the mud.

Yeah, personally not a fan of snatch recovery either unless it is really necessary, the good thing about the Jimny is I doubt it will ever be necessary, the plethora of green ovals you see recovering at every UK pay and play have more than enough weight to drag you around like a ragdoll. :side:

With that being said, you should NEVER recover by a tow ball, they are not designed for the type of load presented during recovery, even with a weight rating well in excess of your vehicle they can still easily fail, and when they do they tend to rather dramatically, there has been cases of tow ball failure resulting in injury and even death to people in the immediate proximity.

Will look into the suzuki detachable, I've seen a pic of yours before 1066 and I really like how it looks with the electrics relocated into the bumper. Will take a look at the witter and see if towtrust do a removable.