tow hooks on vitara trials truck

[Heath]

Okay I had a look at the old stuff on hooks but couldnt find anything that would suit my aplication.

Having bought my POS I am now looking at how best to add hooks (front and rear) without wrecking approach and departure angles. This will be an A class vehicle so I cant remove the radiator and fit one with associated bracketry there and the chassis looks to be a little thin, not to mention already splitting.

I intend to cut the chassis rails back about 15mm to get it nice and tidy and weld in an end cap (is this legal in A class?) and have a design (idea) for an a frame that utilises the round crossmember but will be removable (this is just for moving the vehicle around my local area for maintenance etc) so that kind of stuffs the idea of using the sides of the rails (although I could just remove and fit as required I guess).

So what are my options for the front(should I make up a frame or plate for it to bolt to) and for the rear? Any pics of what you guys in the know have done would be great. (email me directly at davo@clear.net.nz any pic's if easier than trying to load pics to the forum and I will load them for all to see)

Cheers,

Heath

[De-Ranged]

I know its not much help at the mo but I have one coming into the shop soon for a body & suspension lift, bumpers and recovery hook mounts
From my cursory look its gona be a bit of a challange to mount the front hooks I'll probably just go with a mount on the bars and I will be adding some extra mounting pionts to the chassi there's not much there

As for shortening the chassi... in the rule book the only time it states anything about the chassi is that you are allowed to modify it to repower, fitment of new trans/transfer or for clearance of tires.... so based on that plus the unwritten stuff I've found out I'd warn ya not to shorten

[Heath]

Sweet I figured that would be the case with the chassis. I'll just straighten it up and plate the front with some heady plate. Maybe it will strengthen it a little. I am going to take the front loop off and the rear tailgate as well. The rear will be fitted about floor level in the rear of the bed and the front...I'm working on it. When I refit the radiator I will have a better idea of how much room I have. Maybe I'll run some heavy wall pipe through the front cross member (was going to do that anyway) and drill through and bolt and weld a plate to this cross member. If I put a slight roll in the rear part (maybe 120 degerees possibly - just have to heat and curve it) it will pull against the member. If I taper it to either side I can get some weight out of the design and still retain the strength and still use my planned a frame.

Heath

[truck-fixer]

Is this any help?

http://www.offroadexpress.co.nz/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=8855

[Heath]

Yeah I read that and it was what spawned the idea for the draw bar but I want to keep the hooks either higher or furthur back so they dont act as plows when I go up real steep stuff. Nice job by the way. Not an easy task fitting them to the zuks. The manufacturers probably figured it a zuk, it wont need them.

[truck-fixer]

You can't see it in those pics but the hooks don't protrude past the bar. they are a little bit behind. It has been up some pretty steep river banks and it hasn't been caught up on the bar at all.

Apologise. Memory didn't serve me well there on that one. They do stick out a little bit. Still, we havn't done any excavating with them.

[bigbear]

hi truck fixer, dont want to get off the topic but what do you think the front bar ended weighing??

[Heath]

Thanks TF.

I hope to rig something that will sit back level with the ends of the chassis rails (as I will have no bumper at all).

Any design ideas for the rear end anyone?

[spanky]

the scudos are pretty weak for hooks , i made my basic bar and welded it on then made a bit for the hook , mine is back so i dont dig into banks, it is all behind where the std bumper would be , heath the a frame through the tube works well and they a frame well,untill you lock the diff , now it tows like a pig. vaughan

[Heath]

The A frame you have is bloody close to the picture I drew but I was going to use seperate pins on each side not just one long bar. How long over all is your frame (guesstimate will do)?

No worries about lockers this thing will be free and easy and the frame is for around town stuff anyway as you cant tow a vit with buggered axles home with these.

Heath

[spanky]

mine is about 1700 overall, it is quite long but it used to tow really well and you could tow it anywhere on gravel or seal and it would follow with no weaving,
vaughan

[Rotazuk]

Hi
Finally found the pic's of the tow hooks I put on my cousins vitara . Now what I have done will have to be argued with the scrutineers as to weather what I have cut is chassis or not , but it was the best way i could find to do it . They are high and well recesed , possible the most you could go .

I have assumed the piece I cut is body mount not chassis but since this will probably not get rallied was not too concerned .



cut along the dots



Now a 5mm angle was cut to the shape of the recess and protuding for the mount out of a bit of 70mm x 50mm . Two nuts mounted on the inside for a bullbar mount and one on the top for the tow hook . Prior to welding up a plate of 5mm with a nut of it was welled inside of the front face for bullbar mounts , seen below the hook in the hook on pic .



Then for good measure a 5mm plate was welded on top and taken back to the chassis , this does not interfere with any of the body work and runs nicely under the steering box . The side of the body mount was filled in and hook bolted on and that was it .



For the rear i cut out the last chassis cross member and slid a piece of 32NB heavy wall pipe inside it but passed it through a box section with a hole cut in the side of it and mounted the hook on this , to be legal for a rally you would need to cut the removed crossmenber and weld it back under the pipe . Will see if I can get a pic .

Ok its a bit dark outside but you get the idea .



Also here is the front in profile , see the hooks are about as far forward as the factory to hook





I suspect this is all to late but never mind some one may get some ideas from it .

Chris

[Heath]

Not too late, I havent started them yet.

Great ideas there, Cheers,

Heath