Modular Bumper Tow Hooks Mounted with Plastic Bumper

[mitruckguy]

I was about to order some JCR skid plates the other day when I realized that I would have to remove my front tow hooks. I didn’t want to be left without any recovery points on the front of my Bronco so I decided to try to make the mod bumper tow hooks fit with my plastic bumper. I found a set from another Bronco owner who replaced his when installing the winch kit and, after a lot of cutting, got them on my Bronco yesterday.

Now I just need to fit some sort of trim pieces around them, but I’m really happy with how they look so far! It was a pretty simple and easy process, it just took a lot of time to get it right. The best way that I found was to bolt the tow hooks up there with the metal support that’s on the back of the plastic but to leave the plastic piece unattached so that I could put it up to test fit and then take it off to trim more easily. Once I was happy with one side, I made a rough template out of cardboard and the other side was much faster. The Dremel with several different bits was the most useful tool.

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[Pugsly]

This is a good solution as well.
https://www.roughcountry.com/tow-hook-shackle-conversion-kit-rs171c.html

 

[etmccaus86]

I was about to order some JCR skid plates the other day when I realized that I would have to remove my front tow hooks. I didn’t want to be left without any recovery points on the front of my Bronco so I decided to try to make the mod bumper tow hooks fit with my plastic bumper. I found a set from another Bronco owner who replaced his when installing the winch kit and, after a lot of cutting, got them on my Bronco yesterday.

Now I just need to fit some sort of trim pieces around them, but I’m really happy with how they look so far! It was a pretty simple and easy process, it just took a lot of time to get it right. The best way that I found was to bolt the tow hooks up there with the metal support that’s on the back of the plastic but to leave the plastic piece unattached so that I could put it up to test fit and then take it off to trim more easily. Once I was happy with one side, I made a rough template out of cardboard and the other side was much faster. The Dremel with several different bits was the most useful tool.

I was *this* close to getting you mine. Oh well. Wondered what you were doing but think you deleted that thread before I could ask. Now I know!

 

[mitruckguy]

This is a good solution as well.
https://www.roughcountry.com/tow-hook-shackle-conversion-kit-rs171c.html

Those mount in the same location as the factory tow hooks with the plastic bumper so they would not work with the skid plates I am planning to run. The JCR skid plate covers that location like the factory mod bumper bash plate.

 

[BigHoof]

Is there some reason the tow hook mounts only use 3 bolts instead of 4 even on the MOD bumpers?

 

[mitruckguy]

I was *this* close to getting you mine. Oh well. Wondered what you were doing but think you deleted that thread before I could ask. Now I know!

Yeah I took the first set I could get because I wanted to get it done ASAP, but thanks for considering it!

 

[dgorsett]

I was about to order some JCR skid plates the other day when I realized that I would have to remove my front tow hooks. I didn’t want to be left without any recovery points on the front of my Bronco so I decided to try to make the mod bumper tow hooks fit with my plastic bumper. I found a set from another Bronco owner who replaced his when installing the winch kit and, after a lot of cutting, got them on my Bronco yesterday.

Now I just need to fit some sort of trim pieces around them, but I’m really happy with how they look so far! It was a pretty simple and easy process, it just took a lot of time to get it right. The best way that I found was to bolt the tow hooks up there with the metal support that’s on the back of the plastic but to leave the plastic piece unattached so that I could put it up to test fit and then take it off to trim more easily. Once I was happy with one side, I made a rough template out of cardboard and the other side was much faster. The Dremel with several different bits was the most useful tool.

Keep us posted on your trim solution

 

[Bronkers]

I was about to order some JCR skid plates the other day when I realized that I would have to remove my front tow hooks. I didn’t want to be left without any recovery points on the front of my Bronco so I decided to try to make the mod bumper tow hooks fit with my plastic bumper. I found a set from another Bronco owner who replaced his when installing the winch kit and, after a lot of cutting, got them on my Bronco yesterday.

Now I just need to fit some sort of trim pieces around them, but I’m really happy with how they look so far! It was a pretty simple and easy process, it just took a lot of time to get it right. The best way that I found was to bolt the tow hooks up there with the metal support that’s on the back of the plastic but to leave the plastic piece unattached so that I could put it up to test fit and then take it off to trim more easily. Once I was happy with one side, I made a rough template out of cardboard and the other side was much faster. The Dremel with several different bits was the most useful tool.

Greatly appreciate this post. Debating whether to do this or fab some with a bit thinner backing plate (I have perfect resource to both fab and load test)

Questions:

1. Did you have to trim any metal from the bumper reinforcement or just the plastic part?

2. Did you think to try to sandwich the recovery point behind the bumper steel (and plastic), cut slots in the trim covers, and make the covers work still? I know the mod bumper points are thick but the mounting bolts for the bumper are very long...thinking a fabbed point with a thinner plate (A514 steel) may be the trick...

 

[swooshdave]

Is there some reason the tow hook mounts only use 3 bolts instead of 4 even on the MOD bumpers?

One of the great mysteries.

 

[mitruckguy]

Greatly appreciate this post. Debating whether to do this or fab some with a bit thinner backing plate (I have perfect resource to both fab and load test)

Questions:

1. Did you have to trim any metal from the bumper reinforcement or just the plastic part?

2. Did you think to try to sandwich the recovery point behind the bumper steel (and plastic), cut slots in the trim covers, and make the covers work still? I know the mod bumper points are thick but the mounting bolts for the bumper are very long...thinking a fabbed point with a thinner plate (A514 steel) may be the trick...

1. Almost all of the trimming was just plastic but there was one small bump on the steel backing plate that I needed to grind down. I believe it was only there as a locating feature for aligning the plastic part to the steel backing plate. It was right about where the unused hole on the recovery point is so I was hoping it would fit in there but sadly it did not.

2. I did not consider that. The front of the mod bumper recovery points aren’t flat so there isn’t a flat surface to mount anything to the front of them. You can see it in one of the pictures below.

I did consider cutting slots in the original trim covers and trying to use them but I ruled that out once I actually got everything mounted up. I don’t think the recovery points would stick out far enough past the trim pieces and the trim would just get in the way of actually being able to use the recovery points. You’d probably have to cut the factory trim cover into two pieces and stick one on either side of the recovery point if you were to even try it because the recovery point is too tall vertically for the trim to go around it. It’s a bit hard to explain without any measurements or pictures. I didn’t bother taking any when I was doing it because I pretty much just decided I wasn’t going to use those trim pieces anyway. I also don’t have the pieces with me right now or I would try to get some to show you what I’m talking about.

I did also consider fabbing some custom recovery points but I decided I like the factory mod bumper ones and wanted to make them work. You could definitely make something that would work but it would have to stick out further forward and be shorter vertically if you wanted to try to cut the factory trim pieces to fit around them. Another thing to consider is that the frame rail actually protrudes past the mounting surface for the bumper so you wouldn’t be able to just bolt a flat plate on there. You can see what I’m talking about in the picture below and how the back mounting surface of the factory mod bumper piece is shaped to clear this feature

The bumper is really easy to remove so if you want to do something different I’d say to just go take yours off and start trying to come up with a plan. Just grab behind the plastic trim covers, pop them off, and remove the 6 bolts holding the bumper on. You’d have to disconnect the harness for the sensors as well if you have those. Let me know what you come up with!

I took some 3D scans of my bumper and factory trim pieces the other day to try to start designing a new trim piece myself. I’ll make an update post about it here at some point.

 

[Bronkers]

1. Almost all of the trimming was just plastic but there was one small bump on the steel backing plate that I needed to grind down. I believe it was only there as a locating feature for aligning the plastic part to the steel backing plate. It was right about where the unused hole on the recovery point is so I was hoping it would fit in there but sadly it did not.

2. I did not consider that. The front of the mod bumper recovery points aren’t flat so there isn’t a flat surface to mount anything to the front of them. You can see it in one of the pictures below.

I did consider cutting slots in the original trim covers and trying to use them but I ruled that out once I actually got everything mounted up. I don’t think the recovery points would stick out far enough past the trim pieces and the trim would just get in the way of actually being able to use the recovery points. You’d probably have to cut the factory trim cover into two pieces and stick one on either side of the recovery point if you were to even try it because the recovery point is too tall vertically for the trim to go around it. It’s a bit hard to explain without any measurements or pictures. I didn’t bother taking any when I was doing it because I pretty much just decided I wasn’t going to use those trim pieces anyway. I also don’t have the pieces with me right now or I would try to get some to show you what I’m talking about.

I did also consider fabbing some custom recovery points but I decided I like the factory mod bumper ones and wanted to make them work. You could definitely make something that would work but it would have to stick out further forward and be shorter vertically if you wanted to try to cut the factory trim pieces to fit around them. Another thing to consider is that the frame rail actually protrudes past the mounting surface for the bumper so you wouldn’t be able to just bolt a flat plate on there. You can see what I’m talking about in the picture below and how the back mounting surface of the factory mod bumper piece is shaped to clear this feature

The bumper is really easy to remove so if you want to do something different I’d say to just go take yours off and start trying to come up with a plan. Just grab behind the plastic trim covers, pop them off, and remove the 6 bolts holding the bumper on. You’d have to disconnect the harness for the sensors as well if you have those. Let me know what you come up with!

I took some 3D scans of my bumper and factory trim pieces the other day to try to start designing a new trim piece myself. I’ll make an update post about it here at some point.

First of all, thank you for the detailed, no bs response! Had I known nothing about this I'd would have known what to do next.

Anyway have pulled bumper few times already with biff i made a few weeks ago on a dune. Similar to you, have since ordered and received and began fitting arb skid set only to find I should have sought fine print to confirm oem base recovery points are too low and in the way of arb.

So to upgrade, directly to frame horns like mod bumper points, thinking to add weld-on d ring (to A514 backing plate w/ 3-bolt pattern) - ready for soft shackles and should protrude somewhat less than oem mod bumper tab. Something like this:

There's 4-1/2" between the narrower pair of push pins on the trim (the thing in middle is just for alignment or something) Even splitting them in half the 2 pins to either side could maybe be made to survive. Shall see this wknd

 

[mitruckguy]

First of all, thank you for the detailed, no bs response! Had I known nothing about this I'd would have known what to do next.

Anyway have pulled bumper few times already with biff i made a few weeks ago on a dune. Similar to you, have since ordered and received and began fitting arb skid set only to find I should have sought fine print to confirm oem base recovery points are too low and in the way of arb.

So to upgrade, directly to frame horns like mod bumper points, thinking to add weld-on d ring (to A514 backing plate w/ 3-bolt pattern) - ready for soft shackles and should protrude somewhat less than oem mod bumper tab. Something like this:

There's 4-1/2" between the narrower pair of push pins on the trim (the thing in middle is just for alignment or something) Even splitting them in half the 2 pins to either side could maybe be made to survive. Shall see this wknd

If you want a D ring like that I’d suggest looking for a set off of a capable bumper like the one below. Although, if you make your own you’ll have more control over the size and location.

Also, I would not plan too much on using the push pins on the factory trim piece. As you can see in the picture below I only had the hole for one of them left by the time I was done cutting. My plan for mounting the trim pieces in the area around the recovery points is to try some 3D printed tabs and 3M trim tape. I would maybe try drilling some new holes for clips or pins like that if I have to.

It sounds like you’ve put some thought into this already so I’m excited to see what you come up with! Keep us updated when you make some progress.

 

[mitruckguy]

I got a chance to 3D scan my bumper and the factory trim cover pieces last weekend. I’m going to try to design my own trim pieces off of the scans. I haven’t had time to dig into it yet but I think we got some that’ll be good enough to work with. 3D scanning is new to me so it’ll be a fun project to mess with.

 

[mitruckguy]

I love the way it looks, even without the trim pieces! I haven’t had to use the recovery points yet. I’m waiting for one more piece of my JCR skid plates to arrive before I can put those on and get out on the trails. Hopefully I still won’t have to use them, but I’d rather have them and not need them!

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