Vehicle armor, tow points, etc. thread

Discussion in 'Overlanding / Off-Road' started by C99c, Sep 10, 2017.

  1. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    Sliders installed. Took longer than expected.

    Had to call Shrockworks and had a very positive experience with them. Just had a bit of a gap on one side and had to make sure it was ok to tighten it down. They had me take pics and got an email back quick with a snug it down and enjoy.
     
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  2. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    D4F096BC-B704-456E-928F-310C542926BB.jpeg

    Installed and as sexy as Jeff Randall. Or is it pretty. Im unsure. Anyway, it was a lot of fun and a bit scary on the install. Had to drop the gas tank on a bottle jack while installing. And of course when i was tightening the last bolt for the skid the wrench fell between the tank and the skid so i had to start over. Cant wait to test them out.
     
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  3. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    My skid plates are painted finally and i should be able to install them tomorrow. Whee!
     
  4. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Administrator of the Century Staff Member

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    I know you are all excited but don't "whee" on them....they will rust... ;)
     
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  5. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    I painted them. They should be whee proof.

    It aint yours till you whee on it.
     
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  6. Chuy

    Chuy Member

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    Looking good, I like how they tuck high and tight close to the body. I had a full set of Schrock skids on the Xterra, I was impressed at how well everything lined up. When I did a lift kit on my friends new 4Runner. I was impressed that the 4Runners have pretty thick stock skid plates from the factory. Way thicker than I have seen on other 4x4 or even the older Land Cruisers.
     
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  7. Benson X

    Benson X Member

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    A previous SAR member gave me one of these for my recovery kit. I think it's an awesome thing to keep on-hand if you need to recover a vehicle without proper tow/recovery points, or if they are not accessible.

    These allow you to hook into the slots or holes along the vehicle frame to be used as a tow point. They are usually called Frame Hooks, Frame Keys, Cluster Hooks etc.

    [​IMG]
     
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  8. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    Thats awesome! Lets hope it stays put during recovery!
     
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  9. Benson X

    Benson X Member

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    For sure - with tension on it, they should stay put but might require re-rigging if they shift around.

    I can think of a few occasions where these would have been a much better option than what we've had to do...tie-rods, axles, frame-wraps, small tow hooks etc.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  10. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    That is a cool looking recovery!!
     
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  11. Chuy

    Chuy Member

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    After market recovery points for overlanders is also a great investment. I can recall the numerous time I have used a LCA as a recovery point on vehicles with IFS. Those front hooks usually are not very strong and more for securing a vehicle for transport on a flat bed. Thats also a big plus when purchasing after market front and rear bumpers.

    Amazing pictures, whats the name of the little hook tool? That would be way better than the extra shackles I usually carry.
     
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  12. Benson X

    Benson X Member

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    Those were both from the same trip/same truck. He was not properly prepared for the terrain or weather, and did have proper recovery points. I think he had a little too much bravado and machismo in his coffee that morning, too! :)
     
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  13. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    Id walk out after only one of those. Sheesh. Makes me scared to leave the road!
     
  14. Benson X

    Benson X Member

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    They are usually called Frame Hooks, Frame Keys, Cluster Hooks etc.
     
  15. Benson X

    Benson X Member

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    My brother and I have been working on this as a Christmas gift for my Dad's Tacoma. Weld together front plate bumper. It's been an awesome and fun project - we're gonna put together a rear bumper for him next.

    [​IMG]
     
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  16. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    Did my first recovery last week. Was really cool to see the winch all properly set up and pull our farm truck out of the mud like nothing. I need more practice.
     
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  17. Benson X

    Benson X Member

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    It's pretty amazing what you can do with a winch and a snatch block (or two)! It's an art form in and of itself, but one to be well-respected and appreciated.

    I've been "appointed" as the Training Officer for our 4x4 SAR unit, and will be planning a winch training soon. Would probably be a good opportunity to flood this thread with good info. and pictures...or start a new thread. We'll see what happens and how much time I can stand in front of screen.
     
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  18. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    Start a dedicated thread for that. It would be lost in all this.
     

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