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Tow hooks and d ring shackle

5thgenalamode

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Some little additions today. Powder coated in Illusion Blueberry
Amazon tow hook kit :
JDMSPEED New Heavy Daty Front Car Tow Hooks Left & Right with Hardware Black Replacement for Dodge Ram 1500 DT with 3.6L 5.7L Engine 2019 2020 2021 2022 Replaces 82215268AB 82215268AB 68272945AB https://a.co/d/6fGX0u2
Amazon d rings :
AMBULL Shackles 3/4" D Ring Shackle (2 Pack) 45,000lb Break Strength with 7/8" Pin, Anti Theft Security Screws, Isolator & Washer Kits for Use with Tow Strap Winch Truck Vehicle Recovery, White https://a.co/d/6SEXDdN
And hitch shackle mount from harbor freight IMG_0318.jpegIMG_0309.jpegIMG_0305.jpegIMG_0307.jpeg
 
Don't suppose your tow hooks came with torque specs for the bolts. I bought a different set which did not include torque specs in the supplied instructions.
 
Regarding the torque values on the Tow Hooks. Bought mine from Mopar, but they did not include Instructions. I looked up the torque values for each bolt based on their diameter and grade. The reused factory bolt is smaller but a higher grade (grade 10.9) than the new bolt that was supplied. I calculated its torque as about 80 ft. lbs., same as the Instructions above. However, the additional Mopar supplied bolt, while bigger in diameter was a lower grade (grade 9.8) than the other bolt. So even though the supplied bolt was a bigger bolt, the proper torque value was still about 105 ft. lbs. which is quite a bit less than the Instructions which say to torque to about 133 ft. lbs. It turns out that 133 ft. lbs. is actually the correct torque for a 14mm bolt only if it is a grade 10.9 bolt. Perhaps I received the wrong bolts from Mopar; or they substituted a lower grade bolt, or they forgot to update the Instructions. But since that one bolt is the primary bolt that holds the Tow Hook onto the truck, I replaced the grade 9.8 bolts that Mopar supplied with grade 10.9 bolts, and then torqued them to 133 ft. lbs.
 
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Regarding your use of D-Ring Shackles... They are pretty bullet proof, sometimes even stronger than what they are attached to. If they fail, you can end up with a metal projectile coming back at you at very high speed. Many people, including myself, have switched to Soft Shackles (and ropes). These are made from the same material as synthetic winch ropes and are actually stronger than metal D-Rings. They are also lighter. And more versatile, you can wrap them around axles, etc. And they come in many colors. Also, you can use these without the adapter you have that holds your D-Ring into your reciever; just loop them around the hitch pin that is in your receiver hitch. Then you can also eliminate that adapter for the D-Rings.
Note: Synthetic winch lines and shackles will degrade in strength when exposed to ultra violet light (the Sun). I believe that after one year in the sun, they will have lost half of their strength. So... always cover your synthetic winch lines and keep your synthetic shackles out of the sun until you need to use them.

th-2773003973.jpg
 
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Regarding your use of D-Ring Shackles... They are pretty bullet proof, sometimes even stronger than what they are attached to. If they fail, you can end up with a metal projectile coming back at you at very high speed. Many people, including myself, have switched to Soft Shackles (and ropes). These are made from the same material as synthetic winch ropes and are actually stronger than metal D-Rings. They are also lighter. And more versatile, you can wrap them around axles, etc. And they come in many colors. Also, you can use these without the adapter you have that holds your D-Ring into your reciever; just loop them around the hitch pin that is in your receiver hitch. Then you can also eliminate that adapter for the D-Rings.
Note: Synthetic winch lines and shackles will degrade in strength when exposed to ultra violet light (the Sun). I believe that after one year in the sun, they will have lost half of their strength. So... always cover your synthetic winch lines and keep your synthetic shackles out of the sun until you need to use them.

View attachment 166073
Soft shackles and a good kinetic rope go a long way.
 
@5thgenalamode do you have any pics of the entire setup completed on your truck? Any front shots? I’m interested in doing something similar. Also how much did it cost you to do the powder coat?
 
@5thgenalamode do you have any pics of the entire setup completed on your truck? Any front shots? I’m interested in doing something similar. Also how much did it cost you to do the powder coat?
A friend of mine did the powder coat for me so I don’t have a price for you, I built a bmx bike for his business in exchange. Here are pictures of the front plus one with said bike I built for his powder coat business.
Also for anyone that would like to know, VViViD XPO Gloss Liquid Metal Dark Blue Vinyl is almost an exact if not perfect match for the Prismatic Powders Illusion Blueberry
 

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Regarding your use of D-Ring Shackles... They are pretty bullet proof, sometimes even stronger than what they are attached to. If they fail, you can end up with a metal projectile coming back at you at very high speed. Many people, including myself, have switched to Soft Shackles (and ropes). These are made from the same material as synthetic winch ropes and are actually stronger than metal D-Rings. They are also lighter. And more versatile, you can wrap them around axles, etc. And they come in many colors. Also, you can use these without the adapter you have that holds your D-Ring into your reciever; just loop them around the hitch pin that is in your receiver hitch. Then you can also eliminate that adapter for the D-Rings.
Note: Synthetic winch lines and shackles will degrade in strength when exposed to ultra violet light (the Sun). I believe that after one year in the sun, they will have lost half of their strength. So... always cover your synthetic winch lines and keep your synthetic shackles out of the sun until you need to use them.

View attachment 166073
Agree with you on that soft shackles are awesome but I've always been told you should never attach to the hitch pin in the receiver as this can be a failure point when used that way and cause its own issues.
 
The covers where the tow hooks go... Do they just pop out? Or do they need to be cut out like on the 4th gen?
 
The covers where the tow hooks go... Do they just pop out? Or do they need to be cut out like on the 4th gen?
They pop out after you remove the retainer clips from the backside. I recommend keeping them if you have a spot in case you decide to trade-in your truck at some point and want to pull them off and put the panel back. I've had my tow hooks on 3 different trucks already!
 
These look OK? Or is there something I should know before pulling the trigger on buying them? Any caveats to the installation?
Tow hooks
 

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