Raised front tow hooks, frame reinforcement and crossmember

[Mike H.]

I finally got around to raising my tow hooks to fit the 2" body lift. I installed them inside the front frame opening, on the underside of the top surface. They are almost perfectly centered in the bumper fascia openings as though they were stock.

If you haven't noticed, the top of the frame at the frame horns is pretty weak and chopped up. So I made quite a bit of modification to beef it up. Now I am sure it is much stronger than when the hooks were on the bottom. First I cut off the rounded-over front part of the top of the frame opening. Had to do that to put the hooks inside the frame. Then I beefed it all up.

I used 2"x2"x3/16" angle on the top side, with the leg pointing up snug against the frame horn. On the bottom surface I used 1-1/4" x 1/4" flat stock. I pre-drilled the steel parts and frame to fit the threaded holes on the hooks. The bolts go through from the top: Through the angle, then the frame, then the flat stock, then thread into the hooks. I also had to notch out the angle to fit around the bumper lift blocks.

Once I had it all bolted together, I welded, and welded, and welded some more. I welded the angle and flat stock to the frame everywhere I could access. Plus I welded the frame lap joints inside, and the horns to the frame where they had no bead already. I didn't weld the hooks to anything so they could be replaced if damaged.

Before I started all that, I used my heat gun to heat the frame and wipe off the black coating. Even after I thought I got it all, when I was welding it was melting out of the overlapped joints of the frame. They must hot-dip the frame in that stuff.

And before you ask, I didn't get a camera yet and the one at work was taken. I will try to shoot some pics before I paint everything.

[a2b]

got any pics

[Mike H.]

got any pics

Overnight me your camera and I will. Be patient......

[Mike H.]

got any pics

YES I DO!

Go have a look HERE

[Mike H.]

I finally got around to raising my tow hooks to fit the 2" body lift...........

In addition to relocating the hooks and reinforcing their mounting location on the frame, I added a piece of 2 x 2 x 1/4 steel across the bottom of the frame to protect the oil filter.

Our bumpers are useless. The only thing protecting the filter from lower bumper-level blows is the plastic bumper cover and the skid plate. I have the plastic skid plate, but I think a good solid blow would push the steel skid plate up into the filter as well. Something solid (stump or campground bollard) that was just a few inches taller than the front of the skid plate would just peal it back and take out the oil filter.

So I cut, shaped and welded this crossmember in at all possible contact points to the frame. For kicks, I jacked up the truck with it. I feels very solid and generally adds strength to the front frame. Especially if only one recovery hook were being used at an off angle to the side.

Also, I hated what I could see inside the bumper hook openings after the body lift, so I added 1/16" thick stainless steel perforated plates as screens. I wet sanded them with 400 grit paper to give them a bright satin finish. They do a great job at blocking sight through the bumper hook openings.

[HenryJ]

Looks very nice