Can you use the tow hooks?

[Quint]

I got stuck at the boat landing the other week. A buddy plowed the 1.5ft of snow out of the way but without load my tires were spinning on the ramp. Luckily, when I loaded the boat onto the trailer I got just enough rear weight to get up the ramp. However, I was prepared to hook up my recovery strap to the front tow hooks and get a pull out of the lake.

For some reason, I ran across this video last night titled "Dont use your Dodge Ram truck tow hooks - YouTube:" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A3sORwx3ts

I haven't looked underneath my 2015 Big Horn yet, but assume it's the same. Did they really tie the tow hooks to the bumpers and not the frame? Has anyone used their tow hooks without damage?

 

[huntergreen]

cant see the video at work, but i would have to check that. my knee jerk response is "no way".

 

[clh1220]

I put them on my 14 and took them off when I traded it. I'm going to put them on my 16 this weekend. They are bolted to the frame.

 

[Rzrman328]

Wow that's crazy.

I don't have towhooks but I'd be figuring something else out if that was the case lol

 

[Sandbox]

In the video, they have a 14 2500 that they towed on a trailer and used the tow hooks to secure it to the trailer. They strapped from the tow hook downward to the trailer and it rotated the bumper. They stated that this had happened on one or two other trucks.

First, I wouldn't think the tow hooks would be an appropriate place to secure a truck to a trailer.

Second, I'd think as long as your pulling in a straight line, like pulling your truck off a boat ramp, you'd be fine. Pulling from the bumper down towards the ground, doesn't sound like a good idea.

 

[Ramped]

Take a peek under your bumber, my '14 is bolted to the frame. They look like you could hang the truck from 'em, pretty stout. Course mine is a 1/2 ton, and the video is a bigger truck so maybe they are different.

 

[thegerb50]

The tow hooks on the 2500 are bolted to the frame at the same point the bumper is mounted. The whole are slotted to allow you to get the bumper lined up right with the rest of the front end. If you apply a vertical load such as tying down to a trailer as in the video, the hooks and therefore also the bumper on the 2500 can shift down and out of alignment. This is usually corrected by loosening the bolts and pushing the bumper back into position. When pulling straight on a horizontal axis the 2500 hooks are fine.

 

[dRAMbuie]

First, I wouldn't think the tow hooks would be an appropriate place to secure a truck to a trailer.

Second, I'd think as long as your pulling in a straight line, like pulling your truck off a boat ramp, you'd be fine. Pulling from the bumper down towards the ground, doesn't sound like a good idea.

It's not. You should tie down using the axles when transporting on a trailer.

Despite the fact that mounting the tow hooks through the slotted bumper mounts probably isn't the best idea, the guys in the video don't appear to have the slightest clue what they're doing. Then they blame the truck manufacturer for their stupidity.

The worst part is that the account owner appears to be a trailer business.
They should know better.

 

[PassivAggressor]

On the 1500 it's bolted to the frame in two spots. They are plenty stout.

Sent from my VS990 using Tapatalk

 

[clh1220]

I was assuming the OP has a 1500. He has a 5.7 and you don't see that much in a 2500.

 

[develand]

You mean I can't secure my truck by strapping stuff at a 90 degree angle to something not made for that. What!?!? POS.

Some people

 

[Quint]

Mine is a 1500. I should have specified. I did look at my hooks this weekend and they appeared to be bolted to the frame. Of course, there's that plastic guard under the bumper so the only easy place to look was straight through the cutout around the hooks themselves.

 

[huntergreen]

i checked also, mine are frame mounted.

 

[bcbouy]

i've pulled several tons with my tow hooks at several different angles.my winch is mounted to them with what is essentially a spreader bar.click on the pic and you may or may not see it.