VEHICLE RECOVERY POINTS

The following is part of an article written by John Barnes from the Nissan 4x4 Club of Victoria Magazine, and concerns the ‘D’ shaped towing eye located in the rear step bumper of Patrol GQ & GU models.

"Over the last few months several members have spoken to me about using the standard D towing point at the rear for snatch strap recovery. The short answer is NO, it is not suitable for snatch straps nor is it safe to use in sideways or angle pulling.

For the technically minded this D hook is fixed with 4 x 10mm high tensile bolts which screw into the rear crossmember of the chassis. The wall thickness of the chassis is 3mm thick. All load on this D point is taken on these 4 bolts. After contact with Nissan Motor Co in Japan, they advise that this D towpoint is not suitable for snatch operations, and that its maximum towing capacity is 2000kg. Depending on the severity of the stuck vehicle, up to 10 tonnes can be exerted on a snatch strap recovery point."

Mitsubishi Pajeros have a similar towpoint in the centre of the rear bumper, although many of these are removed to allow installation of some brands of towbars. Have been unable to determine the rated capacity or recommended use of this hook, but in the mean time I would suggest it be treated the same as the Nissan version – no snatch strap use.

John Parkinson
Technical Officer

Last Modified on Wednesday, 06 May 2009
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