CBI Offroad - Hidden Front Hitch Install

Oh yeah, I had to do that too. I bet you can cut that factory splash pan (I won't call it a skid plate) with gigantic tin snips - but certainly with a cut off wheel.

 

Sawzall it is! Splash guard be damned.

 

The recovery point you guys are talking about must the transport tie down that is bolted to the bottom of the frame??
The factory recovery point is the loop on the drivers side that is welded to the frame and stays on the truck through the install of the receiver.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
Thanks, Steve.

 

Uh, you have them backwards. The welded loop is light duty and is the shipping tie down. The bolted loop is the factory 4x4 recovery point.

 

On my '06 double cab offroad there was no cutting or anything required to replace the tow hook. Remember on sport models there is the bolt on tie down, but if that is what you are talking about it is not a recovery point and according to other posts it will rip out if used as a recovery point. Only the offroad package in 05-10 models came with the tow hook bolt on recovery hook. The hook went back on my truck with no modification after installing the hidden front reciever.

 

I got the bolt on point remounted by turning it 180 and notching the splash guard. If there is a weak link on that point it would be the bolts. They seem pretty beefy though - 17mm heads. maybe I'll look for some grade 8 hardware, 'cause the bracket itself seems beefier than the welded on loop to me, but I'm truely no expert on matters such as this. I'm not a rock crawler or really much of an offroader, just a guy who gets stuck sometimes and a second point of attachment gives me peace of mind. Hell, if I have to do a crazy pull I'll hook a strap between the two points that's long enough to safely equalize the load on the two points. My pulleys and straps are all industrial rated for my forestry business, so I could generate some real power if I needed to. It's good to be aware that the factory point may have to have the load on it reduced in such a situation (as unlikely as it is that I'll find myself in the situation).

 

Sorry for the lousy picture, but this sideways snapshot of a page in my owners manual should clear up the question about which one is the recovery point.

It's the bolted on loop on the passenger side.

 

Awesome write up Rod!! I was actually just going to post about this exact subject when I stumbled across this. I hate how low the Curt receiver hangs. This is a beautiful solution to that. Great job!!

I just got my 2014 taco and am actually a first time truck owner. I knew my old WRX inside and out, but a truck is a little different story. I lead with a disclaimer because this could either be very dumb to be asking, or very dumb of me not to know: would a body lift ruin the placement of the receiver? I'm not sure if the mounting point for the receiver moves with the body or the chassis. Haven't taken apart the front end and investigated this new ride yet. If it will work with a body lift I'm definitely using this thread to help me through my build.

 

Just finished the install today!! Thanks for the thread. It helped a lot, especially with those side braces. I still have a lot of the bolt package they sent, which is a little concerning, but everything seems structurally sound and I re-used factory bolts as much as possible. I did get rushed at the end so I still have a lot of the bumper screws/clips to put back in, but the hard part's done! After all this rain in rural Indiana I could see myself or a friend needing that winch real soon