Demon Mounts for Tacoma D Ring Upgrade without Off-road Bumper

While it technically is, when the term "crossmember" gets thrown out there, something a LOT more substantial probably comes to most minds than what we're actually dealing with here. I've seen it mistaken on TW for the radiator support. While it obviously isn't, I can see how at first glance one might make the mistake.
There's not much to it. Not much at all..

 

Based on where they are placed on the frame, with only a single bolt, I wouldn't tug too hard on them.
The lower cross member there is really only meant for a tie-down point on the vehicle, as it would cause a good amount of leveraged force applied to the frame if you really had to pull on the truck to get recovered.

A much better option would be:
https://www.bpfabricating.com/products/tacoma-recovery-tow-hook (better mounting, more bolts, still not ideal)
or
https://mobtownoffroad.com/product/toyota-tacoma-front-recovery-bar/
or
https://www.4xinnovations.com/2005--2015-Tacoma-Front-Hidden-Hitch-Receiver_p_26.html

 

Or this: https://arbusa.com/toyota-tacoma-2016-on/bumpers-protection-equipment/recovery-points/

I installed this on my 17 DCSB SR5

 

From the Demon Hooks website: Ideal for adding stylish aftermarket hooks/shackles to your truck.

If you want to be able to hang shackles on the front to look good go for it but there's no way I would ever attempt to use these as recovery points. Flat towing or tie downs while towing on a trailer? Sure.

These aren't rated recovery points like the ARB or other ones.

 

I've got a BP style one, replaced the tie down on passenger side.
Not approved or rated like the ARB one, but enough to get me going in a snow/flat pull.

 

Check out post #48 in this thread. There's only 1 bolt holding these on opposed to the 2 that come from the factory.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/demon-hooks-anyone-try-them.647227/page-3

 

I'd be more worried that a pull from the front is going to rip those welds apart..

 

Agreed.
Interestingly, the factory tow hook is attached to this same front cross-member. So, evidently Toyota thinks it is okay for towing/recovery; and I certainly feel comfortable using it for the same - no issues, no problems.

 

The bolt is not what is being pulled against, the bolt only holds it in place up against the cross-member (see the photos). In fact, the bolt hole on the bracket is slotted for ease of installation (again, see the photos).

I repeat: They are designed to actually wrap around this cross-member, and pull directly from that wrap-around attachment, and not from the bolt itself. The bolt merely holds it in place, while the wrap-around design provides the strength.

It is actually quite simple mechanics/physics.

 

Whaaa ???


The welds are very well done, and these things are very well made. I have them, I have handled them, and I am very impressed.

 

That's the problem. Your failure point should be in your recovery, not your frame. You want the failure point to fail before you cause damages to your vehicle. Catastrophic failure points are designed in places. For example, people complain about the plastic gears in newer kitchenaid stand mixers. That's fine, the old ones were metal and the new plastic ones are cheaper and a cost reduction and now Joe Schmo needed to replace the cheap plastic junk. What Joe Schmo failed to realize is that a metal gear would not have failed, and would have transferred the power and caused a MUCH bigger issue.

Point is - you want the failure point to be before the frame is damaged. Not after the damage is already done.

They're tie down points for towing. Not for recovery.

Wonderful. You have two people with engineering degrees (Mr. Engineer above, and now me, BS Mech E, currently engineer in aerospace) disagreeing with you, but you do you. You can use them for recovery all you want, not my truck, not my bent frame to deal with.

 

Glad I saw this tread, I almost ordered some. What is recommended for recovery from the front if you haven't invested in an OR bumper yet?

 

Again, I repeat:
Interestingly, the factory tow hook is attached to this same front cross-member. So, evidently Toyota thinks it is okay for towing/recovery; and I certainly feel comfortable using it for the same - no issues, no problems.

I would certainly never try to convince someone who already knows everything; but for others who may be interested in the real-world application of these, the reality is they are well made, and they work.

Please do not feel the need to be offended by my real-world experience, I am just stating my own experience.
You are certainly entitled to your opinion, and I respect that. But it is just that - your opinion - and I thank you for that.

 

https://arbusa.com/toyota-tacoma-2016-on/bumpers-protection-equipment/recovery-points/

 

The company that produces these has explicitly stated they are not "rated" (meaning they have not been tested to provide ratings) for recovery.

There are multiple threads on these.

 

Just get stuck and use them for a hard recovery. Post video.

 

Dude, you keep regurgitating the same shit over & over about how “Toyota thinks it is okay for towing/recovery”, however you are only partially correct. Yes, Toyota states that this is a tow point. Now this next part might be tough for you to understand considering, but a tow point & a recovery point are two completely different things. Two completely different forces. While something may be rated for towing, the same may not be true for recovery... In conclusion, the front crossmember, along with the standard factory attachment point, are tow rated. Demon Brackets “should” be safe for towing, but there is no statistical data available. Neither are rated for recovery. The end.

 

I have used them, and they work great!
The attachment is as strong as the Toyota factory hook, attached to the the same cross-member.

Sorry, I don't have a video for you; but I don't really feel the need to prove my experience to you. I'm certainly not trying to convince you (or anyone else) to get them; I am simply offering my own personal experience in an attempt to assist others with questions from earlier in this thread.
You may deny my real-world experience if you so choose to do, but I cannot deny my own real-world experience - it has been my reality, and my experience.

 

Which, as per the manual is designed for towing only, "short distances on level ground"

Get in your head dude, you're embarrassing yourself.

 

I am speaking of my own personal experience; which you may deny if you choose to, but I cannot.

That would be an embarrassing predicament for someone to find themselves in, now wouldn't it - trying to deny someone else's real-world experience.

That's all it is - my own real-world experience.
Deny it if you wish, it doesn't bother me.
And, yes, I would be quite embarrassed if I tried to deny someone else's real-world experience.