4WD Vehicle Rated Recovery Points - 2 Important Considerations TOW POINTS vs. RATED RECOVERY POINTS!

In the market for some aftermarket recovery points for your 4x4 off-road vehicle? Does your vehicle come equipped with factory 'recovery', 'tow' or 'tie-down' points? Are they suitable for recovery situations?

There are two very important considerations when it comes to purchasing and installing off-road (4x4) vehicle recovery points. Not all 'recovery' points are the same, not all are equal...

In this video, we will cover these two important factors when it comes to recovery points:

1. The recovery point itself and
2. The vehicle's chassis

Some recovery situations can generate forces up to 2 to 3 times the vehicle's Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM). These forces are transmitted through the recovery gear (eg. bow shackles, snatch straps etc.) to the vehicle's recovery point(s) and then through to the vehicle's chassis. Whilst rated recovery gear is essential, what is the vehicle's chassis rated to? A properly engineered, tested and approved recovery point will allow the safe transmission of forces generated from the recovery through to the recovery point and ultimately the chassis. Therefore, a properly engineered recovery point considers not only the recovery point but also how it attaches to the chassis and ensures it won't damage the chassis at the full load rating of the recovery point.

Remember, a strong recovery point is only as weak as the chassis it is attached to...

[carterthiessen]

Living in Canada, and having ice fishing as a hobby, pulling someone out of a deep snow drift is a very common occurrence. Generally speaking it will be 4 wheel drive pickup trucks. they often have recovery points from the factory in the front, and a trailer hitch in the rear. I prefer pulling from the rear if possible, using a hitch receiver with no ball in it, instead a bow shackle through the hole with a recovery strap looped through the shackle as well. The factory recovery hooks on trucks are generally much stronger than the factory points you show on these smaller suvs. Mine are 3/4 inch thick steel loops bolted directly to the frame with 3 grade 8 bolts. They are quite safe to pull with, provided you use a proper recovery strap or rope. Too often I see people use tow straps with hooks on the ends, or worse, chains. Jerking with those is asking for an accident.

[rbsaurusrex]

Thank you from the USA... you Ozzies know your offroading... and get the best Toyotas. This helps out alot

[andrewlonguet]

There was no mention of bolt strength. A metallurgist said to me that the steel can be as thick as you like but bolts can shear quickly if not correctly rated also.

[racer]

No question the aftermarket brackets are more heavy duty and they are called rated points by the manufacturer. But if something goes wrong and one breaks or bends something on the truck frame they will simply say you must have exceeded the rated load or used them improperly to do the recovery and you have no way to prove then wrong. Rated is just a word, they are heavy duty but not bulletproof and no implied guarantee of anything. Just something to consider

[outlawedmedia]

Matt's Offroad channel has shown many Tacomas being yanked out using only the factory tow point. So while overkill is good, is it still overkill?

[MM-rmnv]

Very informative tube. I always wanted to ask someone the difference between tie down points and recovery points. Thanks mate

[albotron]

This topic is not quite so black and white. It depends on the vehicle in question. Some cars may have flimsy points for sure. The tow points on the 2019 Hilux you showed however are 16mm steel loops. Both legs double penetrate the front chassis rail and the are quadruple welded (both loop legs solidly welded front and back sides of the chassis rail). I don't care what anybody says, you will bend or rip the chassis rail off before these babies come out, and if you do, you're snatching way too hard anyway.
You need to have some understanding of material strengths and make an individual assessment for a given vehicle.

[SarasotaTim]

My bad ass 4Runner has recovery points from the factory. What you show there is some skinny little tie down point. If you look at a 4x4 Toyota they build it at the factory because it a 4X4! Take a look at those things they are super thick and welded front and back to the chassis.

[johnviera]

I have a stuck Volvo sedan. Have to yank it out from the rear. No recovery points. What can I attach to? Only point I see is an A Arm inside the rear wheels

[liang]

Some factory tow points on some cars like the Landcruiser Prado and Isuzu Mux are 4 point welded onto the 1st cross memeber of the chassis. They are as strong if not stronger than rated recovery points that are bolted to the same cross member. But I do agree, the example factory points on the vehicles you used in this video are indeed rubbish.

[marcusb]

What are the options if there are no aftermarket recovery points available for the vehicle? (Hiace 4WD)

[dpd]

Show us a video of the factory recovery / tie down points failing. The ARB recovery points are only relying upon bolts into the same chassis. You specify all the loads that these after market recovery points can take, but what about the vehicles chassis’? I’ve had a bullbar fitted with rated recovery points on my 76 series. On looking at the factory tie down points, I’d have to say they look very robust. I think we’ve all been deceived by marketing.

[jvalentine]

You forgot one very import aspect, " High Tensile bolts grade 8.8 or 10 " should be used to bolt it all up .

[strelokblackburn]

With all the accessories for the 2nd gen tacoma. In the US, I can't find a video of how the arb recovery. Point is installed

[rossjohnson]

Early in this video you show the shackle and recovery strap incorrectly, the recovery strap must always sit inside the bow not on the pin and the pin of the shackle must engage the recovery point, all the same principles used in rigging to lift loads.

[guerilla]

What is the brand of the yellow recovery points. Would like to use two for my Tacoma. They are labeled RPPATO4R-C17 in the video

[Zack-smith]

I own a 98 dodge ram sport 1500 4x4 with no tow hooks on it been looking at ways to retrofit one of these on the front and some on the rear

[richardbertram]

Quick question fitting the arb recovery points to the Isuzu was it easy and did you have to take to bullbar off to do it? I have a dmax 2019 with arb summit bar and have ordered the recovery points, just not sure if I should get arb to install?

[alany]

User manuals would say, eg. My mr triton would have One tow point and one tie down point.

Nothing wrong with recovery from the factory tow point.

Same with a lot of utes and 4x4. Not sure about the sedans

[lancer]

I've not been able to find any for my 2013 NW Pajero, no one seems to make them for the 4th gen Pajero, why?