Nissan Patrol Recovery point

It is to my knowledge, but I prefer to use the pin in the tow bar.

I doubt it. Take a look at the whole thing. the bolts are really strong but the D is welded onto some not so tough steel. I know people use them as recovery points & I've never seen one fail but.....

Pauly,
I've used it as a recovery point but as mentioned if you take the D bracket off there isn't much holding the bar into the plate, it looks like a riveted plate, not welded. I now use the tow hitch reese hitch point with a shackle in the right attatchment. We had a guy recently in our club who had a recovery point come off the front of somebody elses vehicle, it smashed into the back of the spare wheel on hs GU (thank goodness for the spare on the back) it glanced of the edge and smashed the rear RH wing and light cluster, not pretty. I've now decided to only ever use the correct points I know are rated, his experience was frightening.

There was a question here a couple of months back so I got the manual out. For the GUIII at least, that point is described in the manual as a tow point for recovery purposes.

FWIW a tow ball is not rated but if you pull the box tongue out and put the pin back in through the snatch loop that will be.

There was discussion on OLimits on this.

Some say yes, I wouldnt trust it.. for one the bolts are length ways, not across.

Our club man asked nissan they said nothing but it lead towards no, but that may have been for legal reasons in thebleepamerican society we live in now.

YMMV

The "D" on the back maybe called a tow/recovery point but not a Snatch Strap recovery point. There is a difference.

Pauly,

The "D" is intended for use with a tow rope and is easily bent or broken in any recovery situation.

I bent mine on a very easy hand winch revovery. Don't ever consider using it for a snatch recovery.

The answer is NO.
The hook is for towing, not recovery. The bolts are taking the load along the thread for a start, not at "shear" point. Nissan will tell you they are not rated for snatch recovery. I have actually taken the "D" off my Patrol so it can't be used with a snatch strap. (I did this after someone hooked up a snatch strap to it without telling me till afterwards!).

A tow ball is NOT rated for snatch recovery either! Take the ball off and attach the strap to a RATED bow shackle which is attached to the tongue in place of the towball. Attaching the strap down the centre of a Haymen Reece and securing it with the pin is NOT a good idea either, although there are those on here that will howl with rage when they read that!! The point is the pin is not meant to take the strap load at the CENTRE of it's length, when it's holding the tongue in, the load is at the edges providing strength. With a snatch strap the load will cause the most force at the centre of the straps width and can (and has done) bend the pin. Result?? Either drive around with 9 metres of snatch strap curled up behind you..... or cut your strap off.... and eventually have to cut the pin free. Whew, what a job THAT would be!!!!

Pauly, perhaps look around for a 4X4 club that has a driver awareness program or a driver training course to do. Theres a lot that can go wrong with vehicle recovery via snatch straps and winches etc.... ask the poor bugger that lost his legs at Ormeau, or the family of the bloke that was killed on Moreton Island last year.

Driver training is well worth it!!! Anyone who says different is usually an accident waiting to happen.