Do I need a tow hook?

Hi Dizine
For the rear a tow bar would be ok but never use the actual towball. They have been known to snap off.
Sorry, not sure where you'd recovery hooks on the bravo, but i'd recomend them.

R.

Gday

I have a bravo, and to be honest I would cringe at the idea of using the tow bars on them, especially getting pulled out of soft sand. I have put on the front recovery hooks on both sides bolted to a 8 mill angle iron that I made to bolt to the chassy using high tensel bolts, then I use a bridal for which I hook the snatch strap to.

I dont the same on the rear, but this time bolted the recover hooks directly to each side , once again using the bridal strap.

for your own saftey and safety of others plus protection to your vehical dont use any other method or tie points on your car for recovery .

Ozzie

Check the tide times .
Drive on the beach only at 2 hours either side of low tide .
Use the inland track to bypass the dodgy hook point beach.
Carry a shovel.
Let your tires down to 23psi .
Go to ARB or other reputable 4wd place and get advice
regarding where to put a recovery hook .

Thanks for the replies!

If I attach tow point to the front, do I need to have two (one on either rail)? I have just been to Supercheap, and just got the one tow-hook.

More questions ...

When letting my tyres down to ~23psi for sand driving, how accurate are those little pen-style guages? (As that's all I've got to go by!).

Also, we are planning the barge trip at low tide - I take it there should be no probs getting on and off at low?

Cheers,
Diz

My Advice for what its worth is go and get a Hella tyre guage from eith ARB or Opposite Lock. I hate those pen type gaueges, mainly as they are difficult ot read ( thats for me as I need two pairs of glasses ) the Hella gauge appear to be very accurate and comes in a very rugged case and is simple to use. If you are going to recover from that back of the car, REMOVE the towball and insert the D shackle into the hole where the towball is normally bolted on. Using a snatch strap arounf the tow ball could end up in a fatility, or a broken windscreen. Never ever use the towball to recover a standed vehicle. Its preferable to take the tow ball off and keep it in the vehicle until such time as you nedd to use it. Once finished remove the tow ball. Hipe that solves your dilemma

Buy a lottery ticket. You can't trust them.

OK, another question for you all ...

I have read conflicting opinions relating to the gearing to drive with on Fraser. I read in a guide-book to mainly stay in H4 while on the sand, but then quite a few websites recommend L4 - particularly going on/off the narges and in the soft stuff. Now, the guide-book I read said that L4 in the soft stuff would just bog-down.

Your thoughts and experiences please?

Cheers,
Diz

Thanks TroopyMan.

I do have some experience in 4wd'ng ... been up the Kimberley (Gibb River Road to Kalumburu) and up some huge dunes in the nor'west of WA! It's really surprised me where my Bravo will go - considering it's quite old and stock and only has a set of cheese-cutters for tyres!

I am just trying to prepare myself for this coming trip to Fraser, because it's been quite a while since I've been off-road. Last time was a couple of Christmases ago when we went up the beach on Bribie - coming off the beach was quite a mission, as it was fairly chewed up from the Christmas traffic (lots of others where also having trouble, so that made us feel better).

Back then I didn't realise how low you could let the pressure in your tyres down to, so I don't think I let much out. Also can't remember what gear I was in when I finaly did get up off the beach - L4/H4?

I'm also concerned about where to attach a snatchem strap to the front of my ute. I don't know why I haven't worried about this before, with all the trips I've done, but it does concern me - I'd hate to pull the front of the ute off!

Just want to be prepared and get it right I suppose - cheers for all the advice and help!
Diz

if you get stuck & someone has to help you using there gear or yours winch,strapps etc they will be less likely to do so if they think it may cause damage
to them or there gear
i was winching a (stranger) of a beach with the tide coming in (Could not snach due to water & angle) & it only had the Transport tie down point on the front & it let go the cable came smashing thru my spotlights to be told sorry mate My cost damage $450.00 I allways check now & if they can,t be boffered to fit basic gear should I ????