Landcruiser 100 Series (1999) Recovery Points

Those loops should not be used for recovery especially snatch recovery in their standard form.
If you must use them remove and have additional welding done in the obvious spots and refit with grade 8 or better high tensile bolts.
I've looked at heaps of Toyota's over the years and both the design and the quality of the welding on the loops varies enourmously and funnily enough so does the bolts used to attach them.
The normal soft Tojo bolts have a dished centre on the top of the bolt and are pretty soft and weak. Some vehicles have Toyota's version of a high tensile bolts with a 7 or 8 in the top which should be ok.
I've also come across vehicles that people have just bough where the previous owner has removed accessories like a winch and bullbar and replaced the tow loops with hardware bolts!! Not good.
People at driver training days are not impressed when you point out that their pride and joy is unsafe for recovery use ;-))

the one test I saw done on them till destruction the loop and weld wasnt the weak point it was the actual plate the loop is attached to that failed. 2 tests were conducted with near identical results. However from the pictures i actually suspect they were only atached by 1 bolt which would have been a large reason for the failure the way they did.
and BTW they both failed from memory at .................................. 8 tonne!!

Phil,

By equaliser strap do you mean a backup between the two recovery points in case the primary one lets go? I saw this on one of the 4WD promo DVDs and it struck me as a good idea. I think they used a tree trunk protector from memory or spare snatch strap. No help if the snatch strap itself goes, but seemed like a sound plan to prevent launching a failed recovery point at a deadly pace.

Anyone seen this used in anger?

Matt.

Hi Matt,
the use of an equaliser strap (also called Bridle or sling) is the recommended method being taught in SA. You can buy them or alternatively a tree truck protector can do the same job. I have a terrain tamer brand strap.

Its a non-elastic 3-4 metre strap that hooks onto both front recovery points and is fed thru the eye of the snatch strap.

Benefits are
- it halves the load on each recovery point,
- it pulls on both sides of the chassis,
- Should a recovery point break, the shackle and recovery point will be retained by the other side, preventing a missile.

Rather than use it for difficult snatches, we believe it should be used for all snatches. Like you say, if a snatch strap breaks, some slight damage can occur. If a recovery point breaks, the point and shackle can be a deadly missile.

Cheers
phil

phil I looked at the work TD and its "tie down loops" are atached by 3 bolts rather than the normal 2, Is yours the same?

Yep,
3 bolts for attaching each loop on the 78/79series. The loops are the recovery points. There's separate tie-down points further back.

It used to be just 2 on the 75series, and theres just 2 bolts with the Prados, 100series, 80series etc. I use a equaliser strap on the two loops, as you need shackles, and I don't like having to use shackles.