pulling a stuck vehicle

bovid · 04-24-2008, 06:40 AM

not to bring up a dead topic, but i just need to ease my mind its a brand new truck with less than 1000km on it
we had a crazy amount of snow here over the past 3 days and i was helping a friend who was stuck. i have never pulled out anyone before with my truck, i had no choice to use my one of front tow hooks due to the situation - i know, have read every post here now that says do not use front tow hooks, never use one tow hook, never pull at an angle and never pull in reverse.

i think i bent the front tow hook, is this possible?
or did i bend the frame?
i pulled out an mercedes benz suv, quite easily

thanks, i am probably worrying for nothing but thought i would ask titan experts

excuse my lengthy first post

**Carbeaux** · 04-24-2008, 06:41 AM

Pics would be immensely helpful.

Edit: I haven't ever heard of anyone bending a tow hook. They're forged and would probably break before they'd bend.

Megw3788 · 04-24-2008, 09:37 AM

Yeah, I'd say you're probably safe, I've seen a ton of forged hooks break right off, but never any that bent. If you do have to pull with the fron hook the strap/chain to both tow hooks, you'll have alot less chance of breaking them.

bovid · 04-24-2008, 01:37 PM

id take pictures but u guys would probably laugh at me, it looks slightly off as compared to the other side.

i am just anal about my truck and since its less than 2 weeks old, i worry that i screwed my truck up to help a friend

**loufish** · 04-24-2008, 04:56 PM

I'm a little confused...If you could drive up to the stuck veh, how come you couldn't have backed up and pulled him out going foreward?

Megw3788 · 04-24-2008, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loufish

I'm a little confused...If you could drive up to the stuck veh, how come you couldn't have backed up and pulled him out going foreward?

Maybe he doesn't have a hitch? I don't know, but that's the only reason I can think of.

**loufish** · 04-24-2008, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Maybe he doesn't have a hitch?

I feel kind of silly, it never crossed my mind...I don't personally know anyone with a truck and NO hitch...

SeahawksTitan · 04-24-2008, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loufish

I feel kind of silly, it never crossed my mind...I don't personally know anyone with a truck and NO hitch...

Now you do...ME!

But it's on the top of my list so I won't be in the "No Hitch Club" for long.

helomech · 04-24-2008, 08:40 PM

A buddy of mine showed me a clever way to pull in reverse, you still hook the stap to the hitch, or back of the truck. Then you slid the strap under the truck and hook up the vehicle. This puts weight on the back tires and lets a 2wd have more traction. Don't do it in 4wd.

bovid · 04-24-2008, 09:20 PM

i couldnt back in or i probably would have gotten stuck too, she was in the snow DEEP - knee high deep.
regardless of that, i did not have a receiver hitch and shackle. i dont usually pull anything.
this was my first time ever pulling anyone out, it seemed like a good idea at the time.
i end coming here and reading all the posts and get worried it screwed up my new truck.

Megw3788 · 04-24-2008, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loufish

I feel kind of silly, it never crossed my mind...I don't personally know anyone with a truck and NO hitch...

I know a few people with truck's that don't have hitches, but usually the first time their bumper gets snatched off, they go ahead and spend the money for a hitch.

There's no way I could ever own a truck without a hitch, whether it be for pulling/being pulled out, or towing my boat, or fourwheelers I just couldn't do without a hitch.

**HudsonValleyTitan** · 04-24-2008, 09:25 PM

Snow? Holy crap!...lol. It's been in the 80s here! You get what.....3 weeks of summer up there?

**chunko** · 04-24-2008, 09:32 PM

Careful pulling in reverse...

If you search the forums you can see a few stump pullers who found this out the hard way.

bovid · 04-24-2008, 09:36 PM

it was brutal snowstorm here that lasted 3 days straight. it was 20 degrees celsius here a week before and then bang the snow came and came. it will be 13 degrees here this sunday. normal for us here, we can expect snow until. may long weekend.

i will probably invest in a receiver hitch, ball and shackle just in case.

but it does ease my mind that u guys think i probably havent done anything to my truck. i am probably just nitpicking that the tow hooks arent exactly symmetrical on each side. they probably werent to start, it just took me this long to notice.

well my logic is if the tow hooks, are supposed to be used to be pulled, the force i used to pull probably is just as great as the force i would have been pulled with.

**chunko** · 04-24-2008, 09:37 PM

yes, it's not the tow hooks you have to worry about when pulling in reverse...