attaching a tow bar to a "stock" cj bumper without welding?

not sure where to post this so i'm starting here. I figure sparky will move if i guessed wrong. ty sparky.

i hope to be picking up my 69 cj5 from the welders later this week. he is replacing the front of the frame with one from a 72 cj5 which happened to have the original saginaw mount plate on it and the original bumper.

i will need to tow it back but am trying to figure out how to attach the tow bar that came with it. i do not really want to weld anything to the front bumper yet cause i kinda like having the "stock" bumper on it.

the new front also has the front cross member still on it (just behind the front bumper).

oh ... yeah the steering is taken out completly except for the tie rods so it will need to track thus the need for a tow bar and not straps.

only have to get across town and would rather not spend the $40+ on a uhaul tow thingy (i'd rather spend it on the cj) besides we iowans are a "thrifty" lot.

 

yeah, but i can use them more than once with the cj

 

My tow bar mounts with holes also. I just drilled four holes in the stock (after market) bumper and bolted it on. The angle stays on the bumper but the bar itself come off by removing the hinge pins. The tow bar came from Gramps who made it back in the early 70's but I'm sre you could find one just like it.

 

makes sense. the tow bar i have right now used a grad 8 bolt on the left and right side of the bar. i'll replace that with locking pins. and bolt a couple of attachment points on.

can you describe your attachment pieces to me patrick and b burro?

 

that's ok. i've got one from the po which works well.

your attach point set up will work well for me. i'll just move them closer to the middle and use a locking pin through the end of tow bar and the attach point. and put a couple of medium length plates behind the bumper for some reinforcement

thanks both of you. it should look fine

 

Besides having the advantage of not being a knee banger, the Tomken's towbar shackles mount lower, which might give you a more favorable attachment height especially if your Jeep is lifted.

 

Tomken's towbar shackles hmm... i looked em up at collins' site. very promising. not too bad a price either.

thanks!

 

You might also consider the Smittybilt made brackets that clamp onto the bumper. They're knee knockers and install higher but are a good choice for a fixed A-frame style towbar because the mounting points are adjustable. See http://www.smittybiltinc.com/products/accessories/accessories.html. They are now discontinued by Smittybilt but the manufacturer still had a few sets in stock not long ago.