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Tow Hooks on non TH?

25K views 29 replies 15 participants last post by  227191 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey yall. I have a Latitude and I'm wondering if anyone put a TH rear fascia on a latitude? is it possible? can I get a tow hook in there as well as a hitch? Also, would it be possible to add towhooks to the front?

Before suggesting getting a TH, I wanted to but the wife said no. :smh:

Any help is much appreciated!


 
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#2 ·
I can't but think that Jeep didn't design these things without a possible fix to sell some aftermarket tow hooks. On my Limited it looks like there are two spots in the facia that could be removed or cut out right where the tow hooks appear to go. (That based on looking at pictures of TH's and the positioning of their hooks.)
 
#3 ·
On my Limited there is a round pop out on the front and rear fascia that takes a M18X2.5 screw in tow eye.
 
#6 ·
Our limited has the pop out but there is no female threaded socket for the tow eye to be screwed into. Just a large hole which goes clear through the bumper bar. Unlike our Genesis which does have the threaded socket and the tow eye which is provided as part of the tool kit.
Our Jeep is a toad so we have plenty of recovery assets up front, together with those around the hitch receiver at the back.




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#5 · (Edited)
I have nothing to photo, the round pop out plugs the size of dollar coin in the lower fascia, one in front and one in the rear are pretty obvious, go to eBay or Amazon and search for tow eye/tow hook you should see a few.
 
#9 ·
If anyone would like a brand new set of tow hooks and the mounting bracket let me know. I had my dealer take them off so the tow bar bracket could be installed. I have no idea how they go on and there are no bolts with the brackets, (dealer said the bolts were used on the tow bar bracket. I will sell below book just to get them out of my garage. let me know, thanks
 
#20 ·
I started a thread at another forum back in Jan 2014 on this .. sadly, the story is still unfinished and I have yet to see anyone take it to completion. I came close and had to revert back to orginal set up due to time and my schedule has prevented me from getting back at it ... that is until now. I will have time Saturday and with a touch of luck, will have an end to the saga.

I'll post a bit of the story below:

MARCH 2015
Seems like this took forever ... but finally making progress, I hope.

Since I picked up this Cherokee and noticed it did not have recovery hooks, I wanted to add them. After taking it out and getting stuck on some snowy trails last Feb, I knew I needed to figure it out and get hooks on here.

Searching every thread and whatever other sources that were available over the past year lead pretty much nowhere.

Getting insight from different images available, I presumed that in order to add hooks, I would need to add the bumper beam from the Trailhawk and hopefully the hooks would line up with the vents on the Latitude. Some folks have mentioned that they believe the hooks will be too high needing me to trim away a portion of the fascia that would not be attractive.

I found the needed items from Jeep and the on-line part sites but it would have cost nearly $800 to buy and install. So I started searching junk yard sites and national craigslist posts. A couple weeks ago, I hit pay dirt. I found a bumper beam and hooks for sale .....bonus, it had the Trailhawk fascia and upper bumper/fender skirts. Yeah, a whole kit. Price could not be beat ...

I contacted the owner and determined shipping was not an option, so I made the commitment and advised on my first free day I would drive out and pick them up.

I left at 630 this morning and got home a short while ago.



I will be out of town for a few days and then my schedule is tight again, but I am hoping my mid April to have these bad boys on my Latitude. I plan to use my original fascia. If the hooks do not align properly, then I may need to go with the TH fascia as a last resort.

APRIL 2015
I started today with great optimism. I had the day off, the weather was good and my mounts came in. :grin:

So I swung by the dealer to grab the final parts I needed and came home to rip my Jeep apart.



The mounts I picked up:


Oh, I didn't want red hooks .. they are black now:


I used http://www.roadmasterinc.com/pdfinst/521447-5.pdf as my disassembly guide.

and about 3 hours after starting, I was at this point.



Why 3 hours? Two stinkin bolts. One on each side, in the wheel wells connecting the fascia to the fender. No room for a ratchet so I used a socket and turned the bolts ever so slowly with a pair of pliers until loose enough to spin off by hand.

Trailhawk steel bumper installed:


Rear mount installed:



Hooks on a Latitude:


Now for the fun part .. getting the fascia to work. I know I will need to cut the vents (since they do not unbolt like those on the Grand Cherokee --- why not FCA .. you're not being nice to us :frown:)

I took the vent out and did a test fit of the fascia. I almost like the look with the vent fully removed, but it really exposes too much:




As you can see the hooks go right to the edge of where the grill would be, which means I would need to cut way more than the mesh part of the grill. So this is a stopping point.

I figured I would just finish the fascia install and figure the grill out in the morning, so I try fitting everything into place but it will just not line up. The Trailhawk bumper is not just made of a different material, it is taller than the stock aluminum bumper and as such does not fit into the recess of my Latitude fascia. BUGGER. :crying:

I glance to the side of the garage and stare at the Trailhawk fascia ... I really did not want to put it on. aside from the improved approach angle, I prefer the look of the Latitude fascia. Oh and the upper pieces are True Blue and pretty scratched up so they would need to be painted. Anyways, as long as I was at this point .. trial fit. >:D

Turns out the Latitude and Trailhawk use the same headlight assembly BUT (and this is huge) they have an outer trim ring that is different and needed to be in place. The shape of the trim ring on the Latitude completely prevents getting the Trailhawk fascia to line up and clip on.

I was running out of options and daylight .. my portable lights were not cutting it, so I had to make a choice .. not my favorite, but had to do it. I took everything off and put it back to stock.


OCTOBER 2015
HAPPY ENDING? Hopefully
 
#16 · (Edited)
Tow hooks require bumper changes I believe a least for the 2014.
I believe Discount Mopar parts on line has a grouping set up just for that purpose.
It is expensive to say the east because of the new parts needed.
Last # I heard was pushing a Grand.
Owners manual has the limits for the Hooks.
Good Luck and let us now the outcome. I gave up when I saw the cost.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Found this on the Mopar parts site: Shop for parts and Accessories | Mopar

I had installed two hooks on my 2011 GC in 2010 and the instructions were great as was all the necessary hardware. It took me a couple of hours to do the install and you couldn't tell they weren't factory after the install.

Just my $.02 worth
 
#18 · (Edited)
The last I had read tow hooks on a Cherokee (non Trail Hawk) involved much more than just brackets and hooks. Bumper changes are needed I believe.
They are not just brackets/Hooks to install.
That is unless something was changed in the 2015+.
Wish there was an easy way that was cost effective.
The Grand Cherokee is probably set up different to make adding tow hooks more conducive.
 
#21 ·
Wow, so close!
To retain the Latitude fascia, could you adjust/re-design the rear mounting brackets so the hooks align better with the vent openings?
I too am so disappointed that they would put a Jeep on the market that could not have recovery hooks easily added, after market. Some of these will be purchased on the Used Jeep market and the new owners may want recovery hooks.
Thanks for the detailed write up & pictures.
 
#23 ·
the rear mount is not the issue .. and also it is pretty sturdy in its location. They way it bolts to the under frame, it really cannot be moved or adjusted.



I think that once I get past getting the latitude fascia on with the TH bumper, The location of the hooks in relation to the the opening of the grill will be a minor factor.
 
#22 ·
Had some time to look at this today. Though my Latitude is still Hookless up front, I am a step closer.

Last time I worked on this issue, I had noticed something blocking the fascia from sitting flush and was running out of time so I went back to the original set up. Today, I wanted to find if there really was an issue or if I was just rushing and unable to complete the install.

Well, I verified there is an issue. The TH bumper has a curled lip across the top edge (this is where I suspected the trouble to be - and I was right) that prevents the Latitude fascia from going back into place.



The area in the red circles sticks up about 1/8 inch too much. I am now left with a decision: Grind down the lip in those areas until the fascia slides on, manufacture a bracket that attaches to the stock aluminum bumper similar to what is used in the Roadmaster Base Plates: http://www.roadmasterinc.com/pdfinst/521447-5.pdf (see images R, S, T & U), or give up on the Front hooks and continue to use the recovery point that plugs into the the 2" trailer hitch.
 
#24 ·
Had some time to look at this today. Though my Latitude is still Hookless up front, I am a step closer.

Last time I worked on this issue, I had noticed something blocking the fascia from sitting flush and was running out of time so I went back to the original set up. Today, I wanted to find if there really was an issue or if I was just rushing and unable to complete the install.

Well, I verified there is an issue. The TH bumper has a curled lip across the top edge (this is where I suspected the trouble to be - and I was right) that prevents the Latitude fascia from going back into place.



The area in the red circles sticks up about 1/8 inch too much. I am now left with a decision: Grind down the lip in those areas until the fascia slides on, manufacture a bracket that attaches to the stock aluminum bumper similar to what is used in the Roadmaster Base Plates: http://www.roadmasterinc.com/pdfinst/521447-5.pdf (see images R, S, T & U), or give up on the Front hooks and continue to use the recovery point that plugs into the the 2" trailer hitch.

GRIND away, the rear 2" receiver recovery point won't help much if you require using a front recovery point :thumbsup:
 
#26 ·
I agree. If anyone is going to take the time to remove the fascia for mounting recovery points, just buy base plates that are designed for the non-TH. I installed Blue Ox for $370. Each has a heavy duty loop for the safety chain attachment. Perfect as recovery points. They don't interfere with the tech group radar if you have that. They require very little trimming of the black mesh in the fascia. I used a hacksaw blade. Easy. And they look good when done. Hardly anyone notices them and when I point them out I tell them they're my James Bond 50 cal road clearing devices. They look like the muzzle of a machine gun.
 
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