(Summary: Those 3-hole tow hooks you read about in other threads don't quite fit. Making them fit is a chore. Consider Nissan's official tow-loops).


I just couldn't hold back... My wife headed out shopping on Saturday, and I dove for the cutting torch!

Right from the outset, I'd recognized the need for some recovery attachment points. The Xterra had only a couple of tie-down holes up at the front, which were too weak for any sort of real pull.

However, Nissan _had_ put some holes in the frame, and a couple of captive nuts, allowing the "official Nissan" recovery loop to be installed. For U$30 apiece...? I didn't think so!! My tune changed later, though...

I measured the frame-hole spacing one day at lunch, and I got my hands on a couple of large-spaced Jeep hooks. Although they looked like a great fit, when it came to actually installing them, the frame and hook hole separation were about 1/4" different. What's more, when you actually install the tow-hooks, the Nissan tie-down plates were perilously close, and they have sharp edges; I didn't fany losing a nice strap to these plates.

(In fact, I didn't use the Jeep tow-hooks, because they didn't come with the spring-retainers to keep a strap on the hook. I bought some of the 3-hole hooks referred to in other Posts, made by Steel Horse).

Hence the cutting torch: off came the tie-down plates. Some grinder cleanup finished the job.

Out came the die-grinder: the frame holes were elongated. Further, the frame-access hole to 'way too tiny for mortal fingers, so the die-grinder opened that up to a reasonable size too. Maybe 1.5" long oval by the time I stopped. All the sharp edges got Roloc'd, including the edges of the tie-down and body-mount. This softened the edges, and they look like factory.

Since the Nissan captive nuts were in the wrong place, and were metric thread (need bolts 12mm x 1.25mm pitch, ~50mm long), I opted to remove them. A few quick hits with a punch and hammer, and they popped free.

Installing the new nuts up in the frame was a very tedious job, even with the enlarged access hole. I needed to wedge the nuts to be able to tighten the tow-hook bolts, so I wound up tossing a 3/8" wrench inside the frame-rail, and jostling that around 'til it wedged. Of course, getting it out at the end presented it own challenge...

Just then, I heard my wife returning from shopping

I cleaned things up, but my last fleeting thought was: if you don't have a pretty well-equipped garage, I would strongly recommend buying the "official" Nissan tow-loops. The may not be forged hooks carrying a 10,000 pound, but they'll be a whole lot simpler to install...

-Gord

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Sorry that you had such trouble putting in your tow-hooks! I bought the three-holed standard tow hooks, and they bolted right up. (Is was a pain holding the nuts in the right place, but can be done.)

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- Grumpy Tom
http://www.grumpytom.com

Wow - I wish I'd been as lucky.

Oh well - in the interest of giving complete clarity, the Tow Hook Kit I used was made by Steel Horse Industries, part number 7604 with black powdercoat finish. You can see it (and order it) on-line at:
http://www.offroadwarehouse.com/Merchant/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=OOS&Product_Code=15

(cut-and-paste if necessary)

-GordP

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Well I had a serious problem with the same steel horse tow hooks but we finally resolved it in another thread. Once someone made the suggestion of dropping the bolts through the holes first and screwing on the nuts from the outside it became simple. Here is the thread.

hooks

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'01 super black XE 4x4
name: VADER