Can tow hooks or shackles be installed on an 85 F-150?

I can't find any post where tow hooks or shackles have been installed on a bullnose. I'd like them on mine, but it appears the bumper will be in the way. I really like the factory bumper, but I'd like a way to be able to pull her if needed, like when I drove her home and she died a mile from the house. My front cross member was already bent. Found some aftermarket bumpers, but I'm not fond of any of them.

I don't think there's anything ready made that bolts on.
250/350 4x4 trucks have the front spring shackles in the frame horns.
My '87 has a very deep front bumper with different mounts

I do know that Jonathan (F834) and StraightSix both have front receivers with stock bumpers.
Again, I'm pretty sure these were fabricated rather than bought.

Let me see if I can find some pictures

If all you want are hooks I'd probably have some plate cut that would match the bumper bracket bolt pattern and come out below so they could attach or be welded.

Here's a thread:
https://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/84-Bronco-3g-alternator-upgrade-problem-tp76904p76959.html   (front receiver pics and discussion)

66gtk (Troy) sold a blue truck that had some kinda frame beneath the front bumper that had clevises.


You might reply to his thread to see how he did that.

Jonathan uses his front receiver to bend up rebar for the footings of the house he's working on



There's also this thread:  https://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/Front-Reciever-Hitch-w-Stock-bumper-tp38522.html
W/pic's and discussion

Hope this helps  😉

Thank you Jim. This is just what I want.

My1984 F150 4x4 had tow hooks mounted on the frame rails,  outboard side if i remember correctly. Truck is long gone but I still have the hooks. May have been the bottom of the rail, it's been awhile.

Depending on the truck I have seen them mounted to plow frames or the leaf spring shackle where the bolt was removed and a piece of threaded eye hooks were instead with a locking nun on either side. Half tons could use those holes or fab a bracket to hang below.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/166498553181?hash=item26c4164d5d:g:QTYAAOSw6shlejMl&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4DJZp9RCZcgurWogxPbnXZ2Q0MuvKxQyGb6zIRq0XwwVi3dZtC7DTHv%2FtCadwgWxlSxRidCaa65R%2BrOj8fwXBCoIbZdv9XqLc45mx1JY10FB7VQnIi0kCIBrL%2BcPryJSr8b2NZ3GLTrHnlEVE1g%2BE9ah1Bdj2uvNFhiLf39ORBZPlW3kyVhCECqPOOS8%2FqmZyyyv2xqxSs34LJ2hLNw6klx7ndNxG1wCQKdWpL6BNOMtOnTOWTFI2Ns9tQx2NxjArVYAtXMRzOl3%2FVoFF6NJUB6mgsuVb9dI66%2BCz93xpUB3%7Ctkp%3ABFBMtrzBkpVj

Yow!!!
He's mighty proud of some rusty scrap.

Whisler wrote

My1984 F150 4x4 had tow hooks mounted on the frame rails,  outboard side if i remember correctly. Truck is long gone but I still have the hooks. May have been the bottom of the rail, it's been awhile.

Thanks.

Angelo Voltura wrote

Depending on the truck I have seen them mounted to plow frames or the leaf spring shackle where the bolt was removed and a piece of threaded eye hooks were instead with a locking nun on either side. Half tons could use those holes or fab a bracket to hang below.

Thank you.

ArdWrknTrk wrote

Yow!!!
He's mighty proud of some rusty scrap.

I was thinkin' the same thing Jim.

I've dealt with him before. Good source of Bullnose parts, but pricey. You have to figure though, he buys these vehicles and parts them out, so he has to charge enough to get a return.

Yeah, I used to part out pretty 80 Cub Cadet tractors. Think I'll keep lookin'.

Maybe Whisler would want to part with his, since "the truck is long gone"?

I'm open to tow hooks, I do like the hitch behind the bumper, hiden by a license plate. Once I get the dash back together, I'm gonna remove the bracket the front stabilizer bar bolts to, straighten it and do some measurin'. If the tow hooks aren't lower than the bumper, I have no equipment to make spacers.

If you are interested in the hooks, just let me know. They won't work on F250, at least not easily.

Ifitaintbroke wrote

I've dealt with him before. Good source of Bullnose parts, but pricey. You have to figure though, he buys these vehicles and parts them out, so he has to charge enough to get a return.

I've dealt with him twice, and he is one of the rudest people I have run into on Ebay and I refuse to buy from him. I inquired about a transmission crossmember that he hadn't listed, but had clearly mentioned to ask him if you see something in a photo. He asked if I could send him a "core" to hold the transmission up, and I said yea, I can do that, no worries. He then stopped responding with no reasoning.

I asked him once more a year ago about a different part, and he said make me an "offer". I gave him a reasonable offer based on what similar parts were going for + a little for his time and effort. He proceeded to once again stop responding, and then listed the part at 3 times what I offered, and even put in the listing "If it doesn't sell, I'll keep it for my own truck". He's a jerk 100%, but he knows what he has and he's definitely smug about it.

Whisler wrote

If you are interested in the hooks, just let me know. They won't work on F250, at least not easily.

Yes I'd like them. Please let me know your price. I was forced into retirement 2 weeks after I purchased my truck. Money is tight so that means I don't know when I can purchase them. I have to get parts and get the dash back in. Been lookin' for another job, but @ 71, I'm not havin' a lot of luck.

salans7 wrote

Ifitaintbroke wrote

I've dealt with him before. Good source of Bullnose parts, but pricey. You have to figure though, he buys these vehicles and parts them out, so he has to charge enough to get a return.

I've dealt with him twice, and he is one of the rudest people I have run into on Ebay and I refuse to buy from him. I inquired about a transmission crossmember that he hadn't listed, but had clearly mentioned to ask him if you see something in a photo. He asked if I could send him a "core" to hold the transmission up, and I said yea, I can do that, no worries. He then stopped responding with no reasoning.

I asked him once more a year ago about a different part, and he said make me an "offer". I gave him a reasonable offer based on what similar parts were going for + a little for his time and effort. He proceeded to once again stop responding, and then listed the part at 3 times what I offered, and even put in the listing "If it doesn't sell, I'll keep it for my own truck". He's a jerk 100%, but he knows what he has and he's definitely smug about it.

Thanks for the heads up.

I have not looked at my F100 4x2 but I cant see why you cant get hooks that even have the keeper tab so what ever is on the hook will not come off and mount them to the bottom of the frame rail?

At most would need to drill 2 holes to mount and I think I would use something like a large flat washer to spread the load over a larger area on the inside of the frame.
Dave ----