mgroeger
TJ Enthusiast
OK... you called it a D ring when it is a bow shackle
I do have one question and this is if you have a hook on your winch where do you store it?
Recommended D-rings?
- Thread starter Zhillslady
- Start date
OK... you called it a D ring when it is a bow shackle
I do have one question and this is if you have a hook on your winch where do you store it?
mgroeger
TJ Enthusiast
OK... you called it a D ring when it is a bow shackle
I do have one question and this is if you have a hook on your winch where do you store it?
That argument has been fought out so many times I don't know or care what is right anymore. I just call it the most commonly used term at this point. People usually understand.
I have a safety thimble which I just pull against the fairlead. When I had a hook, I put it around the recovery hooks that came with the stock bumper.
You can and should do whatever you want. Sometimes recovery means you don't get to pick where your Jeep is or if you can access your tailgate or that backpack. Sometimes you might not be able to tell whoever is recovering your Jeep where that backpack is. That's why most clubs and organized runs don't consider an empty shackle mount a recovery point. Like I said, do whatever you want. I probably wont ever be involved in a recovery situation with your rig.
If I can't access my tailgate, I'm not getting recovered backwards anyway. Only need the rings for my rear bumper.
If I get stuck, I get out and hook everything up myself. I don't trust other people to do it.
I don't wheel with clubs that have weird and uninformed rules like that.
I agree, do whatever works for you, but there are definite downsides to leaving the rings on. I see less downsides to leaving them off (if any really), but at the end of the day, doing whatever works for you is all that matters.
mgroeger
TJ Enthusiast
It was made very clear that what works for you is all that matters. I don’t care if the guy in front of me is running them on his bumper. It is just important to think about the upsides and downsides of any decision you make on your Jeep. For me personally, running them in my backpack is the best bet. For other people, it might not be.
This is the exact question that bumped this thread. Guess some people missed that part. It's obviously a good question, one of simple courtesy on the trail.
This isn't the first time this has been discussed. People make those club rules because enough people have wasted enough time waiting for folks that have their gear "a minute away." Other people care because it's your rig sitting upside-down blocking the trail with half your gear littered down the hillside. Like I said, it is simply courteous to other Jeepers.
It's simply a discussion, why so sensitive about the whole thing? I mean it really is exactly the topic of the question that bumped this thread. Must be the heat getting everybodies panties in a bunch.
derekmac
TJ Addict
I can't count the number of "D Rings" I've seen people fight with, trying to get the pin out because they've been left on the bumper all the time and are seized solid. Then other people have to dig through their gear to get a pair of pliers or a screw driver to loosen the pin.
My TJ came with two rings on the front bumper and it never occurred to me to remove them, I’m lazy like that. It wasn’t until some time into the whole thing that I read some people complain about the noise they make banging around, I’ve never heard that in mine but maybe I’m oblivious. Also as I sit here I can’t recall ever having used the rings up front for recovery purposes, only the winch, so they have proven to be kind of useless except to hang my winch line from.
Regardless, that era has come to an end for me with a new bumper that my old perma-ring plan won’t work for anymore, the rings are too close to the fairlead to be useful as a mounting point for the winch line (& I’m generally trying to de-junk the whole operation anyway) so they’re coming off & will go into my recovery bag that sits in my tool box that’s accessible (opens inward) in about two seconds no matter what position the Jeep is in.
As an aside it’s been far more important to have a ring on the rear bumper at all times when off road. Mine is attached to the trailer hitch & I’ve gotten stuck in the mud before where the bottom sinks in past the hitch & that is no time to be trying to ‘find’ the hitch, put the attachment in with the pin & the cotter pin, that shit needs to be accessible by sticking one hand in the muck & finding the ring that’s already attached to get a line on… never had that issue up front
Regardless, that era has come to an end for me with a new bumper that my old perma-ring plan won’t work for anymore, the rings are too close to the fairlead to be useful as a mounting point for the winch line (& I’m generally trying to de-junk the whole operation anyway) so they’re coming off & will go into my recovery bag that sits in my tool box that’s accessible (opens inward) in about two seconds no matter what position the Jeep is in.
As an aside it’s been far more important to have a ring on the rear bumper at all times when off road. Mine is attached to the trailer hitch & I’ve gotten stuck in the mud before where the bottom sinks in past the hitch & that is no time to be trying to ‘find’ the hitch, put the attachment in with the pin & the cotter pin, that shit needs to be accessible by sticking one hand in the muck & finding the ring that’s already attached to get a line on… never had that issue up front
Exactly and it's extremely aggravating. I never leave my D-rings on my bumpers, I keep them next to my driver's seat so I can either grab one on the way to winch someone or hand to someone to use. Some consider them a verile show-piece and insist on displaying them 365 days a year, I don' t get that. Not to mention when left out they tend to seize up and they're a booger to unscrew without the above mentioned pliers or screwdriver... right when you don't want to have to worry about finding tools. If you feel the need to install shackles/D-rings, do that when you're airing down to go offroad. That way they're not likely to be seized or too tight when you need one.
mgroeger
TJ Enthusiast
WOOWEE did I start a $hit storm, I had no idea there was such a divided camp on this. BTW... the reason I asked if you cover your winch was not to start another big debate. It was genuine curiosity since I keep mine covered but I hate the ugly bag that covers it. My suspicion is it's OK to run uncovered (synthetic rope winch) but my OCD wants to protect it.
I'm confused, why would you be removing one from it’s tab, say on the front bumper, when off road? Aren’t they there as a mounting point for someone to hook a line to, for example to drag you out of a ditch? Or are you saying they’re hanging there only as storage to be removed & used elsewhere? If that’s the case I’ve been operating under the wrong theory.
I always have a ring in my recovery bag to use at the end of my winch line, most often attached to a tree saver strap. Now if I only had one hanging off the front bumper year round I could see how that could be a pain in the ass if it were seized…
My rear one sits in my garage at all times, I usually attach it to the trailer hitch the morning I’m leaving for the mountains & take it off when I get back home, for reasons stated above.
It’s not important to me at all. I really don’t care at all if people keep them off or on. To be honest I don’t care what others do to there jeep. I just think it’s hysterical that people make comments like bumper jewelry etc. Why do others worry about it. It’s a matter of preference no more no less. Not much to be gained or lost by it.
Not trying to pick a fight
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You want to use the least amount of connections as possible. If you need to get a looped strap onto the front bumper, then the shackle has to come off to get the strap on. I would prefer to use a soft shackle directly through the loop on the front bumper, but sometimes that doesn't work out.
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