I want to attach the brackets for a towbar on my 97 Wrangler.

I was planning on bolting a heavy piece of angle iron under the front bumper for the towbar mountings brackets. As I look under the front bumper, I see the 2 torks bolt that could be used and was thinking of adding a bracket to each side, one to a bolt on the steeering gear box and the other to one of the open holes.

Is this enough to hold a tow bar? I doubt I would use it much.

Thanks for any ideas.
Doug

I betcha that bumper is zackly like the earlier models.. If so there will be a bolt top and bottom on both frame ends holding the bumper on..
What I have seen is the bumper cracks at the bolt holes when a tow bar is attached.
What I have always done is to WELD the bumper to the frame and then DRILL holes near the frame into the bumper to attach the mounts. Then, for it's life it has the mounts on the bumper.
You would have to be quite careful about how you mounted an angle iron so it would not be in the way of this or that.
I would not trust only ONE bolt on each end to suffice.
Remember EVERYONES LIFE on the hiway is in your hands!
Big JIm <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />

Tomken Machine makes heavy-duty shackles for these Jeeps. One of the models they offer has larger sideplates, with a set of holes forward of the spring attachment point. They make a matching tow bar with the attaching hardware that fits these shackles. A nice thing about the tow bar is that it can be disassembled and easily caried in the back of your Jeep or in the bed of the tow truck.

I've used this system for flat-towing my CJ7 for over 10 years, with absolutely no problems.