FActory Tow Hooks

[79time]

Saw this on e-bay, and from the angle of the picture I don't think these are factory hooks. What are your thoughts?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/73-74-75-76-77-78-79-FORD-Truck-Bronco-OEM-Tow-Hooks_W0QQitemZ280308884979QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMoto rs_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item2803088849 79&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=65%3A7|39%3A1|240%3A1318
http://i18.ebayimg.com/02/i/001/2f/2b/0862_1.JPG

[Ranger429]

Hell no! I'll take a picture of my NOS set I have.

[Squid]

I saw those too, and they didn't look quite right for factory hooks. What really caught my eye was all the deep rust pitting that got covered up with fresh paint.

[Ranger429]

I sent him an email telling him they were not OE. We'll see how he responds. There are a lot of people that don't have a clue what the OE hooks look like and will probably overbid these unless he comes clean. Hell there already over bid at 11 bucks.

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/706376/fullsize/dsc03036.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/706377/fullsize/dsc03038.jpg

[79time]

Last time a sent a comment the response was "Thanks" though the seller never came clean.

[Ranger429]

Well he is a good seller. His response:

Hi, yes I would like to see your picture of a NOS set of Ford OEM hooks then, because the hooks were on the truck when new and first removed last year. Thank you.

Hi Scott, I forgot to tell you in my first response that I will list the information on the listing as soon as I look at the picture of the NOS set ... I do not want to mislead anyone, but the hooks were on the truck from day one, perhaps the dealer added the hooks on the lot??? Please send me the photo if available and could you please resend your original question via Ebay so I can answer it and copy it to the listing. Thank you for your time and I appreciate the information.


I'll send him a link to this page so he can see what an OE set looks like.

[Salt-Man]

Yea those are just an after market hook,
if you look at the front of my truck I have the same exact ones

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa208/rsalter66/bronco219.jpg

[78brncoxlt]

they dont look like any factory hooks I've seen.This is what I have .They came off a 78 bronco.The guy gave them to me.

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/694060/fullsize/my-bronco-016.jpg

[Border Patrol]

The 4 sets I have look like 78 brnco`s. I like how wierd Ranger`s look though. Maybe the set on ebay is for the brush guard? They will not fit the bronco, f150 frame without drilling - reaming the frame holes. If you notice both known ford sets have offset mounting holes.

[Ranger429]

I never noticed than till I took the pictures of mine Scott that they have a fatter base than the style like 78brnc posted. I have that same style as his on my Bronco now.

[fordtrucknut]

yea i have a couple sets of them and they look like the ones 78bronco has....they are super strong too :)

[Nohsp4u]

For anyone, i am looking for an actual photo of factory ford tow hooks. i just landed a set from a yard, they look like the ones in my accessories flyer i have. they taper down from the hook to the back and the hook is bent in the direction of the code, i.e L- is bent left R-is bent right. the straight hooks that are not tapered do not appear to be the original factory options. please confirm or deny this.

[Nohsp4u]

I posted a question about this, before i found this link, yes i know, search search search. well anyway, if you look at page 7 of the 1978 Ford Bronco sales flyer, it shows hooks that look like 78broncs, but also bent like Rangers, however i cannot tell if rangers are tapered. i know for sure the other hooks were a sales add on, as i have two virgin broncos in my area, both are all original never been molested and one of them has hooks like salt man. in fact, it has a brush guard like his also. when i asked him about it, he told me it was an option for the trucks but he had it put on his bronco. not sure if he was blowing smoke or not.

[Ranger429]

He's blowing smoke. The brush guard in salt-mans post is add on as are the hooks, not factory nor Ford stuff. The only factory push bar is like what I have on my trucks in my sig pic.The below pictures are factory tow hooks and yes mine are tapered as well.

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/694060/fullsize/my-bronco-016.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/706377/fullsize/dsc03038.jpg

[Nohsp4u]

Sweet, i thought it was odd, since the 1978 ford bronco flyer shows only your style of brush guard, that i will find one day. LOL i have the 1978 ford truck accessory manual and page 4 shows his type of brush guard, but it looks to be riding on a courier. it was part number 17996 and says it was for Econoline, F-series, and Courier. Could it be, he asked for the truck version and since the front of the F-series is the same as a bronco, the factory installed it. I would hate to think the old man lied, so i will go with memory loss. LOL

[Ranger429]

I'll have to look at the brochure but I have never seen that style on any F-series or Bronco from the factory, Couriers yes.

[Nohsp4u]

Probably because the bully bar like you have looks for too much better than the other, and the cost would most likely me the same. in fact in my tear down manual it only shows your style for the bronco. it was part number D8TZ17996B and only cost $112.90. I would have to assume, if i dare, that it was the only one that came from the factory so it was the only one in the tear down manual. i guess you could put anything on a truck if you had the money, but why? LOL

[MIL1ION]

No tow hooks for Light trucks

Only F-500 Trucks

[Blue79]

No tow hooks for Light trucks

Only F-500 Trucks
What? You saying no factory tow hooks were made for small trucks?
I have to disagree. Seen my first set when I was eight years old on Dads new 79. Seen a few not many but a few since then.

[Ranger429]

Threads merged.

[MIL1ION]

They are only listed for a F500 .

The book I have is not the final issue edition and that being a 79 part # number may be the reason why.

[RATT]

My Dad Also Had A Brand New 79 F150 With Tow Hooks.

[MIL1ION]

Okay folks here's the scoop.

Previous to 1978 they were only available on C-F500's

in 1978 they became available on F 150 4x4's

and from 78 to 79 they had a different design.

http://inlinethumb20.webshots.com/45011/2778407730012099056S200x200Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2778407730012099056RuLWjl)

http://inlinethumb63.webshots.com/42814/2107474360012099056S200x200Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2107474360012099056qhzbWs)

[Ranger429]

They were also available on 78-79 Bronco's Dennis.

[MIL1ION]

Yes,i should have mentioned broncos but. that is separate parts book :)

[BrownF150]

Does anyone have a picture or diagram of where/how the factory tow hooks mount? I don't have any hooks on my 77.5 F-150 and would like to add them.

[Ranger429]

I can get you a picture if needed but there should be a set of mounting holes at the edge of the frame hoen on the bottom side.

[Highhorse78]

Yep, just like Ranger said, they mount to the lower frame horn. Their not the best tow points as I've seen them bend the front lower half of the frame horn down if jerked hard. If you plan to really use them, I would stick a piece of 1/4" or 3/8" on the topside of the frame where they mount to help prevent bending. Heres a couple pics...

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/729650/fullsize/p5121193.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/729664/fullsize/p5121192.jpg

[78Bronco]

Ha, nifty. I have factory tow hooks. I figured they were aftermarkets.

[BrownF150]

Thanks Ranger and Highhorse.

I thought that's where they went but I wasn't sure. It just seems like the tow hooks could see damage there. Kind of like teeth that might bite into something and actually keep you from getting over an obstacle and then keeping you from backing up. But there's no real other place to mount them with the bumper there.

[78Bronco]

For what its worth I have beat up and hit a lot of stuff under the bronco, and the prior owner liked taking her through parts of the rubicon. Never had any problems with that location.

What you say makes sense though. If you got them stuck just right it isnt like you could floor it to rip them off. They're on there pretty good.

[78Bronco]

I used these hooks on the overhead hoist to lift the front of the bronco up this past weekend, they are pretty stout <*&

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/733351/fullsize/img_2113.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/733352/fullsize/img_2115.jpg