Nissan Patrol 4x4 (Africa)

Jorrie, I have done some maths on Tinus's recovery points.

They are at least as strong as the bolts holding them.

While I would always recommend using a catch-rope on any snatch recovery, I do believe you can recover with confidence on that point.

Having said that, if the points on the BZT bumper are part of the chassis mounting plates (which it looks like they may be), then they should be more than adequate too, although I would be inclined to use a bridle here.

Peter Connan wrote:Having said that, if the points on the BZT bumper are part of the chassis mounting plates (which it looks like they may be), then they should be more than adequate too, although I would be inclined to use a bridle here.

Point for discussion - When I recovered the 8 ton truck out of the dam in the Transkei I connected to a single front point on the Patrol and made sure that I was exactly in line so that there where no side forces. Shortly thereafter I fitted the BZT front bumper and all the holes lined up exactly. The logic was a bridle may have bent the chassis inwards but inline there was no risk.

Peter Connan wrote:Jorrie, I have done some maths on Tinus's recovery points.

They are at least as strong as the bolts holding them.

While I would always recommend using a catch-rope on any snatch recovery, I do believe you can recover with confidence on that point.

Having said that, if the points on the BZT bumper are part of the chassis mounting plates (which it looks like they may be), then they should be more than adequate too, although I would be inclined to use a bridle here.

Peter

Thanks for your input.

David M wrote:

Peter Connan wrote:Having said that, if the points on the BZT bumper are part of the chassis mounting plates (which it looks like they may be), then they should be more than adequate too, although I would be inclined to use a bridle here.

Point for discussion - When I recovered the 8 ton truck out of the dam in the Transkei I connected to a single front point on the Patrol and made sure that I was exactly in line so that there where no side forces. Shortly thereafter I fitted the BZT front bumper and all the holes lined up exactly. The logic was a bridle may have bent the chassis inwards but inline there was no risk.

The BZT recovery points are directly on the chassis mounting points. That is of course offcentre but unless you are charging and doing run-ups with a ridgid strap the chances of bending a patrols chassis are very low. I would say that the rope will break long before the chassis.

Jorrie has informed me that on his bumper, the mounting plates to the chassis are much thinner than the recovery points, and thus the recovery points are not extensions of the mounting points.

Please look carefully, because if this is the case on all of them, then these points are not safe for snatch recoveries.

David, WRT bridles and so forth:
There are cross members both in front of and behind the front recovery points. In the case of bumper-mounted recovery points, the bumper itself should also serve as a cross-member, preventing bending the chassis inwards as a result of using a bridle. I believe the chances of seriously damaging a Patrol chassis by using or not using a bridle is pretty small. One would have to be pretty dof.

You may bend the recovery points themselves, but I doubt this is a reason for serious concern.

I have also not hadthe opportunity to measure the recovery points on these bumpers, but ging just on the photos posted, they do not look thick and wide enough to me to handle the load of a full-energy snatch on a single point, which is why I recommend a bridle.

To my mind, one wants at least 12mm thickness and 25mm web around the hole.

Of course, by putting such strong recovery points on our vehicles, we are almost guaranteeing that, when a recovery point does break, it will be coming through our own cars...

Dankie Tinus vir "organising" 'n BZT rear steel bumper vir my 4.8.

Ons het 2 swing arms aangesit, een vir spaarwiel en ander een vir 60 liter petrol in Jerry kanne.

Op die sinkplaat het arms effens agtertoe begin oop skuif.

Dankie aan Tinus en Bruce wat 'n oop oor en gewillige hande gehad het om 'n klein modifikasie aan te bring wat probleem opgelos het.

Vir ons wat ver van Pretoria (beskawing?) af is, is Tinus regtig 'n yster!

Sonder sy hulp, sou ons nie naastenby aan ons rygoed kon doen, wat ons nou doen nie. Hy bring al die los punte bymekaar. Waardeer.