Front Tow Hook Install

Will H · May 15, 2008

Job Done

Well I have completed the job and have a few more pics. In order to gain access to tighten the left hooks rear most cross bolt I removed battery and battery tray. the nut needs to go in right next to the radiator hose and I found this to be the toughest bolt to tighten. This is the first two pics.

Next picture is the location of where the bolt goes for the center of the hook. it looks tough but is really pretty easy. the bolt is going up through the bottom of the frame rail. The fourth pic is me pointing with an extension to where on the side rail the rear most bolt goes through. The last pic is of both hooks in and complete.

The touch up paint from the dealer worked well but being my jeep is dark green leaving it black was no biggie. All in all the hooks look sweet.

Wheezy · May 15, 2008

I guess my questions can be answered in other various threads about tow-hooks but...

What's the price on them, and are they the same ones that the off-road Patriots have (ordered through the dealership)?

Tskm2 · May 15, 2008

What parts number for all the parts for install the front tow hook in patriot? bolt, hook in every part

Will H · May 15, 2008

Here are the part numbers, they are $140 each:wow:
Rt hook:5115268AC
Lt hook:5115269AC

I hope this helps.

BarryB · May 16, 2008

Thanks for the great write-up. I plan to do mine next month. Still amazed you did not have to remove the fascia to get the hooks on.

Will H · May 17, 2008

BarryB said:
Thanks for the great write-up. I plan to do mine next month. Still amazed you did not have to remove the fascia to get the hooks on.

It might have made some of the fasteners easier to get to but I felt it was easier to cut the holes while it was still on the vehicle. If you want to PM me and give me a phone number I'll be glad to call and answer any questions I can or forgot to list. I'm sure that I am not listing things that made the job easy in some ways.

JimCno · May 17, 2008

Good job will! And congratulations on being the first (that I saw) to take the plunge and cut hole in his fascia to install tow hooks.

There has been many of us talking about it and just waiting to follow in someone's footsteps.

psaulesl · May 27, 2008

Will H: Do the Tow Hooks come with all required hardware (nuts, bolts, lockwashers), or can you specify what you used?

Many thanks

Will H · May 28, 2008

psaulesl said:
Will H: Do the Tow Hooks come with all required hardware (nuts, bolts, lockwashers), or can you specify what you used?

Many thanks

No, the hooks came without any of the hardware but it can be ordered as I found out later on from Barry B. who posts on here too. Mopar parts has a web site that lists the parts and shows the part that goes in the bumper that the bolts thread into. It's called a "upper tow hook bracket

The bracket is a peice of metal that houses two nuts in it for the front two bolts in the bunper. I just used a 12mm dia. bolt instead of the 10mm factory since I did not have the brackets and did not know you could purchase them even.

There are a total of four bolts holding each hook in place with the rear most bolt being the main bolt taking the most load if your really stuck. If you purchase the hooks and start digging into the area where they go they are pretty straight forward.

Eagle1 · May 28, 2008

Will -

Great job! I have been hoping to put the tow hooks on my 08 Limited 5 speed as well and your pioneering work will be an excellent reference.

A clarification please - You have stated that the hooks cost you $140US each. I asked my Toronto dealer's parts department for a quote which roughly came to $180 Canadian each. The person I was talking to on the phone seemed a little uncertain about this so I visited another dealership whose parts manager looked up the hooks and brackets and gave me a print-out with diagrams and prices for them at $88.65 Canadian each! (I am quite certain these were presented as retail prices.)

If you paid $140US each, then $180Can. would probably be in line with expected higher Canadian prices. Please verify that you paid $140US each - not for both.

All of these figures are absolutely ludicrous of course but perhaps Chrysler is now aware of the desire of Patriot owners to have tow hooks and is seizing the opportunity to make a killing! Do the hook part numbers ending in AB (which I inquired about) refer to 2007 Patriots, the ones ending in AC to 2008 models? Change one digit or code letter for the new year and - poof - the price doubles for the same item!?!

psaulesl · May 28, 2008

Exploded Parts View - PATRIOT tow hooks

Courtesy my dealer..

Here's what I bought, and what I paid (CDN)

The picture above # 15 are the tow hooks. They have been noted by others as p/n 5115268AB and 269AB . These are superseded by 5115268AC and 5115269AC. I paid $160.65 EACH.

The brackets for them are items # 25 and 26.
# 25 P/N 5116357AC (you need 2) I paid $13.90 ea
# 26 P/N 5116361AB (you need 2) I paid $10.25 ea.

Crossing fingers - I should have them in a week or two.

epper:
Just need some help with bolt sizes and lengths

Will H · May 29, 2008

Eagle1 said:
Will -

Great job! I have been hoping to put the tow hooks on my 08 Limited 5 speed as well and your pioneering work will be an excellent reference.

A clarification please - You have stated that the hooks cost you $140US each. I asked my Toronto dealer's parts department for a quote which roughly came to $180 Canadian each. The person I was talking to on the phone seemed a little uncertain about this so I visited another dealership whose parts manager looked up the hooks and brackets and gave me a print-out with diagrams and prices for them at $88.65 Canadian each! (I am quite certain these were presented as retail prices.)

If you paid $140US each, then $180Can. would probably be in line with expected higher Canadian prices. Please verify that you paid $140US each - not for both.

All of these figures are absolutely ludicrous of course but perhaps Chrysler is now aware of the desire of Patriot owners to have tow hooks and is seizing the opportunity to make a killing! Do the hook part numbers ending in AB (which I inquired about) refer to 2007 Patriots, the ones ending in AC to 2008 models? Change one digit or code letter for the new year and - poof - the price doubles for the same item!?!

Yes, the hooks cost were:
P/N: 5115268-AC Tow Hook $140US
P/N: 5115269-AC Tow Hook $142US
and if you purchase those upper brackets the factory bolt(s) number is.
P/N: 6105064-AA Bolt Hex $1.50US for six of them. This is how many you will need if the brackets are used. Three are needed per side.

I did not use the brackets Items 25 and 26 for the bumper but using them will make installation of front two bolts much easier. These brackets are just a clip like piece that holds the nuts in the bumper and eliminates using a wrench to hold the nuts in the bumper while tightening.

I'm not sure about a P/N for the rear most bolt but I will look and see what I used.

todde702 · May 29, 2008

You know, this may be a wacky thought, but you don't have to do both sides on the front. The back only has one hook, you "could" just do the front passenger hook and save $140-$160 and still have the recovery option. My 87 Montero only had one front hook and one back one.

Eagle1 · May 29, 2008

Tow hooks on hold

Will & psaules:

Thanks for your follow-up information on the US and Canadian prices for our Patriot tow hooks.

As mentioned earlier, I had obtained a written quote from a local dealership (on May 15) of $88.65 Cdn. for each one. (Yeh, I should have ordered and paid for them then.) Intrigued after reading your posts, I returned to the dealership yesterday and asked their helpful parts manager to double-check the parts numbers and prices. That little change from B to C in the parts codes certainly was significant! In fact his computer was showing a new list price around $190.00 Cdn!

On the job, he has seen many instances where there have been sudden price increases for items but even he seemed surprised at the leap of the tow hook prices. I suggested that it was due to a Chrysler conspiracy to exploit our rational desire for them! While taking that comment in tactful stride, he plausibly figured it was likely due to a change of supplier.

Today I called Customer Assistance and the person I spoke with said the increase was probably due to a temporary parts shortage in addition to a change of supplier. (The conspiracy theory was not greeted with as much humour as the dealership guy displayed.) After I stressed the need for tow hooks on all Jeep Patriots (as well as proper skid plates), she offered a little hope that there might be a substantial price decrease when quantities returned to normal. (Sure!)

Perish the thought of lurking around wreckers' yards! Can anyone on the site post pictures and specs of a set of uninstalled hooks? Perhaps a good metal worker/welder friend might be willing to do some creative artistry...

jordanvraptor · May 29, 2008

If you were going to fab your own, I'd just have your buddy fab up a 2" reciever hitch to attach at the points. Then you could install brackets, winches, d rings, whatever you wanted...

slytoy · May 30, 2008

If someone can do their own brackets, they can use those.

$14.99 at Canadian Tires

suzq044 · May 30, 2008

yeah; but those are meant as a 'looks-only' accessory - i doubt they could actually do what they look like they're designed for. It looks like that one attaches to the BUMPER with a bolt or two... not so sturdy imo.

CJs07RIOT · May 30, 2008

slytoy said:
If someone can do their own brackets, they can use those.

$14.99 at Canadian Tires

These are very similar to the ones I had on my YJ and they worked well, the bolted directly into the frame, but getting them to work on on the MK may be a bit more difficult

Eagle1 · May 30, 2008

Thanks for your interest and suggestions. I would like to stay as close as possible to the shape and dimensions of the factory ones although a few deviate concepts have come to mind since my last post. I am familiar with the aftermarket hooks you show as I bought them for my Explorer years ago. It would be impractical to mount them directly on the Patriot bumper which is too fragile to take any towing strain. However they might be used as the working ends of strong bars bolted to the bumper and frame at the connection points designated for the regular hooks. The simplest solution for secure canoe transport is probably the sort of hood straps offered by Merrimack or others. (I don't think Mountain Equipment Co-op here in Canada carries anything similar.)

psaulesl · Jun 10, 2008

WILL H: I just picked up my bolts. Looks like the long bolts used on the left and right are different lengths, one with a captive washer one without. Did you find that you needed a longer bolt on one sider versus the other?

Front Tow Hook Install

Will H

Wheezy

Tskm2

Will H

BarryB

Will H

JimCno

psaulesl

Will H

Eagle1

psaulesl

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Will H

todde702

Eagle1

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