Tow Hook Bolt Pattern?

[72longbed]

Maybe some of you guys that have a pair of 71-72 factory tow hooks can help me out. I'm trying to find out the 'center to center' bolt hole pattern for the front hooks for my truck. Are they 4" center to center, or something else? Did the factory drill them at an angle or straight up and down in 1972?

Thanks for your help and I look forward to some good feedback please.

72longbed

[OZman]

On my truck the holes are in the frame. They are angled back.

[72longbed]

Right Ozman ... in the frame. My question is how far apart are the holes? If you measured the center of one hole to the center of the other hole, or the bottom of one hole to the bottom of the other hole, what would that measurement be? That's callled the "bolt pattern".

Is the top hole farther back than the bottom hole, or the other way around?


Thanks.

[72longbed]

Can anybody who has a pair of hooks help me out here?

Anybody?

Thanks.

[swamp rat]

If i can remember i'll check my truck tomorrow, if tyou send me a PM tomorrow (friday) morning that may remind me.

[sdailey]

Here are some pics that I have saved of the '72-only extreme bend hook mounting location. I don't have exact dimensions, but take note of the bolt pattern on each frame rail and how one is mounted higher than the other.

[72longbed]

Thanks for the pics sdailey, and for checking the measurement tomorrow swamp rat .... I appreciate your help guys.

Sending a PM to you now swamp rat.

72

[Gene]

Originally Posted by 72longbed

Thanks for the pics sdailey, and for checking the measurement tomorrow swamp rat .... I appreciate your help guys.

Sending a PM to you now swamp rat.

72

I get 3 1/4 center to center from my frame and tow hooks.

[72longbed]

Good Deal Gene .... I get one more 'owner' to confirm, and that's the measurement I'll go with.

Thanks Boss!

72longbed

[1malo68]

Confirmed

[special-K]

I got 3 1/4",too,measured on the truck.

[swamp rat]

It looks like 3 1/4 here too, altho the light was not so great.

[72longbed]

My Thanks to ALL !! 3.25 is what I'll go with. It looks like the upper hole is back about 3/4 of a hole from the lower one too.

I appreciate everybody's help!

72longbed

[BLAZERMAN]

I take it you dont already have a set? if thats true I would hold off on any drilling till you get them..they are a very tight fit and almost touch the bumper and are pretty close to the springs. The best way is to just hold them up against the frame with your bumper mounted and find where they fit the best...if you get the holes to close to the upper or lower frame rail you wont be able to get a nut on the backside.
The 69 to 72 use the same pattern as the 72 only...but I dont remember one being higher than the other like in sdaileys pic.

[swamp rat]

Originally Posted by BLAZERMAN

I take it you dont already have a set? if thats true I would hold off on any drilling till you get them..they are a very tight fit and almost touch the bumper and are pretty close to the springs. The best way is to just hold them up against the frame with your bumper mounted and find where they fit the best...if you get the holes to close to the upper or lower frame rail you wont be able to get a nut on the backside.
The 69 to 72 use the same pattern as the 72 only...but I dont remember one being higher than the other like in sdaileys pic.

Good point! Get them where you want them and clamp them in place with a couple C clamps, then drill them in place using the hook bolt holes as a guide, drill one hole then bolt it, then drill the last.

[72longbed]

Good Advice ... I'll be sure to do it that way when I can finally find the hooks I want.

Thanks.

[sdailey]

Take a look at post #23 in the link below. This is where I found the bolt hole mounting pictures and information about how one hook mounts higher than the other. Being that Frank (pickmup) posted this information I took it to be gospel, especially since he said they were listed on the SPID.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=218219

[BLAZERMAN]

Originally Posted by sdailey

Take a look at post #23 in the link below. This is where I found the bolt hole mounting pictures and information about how one hook mounts higher than the other. Being that Frank (pickmup) posted this information I took it to be gospel, especially since he said they were listed on the SPID.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=218219

Sorry, Not doubting you one bit..I just said I had never seen them staggered like that...but come to think of it the last 72 that I had I had to drill cause it had no holes. This could very well be a 72 only thing?? I have put the 72 only hooks on 69 to 71 trucks that were factory drilled with no clearance issues.

[sdailey]

Originally Posted by BLAZERMAN

Sorry, Not doubting you one bit..I just said I had never seen them staggered like that...but come to think of it the last 72 that I had I had to drill cause it had no holes. This could very well be a 72 only thing?? I have put the 72 only hooks on 69 to 71 trucks that were factory drilled with no clearance issues.

No problem Rob. I never took it as you doubting me. I just wanted to throw this info out there as well and confuse everyone a little more. I have a set of exteme bend hooks that I'll be mounting on my '69 K10 and it doesn't have any predrilled holes for the hooks. My plan was just to mock them up and drill holes, but then I came across the link I posted above. I've never mounted as set of these hooks, so I'm new at this as well.

[swamp rat]

Originally Posted by BLAZERMAN

Sorry, Not doubting you one bit..I just said I had never seen them staggered like that...but come to think of it the last 72 that I had I had to drill cause it had no holes. This could very well be a 72 only thing?? I have put the 72 only hooks on 69 to 71 trucks that were factory drilled with no clearance issues.

On my 72 the hooks are the same per side, pretty sure they were put on at the factory. Edit: I don't have extreem bend i have the standard 72 bend hooks.