D-Ring Anchors | D-Rings/Anchors 3rd gen 4Runner | D-Ring Anchor - Tacoma Pickup |
Most Toyota pickup, Hilux, 4Runner, Hilux Surf, Tacoma and similar models include either a tow hook or some sort of factory anchor point bolted to the underside of the front of the frame rail. These were typically used to secure the vehicle for shipping from the factory to the point of sale. However, for use in vehicle recovery in off-road use, these anchor points may be less than ideal. Tow hooks are usually nice and strong, but with the hook facing downwards, the tow strap or rope often slips out of the hook if you release the tension on it. The other style of factory anchor point is usually just a piece of steel with a hole in it. It is likely only rated for holding a vehicle down to the floor of a ship, but not for yanking the vehicle out of deep mud or off a pile of rocks.
But now there is a convenient bolt-on solution for a secure recovery point. We now have a D-ring anchor that will bolt up to the factory threaded holes under the frame rail. These D-ring anchors are machined out of billet steel and designed to exceed the strength of the 5/8" (16mm) D-ring anchor shackle they are designed to work with (pin diameter 3/4" - 20mm) as well as 3/4" (20mm) anchor shackles with 7/8" (22mm) hole diameter. We can also custom drill the anchors to fit 7/8" (22mm) shackles with 1" (24mm) diameter pins as well as a custom chamfered anchor for the popular 7/16" and 1/2" soft shackles. The added chamfer around the hole reduces wear and tear on the soft shackle material by eliminating the sharp edge,Photo Album - click on image to bring up description.
The anchors are machined of billet steel, a full 1" thick and weigh a massive 2.5 pounds (1.13kg) each. All the corners on the anchor are radius to minimize stress risers. It's hard to give a load rating on the anchors. They are designed to be at least as strong as the mounting bolts. That is, the anchor should stay intact if the pair of mounting bolts were to shear off. A conservative rating for that is approx. 95,800N or 21,400 lbs. The big unknown is what is the rating of the nuts welded inside the frame rail on the vehicle. Then on top of that you have the rating of the D-ring shackles, that are typically 3-1/4 ton in the 5/8" (16mm) size.
These anchors are not made specifically for a given vehicle. Instead, they are designed to make use of standard 2-bolt tow hook mounting holes common on many truck and SUV frames. You can use the following dimensions to check if these anchors will fit on your vehicle. The anchors require a flat area of frame around the two mounting bolt holes about 2-7/8" (73mm) long with the two 12mm mount bolts spaced 1-3/8" (35mm) apart. The anchors are 1-3/4" (44mm) tall where the bolts attach them to the frame and 2-3/4" (70mm) tall overall in front where the D-ring attaches. The center of the D-ring pin hole is 2" (50mm) in front of the forward mounting bolt hole. You can measure the clearance around your factory tie down hook holes to see if these anchors will fit your vehicle. Toyota does use a hole spacing that is comparable to standard aftermarket tow hooks, so these D-ring anchor may fit other vehicles, although the bolt thread may be different, for example 1/2NC or 1/2NF thread on US vehicles. So be sure and check your frame for suitable flat area and height around the frame mounting bolt holes. If you need different size hardware, you can select the hardware size in the order forms. The default bolt length is 3-1/4" or 80mm which is enough to fit through the anchors and into the frame mounted nuts. You could also use these with drilled holes where you can fit a nut on the back side. Likewise, if you want to use a larger d-ring shackle, we can drill out the hole to a larger diameter, up to 1". Drop us a note for a custom quote.
Factory solid axle Toyota trucks (1985 and older) may have clearance issues with the front spring hanger bolts and trucks with solid axle swaps might have clearance issues with spring hanger gussets, so be sure and check for adequate clearance. Minor cutting and/or grinding of the D-ring anchors may be required in those situations.
If you want to check fitment against your vehicle, see the above dimensions for the anchor block and compare those to the existing holes in the underside of your frame. These anchors also have the same hole spacing as common tow hooks, so if you want to replace a tow hook with a D-ring anchor, this is the part for you.
Note that anchor shackles are specified by the nominal diameter of the "bow" or D-ring part, the screw pin will normally be a larger diameter.
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Screw Pin Anchor Shackle Dimensions | A | B | C | D |
S = 1/2" | 0.625" | 1.88" | 0.81" | 1.31" |
S = 5/8" | 0.750" | 2.38" | 1.06" | 1.69" |
S = 3/4" | 0.875" | 2.81 | 1.25" | 2.00" |
S = 7/8" | 1.000" | 3.31 | 1.44: | 2.28" |
These are inch dimensions shackles. For metric shackles, the pin diameter should be 19mm and the throat width 26mm.
You'll notice column C is the "throat" of the shackle, that needs to be at least 1" to fit over the anchor block. Column A shows the diameter of the pin and thus the diameter of the hole in the anchor.
We also can supply screw pin anchor shackles to go with the anchor blocks for a complete recovery setup. Note that anchor shackles are a forged steel part and have a hot dipped galvanized finish. Both these processes can lead to a rough finish that may impeded fitting over the precision machined anchor blocks. We check and correct the fit of the shackles to the anchors including filing off any flashing/roughness inside the "C" opening to fit over the anchor blocks. We also clean up any roughness on the pin and threads to allow it to fit through the hole in the anchor block.
The D-ring shackles, 5/8" (16mm) nominal diameter, have a screwed in pin which lets you insert the pin through the anchor and screw it securely into the shackle to lock the shackle to the anchor. With the loop of a tow strap inserted in the body of the shackle, this gives you a secure attachment point for the front of the vehicle that can't come apart. Yet, it is easy to unscrew the shackle pin to remove the shackle and strap after use without having to worry about a knot getting too tight.
The anchors are conservatively rated at 10,000 lb. / 5 tons / 4545kg. working load limit. The limiting factor will be the mounting bolt holes in the frame.
For larger D-rings, it's a simple matter to drill out the existing anchor hole to accommodate the larger anchor pin. If you lack the tools to do this operation, we'll be happy to drill out the hole to 7/8" or 1" dia. for a cost of $7.50/hole. Note that the diameter of the shackle pin is typically 1/8 (3mm) larger than the nominal size. Contact us for details. Custom drilled anchors can be ordered below.
The 5/8" - 7/8" D-ring shackles will all work with the shackle anchors, along with the popular soft-shackles. If you already have one or more shackles, pick the anchor that works with the size/type shackles you already have. If you are planning to get shackles with the anchors and don't know which size to get, here's some tips:
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The new and improved D-Ring shackle anchors are sized to fit both 5/8" and 3/4" (16mm and 20mm) forged shackles out of the box and also a new soft shackle version. Also the new anchors are now available ready to paint as we've had many customers request custom colors to match their trucks. We've had numerous customer requests for custom colors and that was hard to do with the original powder coated versions. Also, the powder coating made refinishing after modifications problematic.
Known to fit
Mounting bolts:
These D-Ring anchors are proudly designed and manufactured in the USA.
Our default shipping method is USPS mail and default payment option is Paypal. If you wish to use a different shipping or payment method, please contact us prior to ordering. Let us know the item(s) you want, where and how you'll want them shipped to and we'll get back to you with a shipping quote and purchase information:
4Crawler Offroad contact link | MissingLinkZ contact link |
NOTE: Beginning 01.Jan.2021, we'll no longer be able to accept orders shipping to the UK via our on-line order system due to the VAT requirements. Click here for alternate ordering options.
Shipping:
Which anchor to order:
Sold Out - Select the bolt size/thread to match the mounting holes in your frame
Single standard Anchor - US shipping | Pair of standard Anchors - US shipping |
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Single custom Anchor - US shipping | Pair of custom Anchors - US shipping |
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Single standard Anchor - Canada shipping | Pair of standard Anchors - Canada shipping |
Single custom Anchor - Canada shipping | Pair of custom Anchors - Canada shipping |
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Single standard Anchor - International shipping | Pair of standard Anchors - International shipping |
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Single custom Anchor - International shipping | Pair of custom Anchors - International shipping |
Sold Out - For customers desiring upgraded mounting hardware, we now offer an upgrade to metric grade 12.9 and SAE grade 9 hardware.
Upgrade to Grade 9 or 12.9 hardware |
Our default shipping method is USPS mail and default payment option is Paypal. If you wish to use a different shipping or payment method, please contact us prior to ordering. Let us know the item(s) you want, where and how you'll want them shipped to and we'll get back to you with a shipping quote and purchase information:
4Crawler Offroad contact link | MissingLinkZ contact link |
NOTE: Beginning 01.Jan.2021, we'll no longer be able to accept orders shipping to the UK via our on-line order system due to the VAT requirements. Click here for alternate ordering options.
3.25 ton D-Ring Shackle - US shipping |
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3.25 ton D-Ring Shackle - International shipping |
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The D-ring anchors come ready to paint, galvanize or powder coat, as you prefer. You can use a metal primer and paint to match your vehicle color if desired. You can have a local shop galvanize or powder coat the anchors. Or you can use a cold galvanize spray paint. Or just use some inexpensive spray paint and touch up the anchors as needed. Since the finish will get scraped and dinged up with use, having a finish that can be easily touched up is a good idea.
There are 2 schools of thought on a painted finish.
Installation could not be easier. If there is an existing tow hook or tie down anchor already attached under the frame in front, remove it. Those existing bolts may be in there tight, so take your time and carefully break them free. Those bolts go into nuts welded up inside the frame, so take care you don't damage those nuts while removing the bolts.
If you do not have anything installed in the frame and the holes have been open for some time, you might want to clean them out first. To do that, if you have an old bolt that fits the hole/threads, use that, otherwise use one of the supplied bolts. First, lube up the threads inside the frame and on the bolt. Then carefully thread it into the hole and screw it in a turn or two then back it out before it gets too tight. Clean off the bolt threads with a wire brush and re-lube and repeat going in a bit farther and removing, until you can run the bolt in a good inch or so without it binding up.
Now you are ready to install the anchors, be sure the frame metal is clean under where the D-ring anchor will sit. Check the fit of the anchor against the frame and if it does not sit flat and solid, clean up any bumps or surface imperfections under the frame with a file or grinder. Might also be a good idea to touch up the paint there if you had to do any grinding.
Now time to thread in the bolts. Some sort of anti-seize compound or grease for the threads is a good idea in case you ever want to remove those bolts. Be sure to get both bolts started by hand to make sure you have not cross threaded them. Then tighten down the bolts alternately until the anchor is seated against the frame. Now torque down the bolts to approx. 100 N-m (75 ft.lb) if using thread lube, otherwise 115 N-m (86 ft.lb) for dry threads. Toyota lists torque values in the 65-85 ft.lb. range for the factory tie downs. With the torque, more is not better, so if you have to err on one side or the other, a bit less is better than a bit too much. Basically tighten up the bolts about what you use on your wheel lug nuts.
If using your own d-rings, test the fit around the anchor. You may need to file or grind a little bit to clean up the inside face of the d-ring to clear the anchor. The Shackles and/or pins often will have some excess metal from the forging or galvanization process and/or the rolled threads may make that part a bit larger in diameter. This is easy to file or grind off, just take the sharp edges off and test the fit in the d-ring anchor hole and repeat until it fits. We designed the anchors to have a hole just large enough for the 5/8" pin for maximum strength. As most d-ring anchor shackles are made overseas nowadays, the quality control is often lacking and the threaded ends end up way oversize. We do this fitting work for you with the d-rings we supply. Then as far as where to keep the shackle, in the anchor or in your truck? Both work, but we prefer to keep the shackles safe inside the truck with our other recovery gear. Outside, the anchor might unscrew and fall off or someone may walk off with it. Plus, despite the snug fit of the shackle and anchor, there will be a little rattling there, especially on bumpy roads.
We recommend that the shackles not be left in the anchors full time because they're thief magnets. But if you do want to leave them in place, you can also apply a layer tool handle coating, bed liner or heat shrink tubing over the shackle pin if you want it to be quieter when inserted into the anchor. This will eventually wear away and need replacement.
[Last updated: 07.September.2024 ]
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