Painting tow hooks?

[Chadd7]

I've seen a couple members here paint their tow hooks. Wondering if they were removed first, taped off and sprayed, or brushed with enamel paint. Considering this. Please share any experience you have. Pictures obviously too if you don't mind.

 

[Asnes]

Painted tow hooks are great draws your eye to the carnage

#OverlandGearGuy leveraging bash plates for what the were designed to do….

3rd party Videos - Out for a Sunday Drive - OOPS

Here is a the Trailer from our Sunday Drive in the Mountains. hope you get a good laugh, I did Dent up the Skid Plate pretty bad, and Lost a Mud Flap Full movie coming soon Have a great week everyone ! 😂😂😂😂😂 View: https://youtu.be/yc_DFGeXZeg?si=W44y-jcNBQCNAXle

www.theineosforum.com

 

[DenisM]

I've seen a couple members here paint their tow hooks. Wondering if they were removed first, taped off and sprayed, or brushed with enamel paint. Considering this. Please share any experience you have. Pictures obviously too if you don't mind.

The tow hooks are welded to the chassis during manufacture. Each is rated to take the full GVM of the vehicle.....
It's been remarked that painting tow hooks is like painting your finger nails if that makes you happy...but I wouldn't say that!

 

[Mountain4x4]

I thought painted tow hooks were something GM added to make their vehicles look like real off roaders, even though they are not?

 

[Krabby]

I look at it like an easy, subtle splash of color to individualize one's truck - I have no issues with it.

 

[Chadd7]

I thought painted tow hooks were something GM added to make their vehicles look like real off roaders, even though they are not?

Painting tow hooks with brake caliper paint has been a thing for the Wrangler and 4runner community for a long time. Not a poser thing

 

[simonpa]

I've seen a couple members here paint their tow hooks. Wondering if they were removed first, taped off and sprayed, or brushed with enamel paint. Considering this. Please share any experience you have. Pictures obviously too if you don't mind.

I cleaned mine first then taped off and brush painted with Humbrol Red - very pleased and adds highlights to front and rear.

 

[GrenADV]

I cleaned mine first then taped off and brush painted with Humbrol Red - very pleased and adds highlights to front and rear.

Assuming you removed the skid plates to gain better access to the hooks?

 

[Krabby]

I cleaned mine first then taped off and brush painted with Humbrol Red - very pleased and adds highlights to front and rear.

Sand at all?

 

[AMD66]

Hammerite metal paint, brush, I did it so if your up too your gunwales being recovered, they stand out.

 

[Ovrland Bill]

Hammerite metal paint, brush, I did it so if your up too your gunwales being recovered, they stand out.
View attachment 7840954View attachment 7840955

Yes, being able to find the recovery points ‘down in the muck’ would be a reason to give them a bright, contrasting color.

 

[FieldMonster]

Inspired by this thread I decided my Donny Grey Fieldmaster needed red recovery points for both practical and aesthetic reasons.

Procedure: 1. Remove the skid plate at the front.

2. Wash and sand the recovery points. Admire how much wax coating is on them and sand again.

3. Apply two coats of Hammerite red metal paint. Consider lightly sanding between coats but who are we kidding.

4. Wait nearly long enough for the paint to dry before replacing the skid plate. Inevitably have to clean the paint from the edges and touch it up with an extra coat.

5. Stand back and admire.

 

[Pat-Ard]

Remove the skid plate at the front.

What a nice job, I have the paint already here, but I'll wait until it's warmer...

Was ist difficult?
And did you mask anything?
What grain did you use to sand?

Did you remove any parts for the rear hooks?

 

[FieldMonster]

What a nice job, I have the paint already here, but I'll wait until it's warmer...

Was ist difficult?
And did you mask anything?
What grain did you use to sand?

Did you remove any parts for the rear hooks?

It was really straightforward.

I did pop a bit of masking tape around some of the surrounding bits at the back. Didn’t bother at the front because once the skid plate is removed it’s a big easy target, but didn’t really need to at the back either.

I used whatever the most coarse paper was that I had to hand. Probably 400 grit.

Didn’t bother removing anything at the back. It looked like it would have been fiddly. Using a small enough paintbrush helped.

 

[Pat-Ard]

@FieldMonster Sorry, to ask some more. How did you clean the hooks?

 

[FieldMonster]

@FieldMonster Sorry, to ask some more. How did you clean the hooks?

No problem at all.

While I was washing the vehicle anyway I gave them a decent scrub with some car shampoo and a sponge. To be fair, and to the credit of the wax coating, after a wash with cold water there was still a wax coating.

it definitely also needed sanding to be ready for painting.

Results after this seem fine for me but might want to try using hot water and soap to try to shift the wax?

 

[rovie]

No problem at all.

While I was washing the vehicle anyway I gave them a decent scrub with some car shampoo and a sponge. To be fair, and to the credit of the wax coating, after a wash with cold water there was still a wax coating.

it definitely also needed sanding to be ready for painting.

Results after this seem fine for me but might want to try using hot water and soap to try to shift the wax?

I would use Isoprop or brake cleaner.

 

[Tom109]

Yes, being able to find the recovery points ‘down in the muck’ would be a reason to give them a bright, contrasting color.

If I’m stuck in East Coast mud, there is no longer any contrasting color.

 

[255/85]

I would use Isoprop or brake cleaner.

I might hesitate to use brake cleaner. It may weaken the factory powder coating. Best to stick with isopropyl alcohol.

 

[grnamin]

If I’m stuck in East Coast mud, there is no longer any contrasting color.

If in Georgia, the mud IS the contrasting color.