Uneek4x4 pre-runner & winch mount, comments please.

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Or maybe 4x4 got it wrong...

Cheers
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[Benn0]

No they are 17s, they used spacers, it was discussed when uneek posted the build pics. Not legal, but the owner obviously took the risk. Uneek didn't fit the wheels.

[Sandez]

I don't think you guys should be dismissing the Uneek hidden bar just yet. The full scenario and there are some very important facts missing, which we can only speculate at this point. If the GC was belly up in wet sand and a tide coming in, the amount of force required to pull out 2.2t+ vehicle would probably be near double, with the suction of the water. Now if only one recovery point was used, that's a lot of force on one recovery point. Even a 'rated' recovery point would likely fail, or (if in this case the tide didn't write off the car) the recovery point could have likely twisted the chassis, effectively writing off the vehicle anyways. Also, what point failed in this scenario? Was it the standard bolting point (that most bars probably use) or was it the bar?

Most 'tow' points on bull bars etc. are clearly targeted as 'recovery points', however they aren't classified as 'recovery points' due to the legal ramifications if it fails. Considering most are built by small businesses, why would they add that legal risk to their product. However, these 'tow' points would most likely meet or exceed the strength required to recover a vehicle safely. Just because it's 'rated' doesn't mean it's actually stronger.

I just wanted to point it out to you guys that it's not as clear as the pictures show. Sometimes these things could be designed the way that they are because it's actually better/safer to have a failsafe/deliberate weak spot, but I'm not an engineer. Or it could have been a miss judged/rushed recovery gone wrong in this scenario

[LeCheese]

I don't think anyone would disagree with a single point you've made, Sandez. Whilst I understand your point about ratings being more of a formality than anything else, you have also have to consider the average consumer's perspective. If you're recovering a vehicle, within what you'd expect to be accepted tolerances, and a rated point fails, then you may have at least some chance of potential compensation. Whilst I understand it'd likely be a big hassle to prove who's at fault, there is at least a chance. In my opinion, when these vehicles are worth the money they are, the decision to go with a non-rated point is a hard one to make.

I'm by no means having a go at Uneek, they make great products and have been supporting a relatively small market for years, and as you said, we don't have all the details on this story. But for me, it's just extremely frustrating when a great product is let down by what is ultimately a bureaucratic/liabilities-based decision.

[Benn0]

I don't think anyone is condemning uneek on the above incident, but you'd want to avoid any heavy snatch recoveries off those hooks.

The Chief winch mount retains the rated recovery points, they bolt straight to the rail horns, instead of welded onto the mount, I think its a point of difference the OP should be aware of. For mine it is clear the Chief recovery points are stronger than the uneek tow points based on these pics and pics of the chief set up.

[markandallan]

I was speaking with uneek today and I mentioned the post on here re the failed tow hooks. They said if it's the one from Fraser Island it was stuck in the sand and was there for two hi tides so had been filled with water and was already a write off. They only used one point not the two as advised by uneek to attempt to pull it out. That was there response.
They believe if you have a winch always use that unless no other other than to use the recovery hooks.


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[Benn0]

Yeah, they messed up the recovery, I would have dug it out and stuck some recovery trax under it, then winched off the other vehicle. I don't know that snatching off 2 hooks would have helped, the entire mount has let go. But yeah snatching over the hump in the creek shore is putting a lot of force into it.

I hate snatch recoveries, I'd be trying everything else first, but maybe the tide was at the wheels and they wanted a quick recovery and rushed it.