Maximus-3 JL Tow Loops (Front & Rear)

[DadJokes]

I just installed my rear loops. All seemed well until I tightened the bolts. The paint (?) flaked right up revealing bare steel. I thought these were powder coated? Or is it just a defective powder coat job?

Advertisement

 

[Jgeiken]

I just installed my rear loops. All seemed well until I tightened the bolts. The paint (?) flaked right up revealing bare steel. I thought these were powder coated? Or is it just a defective powder coat job?

Mine did the same. It’s paint not powder coat. Shot some rust oleum over the bolts and the flaked paint since it isn’t visible.

 

[Whaler27]

I just installed my rear loops. All seemed well until I tightened the bolts. The paint (?) flaked right up revealing bare steel. I thought these were powder coated? Or is it just a defective powder coat job?

Mine did the same, and more big paint chunks have come off around the bolts since the installation. As it turns out, that was a blessing, because it caused me to inspect the loops more closely last week. When I looked I discovered that one of the bolts had come off and another two were very loose... quite the butt-pucker considering we just returned from a 2,000 mile trip towing the Jeep through the mountains of Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and Colorado. I lathered the bolts with red loctite and reinstalled the nuts with a breaker bar. Fingers crossed.

My loops are already showing surface rust, so I’m going to wire brush them and spray them with Rustoleum.

 

[DadJokes]

Need to flat-tow your JL? Searching for ultra-strong closed loop recovery points?
If you said yes, then say hello to the Maximus-3 Tow Loops available for the Front and Rear of your JL.

KEY FEATURES
* Made with 5/8" High-Strength Low Alloy Steel
* Laser Cut
* Keyed-in and Welded
* Designed to act as a SKID, protecting your bumpers
* Dual powder-coat finish (zinc rich primer + top coat)
* Two color options: RED Gloss -or- BLACK Textured
* Lifetime Structural Warranty
* Made in America


Maximus-3 FRONT Tow Loops:
* Rated for flat towing
* Pair with Maximus-3 blue-ox tow bar adapter lugs part# JK1009TA
* Excellent for recovery operations - closed loop for safety
* Fits standard 3/4 d-ring shackle, with 7/8" pin.
* Designed for the OE Rubicon steel bumper (requires cutting the bumper and skid plate)
* Works with the factory plastic bumper (requires cutting the bumper and air dam)
* MAY work with aftermarket bumpers (cutting & modifications likely)

Maximus-3 REAR Tow Loops:
* Incredibly strong recovery points
* More recovery options with dual closed loops v.s. factory
* Fits standard 3/4 d-ring shackle, with 7/8" pin.
* Designed for the OE Steel Rear Bumper (no cutting required)
* Works with the factory plastic rear bumper (requires cutting the bumper)
* MAY work with aftermarket rear bumpers (cutting & other modifications may be necessary

From getting out of a sticky situation to getting across country, the Maximus-3 JL Tow Loops have you covered.

So is it paint or powder coat flaking off around the bolt heads?

 

[Whaler27]

So is it paint or powder coat flaking off around the bolt heads?

Well, Maximus-3 makes the stuff, and you quote their rep above saying it’s powder coat, so I’m guessing that’s what it is.

Having said that, it’s not like the powder coatings I’m familiar with, as they have always been thinner and tightly bonded to the metal. The coating on my tow loops is coming off in bigger chunks about half the size of a dime and about a sixteenth of an inch thick, and it’s leaving completely clean steel underneath. The material acts like an epoxy paint that went on thick and fully hardened, but never properly bonded with the surface.

I know almost nothing about paint or it’s application. I’m just describing what it looks like from my admittedly ignorant view.

 

[DadJokes]

Well, Maximus-3 makes the stuff, and you quote their rep above saying it’s powder coat, so I’m guessing that’s what it is.

Having said that, it’s not like the powder coatings I’m familiar with, as they have always been thinner and tightly bonded to the metal. The coating on my tow loops is coming off in bigger chunks about half the size of a dime and about a sixteenth of an inch thick, and it’s leaving completely clean steel underneath. The material acts like an epoxy paint that went on thick and fully hardened, but never properly bonded with the surface.

I know almost nothing about paint or it’s application. I’m just describing what it looks like from my admittedly ignorant view.

I thought I’d read it was supposed to be powder coat and then I saw the last couple of posts say paint. I then went back to the first post of the thread and found where it says powder coat so I’m essentially asking which it is and seeing if it’s a typo. Like you, if it’s not a typographical error, I’ve never had powder coat flake off like thick paint.

 

[Maximus-3]

Mine did the same. It’s paint not powder coat. Shot some rust oleum over the bolts and the flaked paint since it isn’t visible.

Our tow loops are dual coated:
* Base Coat: Zinc plating with nano-technology
* Top Coat: Black or Red Powder Coat
* No paint

In fact, all of our 150 unique products are powder coated. Not a single part we offer is painted.
Our parts come with a one year powder coat warranty. Visit maximus-3.com for full details or reach out to [email protected] if you would like to start a warranty claim.

 

[Jgeiken]

Our tow loops are dual coated:
* Base Coat: Zinc plating with nano-technology
* Top Coat: Black or Red Powder Coat
* No paint

In fact, all of our 150 unique products are powder coated. Not a single part we offer is painted.
Our parts come with a one year powder coat warranty. Visit maximus-3.com for full details or reach out to [email protected] if you would like to start a warranty claim.

Sorry for spreading bad information. Thanks for the info. No need to warranty mine, they are fine even with the powder coat chip.

 

[Whaler27]

Our tow loops are dual coated:
* Base Coat: Zinc plating with nano-technology
* Top Coat: Black or Red Powder Coat
* No paint

In fact, all of our 150 unique products are powder coated. Not a single part we offer is painted.
Our parts come with a one year powder coat warranty. Visit maximus-3.com for full details or reach out to [email protected] if you would like to start a warranty claim.

Thanks for the clarification. The coating looked and felt beautiful when the parts arrived. If it survived installation I suspect it would last a long time, but mine cracked and chipped to bare steel before they were even fully torqued down. Maybe I just got a bad batch, but going with the Rustoleum solution was a better solution for me than removing the bumper, uninstalling my winch, repacking the parts, paying to ship them back, and then waiting a couple weeks or more to reverse the whole process.

 

[DadJokes]

Our tow loops are dual coated:
* Base Coat: Zinc plating with nano-technology
* Top Coat: Black or Red Powder Coat
* No paint

In fact, all of our 150 unique products are powder coated. Not a single part we offer is painted.
Our parts come with a one year powder coat warranty. Visit maximus-3.com for full details or reach out to [email protected] if you would like to start a warranty claim.

I got them on and the next day my wife needed the Jeep for a long trip so I flaked away the loose coating and sprayed only the bare spots with clear satin rustoleum to keep moisture from the bare metal. I hope that’s ok. I’ll reach out to sales soon.

 

[KevinD]

FYI...
November sale on now.
10% discount.
Loops ordered.

 

[Skystak]

I have about 00 miles and one tow. This is what they look like. Bare metal, o way power coated....very disappointed. I contacted Rubitrux today as I’m worried about the integrity of the loop holding if the cracking is really below the surface....agree with everyone else on Warranty, a real PITA to take off, send back and wait. They need to figure this out. I already cut my bumpers...

 

[TJDave]

Mine look like the last picture on the bottom ^ after towing all summer long. I'm using the shims that came with the Blue Ox adapters to take up the gap at the loops. I'm not too worried about it even if it chips a little. I'll touch them up in the off season when I need to.
It's a major wear point. Almost like painting the ball on your hitch and expecting the paint to be perfect after towing the boat all summer.

 

[Skystak]

Spoke to vendor, trying to resolve. They say no worries on integrity to hook should not break away. Bought from Rubitrux. They have been good about communicating and helping me resolve. Good to have someone stand behind it.

 

[Maximus-3]

Spoke to vendor, trying to resolve. They say no worries on integrity to hook should not break away. Bought from Rubitrux. They have been good about communicating and helping me resolve. Good to have someone stand behind it.

Rubitrux is correct, the finish has nothing to do with the structural integrity of the Tow Loop.

A few things:
1. We acknowledge that we had a batch of Tow Loops with subpar powder-coat adhesion. We changed our processes to resolve the coating issue on this product.

2. We stand behind our 1-year powder coat warranty. Anyone with chipping or flaking can reach out to [email protected] to start a warranty claim.

3. Metal to Metal contact will definitely wear away powder coat, nothing we can do about that.