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Maximus 3 Tow Loops

Maximus-3

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DO NOT BUY These.

Let me explain in detail.

I purchased the Maximus 3 tow hooks for flat towing my JLUR. I have towed it over 10k miles since setup in 2020.

I saw on another forum where a user that was also flat towing with these had developed a crack in the frame, shown here:
IMG_20190817_130455.jpeg

He then removed the bumper to address the problem, and this is what he found hidden behind:

20220326_082857.jpg



I immediately had @rustyshakelford look at mine, and I have a much worse crack showing on both sides.

It is going to be a lot of work to tear mine down, as I have a warn winch installed as well.

This product is very dangerous, and not engineered for towing. There are several users that are in communication that all have the same issue. I am filing an NHTSA report once I get all of the pictures in an effort to ensure everyone's safety.


All tow base plates for the jeep have provisions to tie the force of each side together. A hard pull on the driver side would in turn pull the passenger side towards driver, and vice versa.

Maximus 3 is not designed that way. They are attached to the frame ends independently of each other. What's worse, they do not clamp around the frame end on each side, but rather use a very small bolt and washer as a pass thru.

DO not flat tow with a Maximus 3 tow system. This product is dangerous.

@Redbaron73 we are sorry to see you are having this problem. Please give us a call to discuss this when you have a chance. We are aware of this issue and this why we always recommended that users add the towing tie rod that we designed specifically for flat towing. Unfortunately some customers opt out of this option and trust their towing braking system. We strongly urge every customer to use The Maximus-3 Towing Tie Rod which we are currently selling on our website as a towing package. Some customers are buying the tow loops just for recovery only, in which case the tie rod is not required.

Thank you.
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Redbaron73

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@Redbaron73 we are sorry to see you are having this problem. Please give us a call to discuss this when you have a chance. We are aware of this issue and this why we always recommended that users add the towing tie rod that we designed specifically for flat towing. Unfortunately some customers opt out of this option and trust their towing braking system. We strongly urge every customer to use The Maximus-3 Towing Tie Rod which we are currently selling on our website as a towing package. Some customers are buying the tow loops just for recovery only, in which case the tie rod is not required.

Thank you.
What towing tie rod are you referring to? I purchased this from you in early 2020 and there was never a mention of any other product required.
 

Powelligator

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Maximus Folks,

With all due respect, on your website where the Tow Loops are listed, there’s no recommendation in the Product Overview to add a Towing Tie Rod to an order for the Tow Loops if you plan to flat tow. The only notation you have is to include the Adapter-Clevis to attach a tow bar, which is rather obvious. Saying as you do above that some customers opt out of this option is a bit disingenuous to those of us who were never made aware of this to begin with.

Copied/pasted from the Tow Loop product description:


Maximus-3 JL Tow Loops are engineered from 3/4" heavy duty steel and mounts directly to the Chassis rail frame using factory and provided hardware. Designed for the JL factory bumpers (Steel & Plastic) Works with most aftermarket steel bumpers. These Tow Loops provide secure connection points for any tow bar and are designed to work with a 7/8” pin. Maximus-3 tow loops are strong and durable. Comes in black or red powder coat. Requires cutting of the bumper and skid plate (or air dam.)

NOTE: Tow Bar Adapter-Clevis required in order to attach a tow bar – sold seperately.


I just went to the link you posted above and sure enough, looks like the towing tie rod is available as a package for folks who don’t use a Blue Ox tow bar, sadly there does not appear to be a way to order the tie rod separately for non-Blue Ox customers such as myself (that have already ordered the Tow Loops).

And getting back to the original issue of Jeep frames cracking and tearing when your tow loops are used, how exactly does the Towing Tie Rod solve the problem? In the one photo you have on the website it’s not clear what it attaches to or how it’s installed.

Thank You,

Your Tow Loop Customers
 

Redbaron73

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As I stated earlier, I purchased in early 2020, and was never offered anything other than the tow loops.

I own a Wrangler JL. I used the links on maximus 3.com website to make my purchase. Today the links have the same information as they did before, with no suggestion that another product was required.

The link provided above is not for my vehicle and was not on the product page I looked at just now. Posting here for all to see.
Jeep Wrangler JL Maximus 3 Tow Loops Screenshot_20220401-154821_Chrome
Jeep Wrangler JL Maximus 3 Tow Loops Screenshot_20220401-154913_Chrome
 

azwjowner

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As I stated earlier, I purchased in early 2020, and was never offered anything other than the tow loops.

I own a Wrangler JL. I used the links on maximus 3.com website to make my purchase. Today the links have the same information as they did before, with no suggestion that another product was required.

The link provided above is not for my vehicle and was not on the product page I looked at just now. Posting here for all to see.
Jeep Wrangler JL Maximus 3 Tow Loops Screenshot_20220401-154913_Chrome
Jeep Wrangler JL Maximus 3 Tow Loops Screenshot_20220401-154913_Chrome
Seems to me that the proper thing for Maximus to have done should have been listing them as "recovery points," not "tow loops," with a prominent warning that they were not to be used for towing, and a link to the "towing package" for those interested in towing.
 

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Redbaron73

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Seems to me that the proper thing for Maximus to have done should have been listing them as "recovery points," not "tow loops," with a prominent warning that they were not to be used for towing, and a link to the "towing package" for those interested in towing.
They clearly say these are strong and durable, designed for towing.
Jeep Wrangler JL Maximus 3 Tow Loops Screenshot_20220401-160400_Chrome


Here is how strong and durable these are when only being used for towing forward, never in reverse.

Jeep Wrangler JL Maximus 3 Tow Loops IMG_1138
Jeep Wrangler JL Maximus 3 Tow Loops IMG_1137
 

Powelligator

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Seems to me that the proper thing for Maximus to have done should have been listing them as "recovery points," not "tow loops," with a prominent warning that they were not to be used for towing, and a link to the "towing package" for those interested in towing.
That may be something they can change going forward, but there are a number of us who were not told this when we ordered their product, so... I’m watching this to see how Maximus-3 does right for these customers.
 

John VonJeep

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Seems to me that the proper thing for Maximus to have done should have been listing them as "recovery points," not "tow loops," with a prominent warning that they were not to be used for towing, and a link to the "towing package" for those interested in towing.
But should they even be used for recovery?
 

azwjowner

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But should they even be used for recovery?
Personally I wouldn't, but that's because I think anything tying into my frame needs to assure me that it is structurally sound. For example, I looked very hard at properly adding front recovery points when I bought my WJ years ago and ultimately paid more ($500) for a recovery receiver where the maker had a true engineered product with finite stress analysis and dynamic strain modeling by a mechanical engineer and a warranty to back that up: https://www.jeepforum.com/threads/fawkes-minimax-vs-warn-61768-front-receiver-comparison.2473305/
 

AnnDee4444

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But should they even be used for recovery?
I might be reading it wrong, but it looks like they're stating that the bending occurs during braking... with the vehicle inertia forcing the brackets to spread.

Pulling on them straight ahead will have very different forces. So avoid side-pulls I guess... or maybe pull on the far-side bracket (or winch?)
 

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Gadgettr1

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Wow! I installed the JL tow loops on my 2020 JLUR when we first got it. We had intentions on towing it behind our RV on trips but, we sold the RV before we ever got to tow the Jeep behind it. Now, I'm kinda glad we never did. I do use them as recovery points but as stated above I'm not so sure that's a good idea also. I like the self engineered bar connecting the two points. Perhaps the person who did that can put up a parts list and measurements of exactly what he/she used?
 

Redbaron73

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But should they even be used for recovery?
Simple answer is they do not work safely for towing. I won't trust them for recovery either, as I cannot guarantee I will always have an ideal pull.
 

Gadgettr1

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One of the guys reporting the problem of cracked frame really wanted to keep his, so he came up with a solution to fix the engineering flaw. The idea is to ensure that the forces are distributed between the two frame connections. I don't know if this will work long term. He did a complete tear down, rewelded the damaged frame, and then reinstalled with heavier grade bolts.
Jeep Wrangler JL Maximus 3 Tow Loops IMG_1137
Jeep Wrangler JL Maximus 3 Tow Loops IMG_1137
Jeep Wrangler JL Maximus 3 Tow Loops IMG_1137
Any possibility to get a component list? Measurements? And how is it working out? Any issues?
 

JeepinJason33

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I can't figure out how that tie rod helps, do the ends come off and then you use the bolts instead similar to what the one previous poster did? There are no instructions on the Maximus website or even a picture of this installed as they have obviously just thrown this together to try to cover their tails.
 

AnnDee4444

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I can't figure out how that tie rod helps, do the ends come off and then you use the bolts instead similar to what the one previous poster did? There are no instructions on the Maximus website or even a picture of this installed as they have obviously just thrown this together to try to cover their tails.
From https://maximus-3.com/jtgladiator-/jl-jt-towing-package-with-blue-ox?search_query=tow&results=11#/

"The Maximus-3 Tie Rod provides a 3rd triangulated component, which prevents the tow-bar arms from spreading outwards in the event of surge break, delay or malfunction."
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