Does your winch hook flop in the breeze? Mine did and I finally found something that only takes five minutes to solve the problem.

Having asked Google if there was a way to fix my problem, I was quickly directed to the A247 website. This family-owned and operated outdoor adventure online store has everything you need when it comes to top-quality gear and it’s with pride they say, “We provide the gear, you provide the adventure”.

Having made my way to the Offroad Recovery page, I stumbled across the Factor 55 UltraHook. It wasn’t just the flashy red colouring that caught my eye, it was the style of the hook itself, that offers not just a lockable winch hook, but a shackle pin mount as well. Sure, I could have chosen the grey option, but there’s something about that red that made the choice easy. After adding it to my cart, I realised I’d just saved $10 as A247 is currently having a sale.

I was starting to drool as I explored the rest of the recovery gear A247 had to offer, all the latest gear like soft shackles, kinetic recovery ropes and winch extension ropes, it is time to modernise and lighten up my recovery kit.

It was then I cast my eyes upon the Factor 55 UltrHook Rope Guard. This little add on connects to the UltraHook and protects the winch rope cable eye, such a brilliant idea. This was added to my cart and I soon had confirmation of my order hitting my inbox.

A few days later the gear arrived in my letterbox and I couldn’t wait to get stuck into replacing my floppy winch hook. It did take a bit of time to knock the pin out of the winch hook, a nail punch and vice made it a little easier.

Before installing the UltraHook, I removed two of the integrated EPDM rubber pads from the forward-facing side, having already worked out which way I wanted the UltraHook to sit. Next job was to fit the rope guard into place before hammering in four drive rivets using a 5mm nail punch.

Then it was just a case of placing the winch rope cable eye into the UltraHook, feeding the shear pin through the eye and inserting the snap ring. Circlip pliers come in handy here, but you can use a screwdriver or scribe if you don’t have them, just ensure the snap ring clicks into place. The last task is to use the winch to pull the cable back in and allow the UltraHook to stow rattle free against the fairlead, no more flopping about.

Some Specs for the Factor 55 UltraHook:

• Made in the USA using military specification hard anodising
• The shear pin is 5/8” diameter 6AI-4V grade V titanium
• Max rated load of 16,000 pounds
• Ultimate strength of the hook throat opening is 31,000 pounds
• Ultimate strength of the shackle pin mount is 48,000 pounds
• Weight 907 grams