To pintle or not to pintle?
- Thread starter tx-jeremy
- Start date
rnArmy
Adventurer
Some people complain that a pintle hitch set-up is noisy. Lemme run something past you for your consideration.
I run one of those lunette rings that goes inside a 2" receiver hitch on the front of my trailer. It is loose in there, and pivots on the pin. Watch the video (make sure sound it turned on):
This could be the noise some folks complain about when using a pintle hitch. It was for me. So when I figured out what was happening, I drilled a hole underneath, had a nut welded, and then used a grade 8 bolt as a set screw to keep the lunette ring pushed-up in place (bolt is not snugged-up in the picture).
Once I tighten up the bolt, now see what happens when I try to make the lunette ring rattle inside the receiver tube (make sure sound is turned on):
Lunette quieted - YouTube
If you have a pintle hitch attached to a mount that slides into a 2" receiver hitch on your vehicle, that too could be what's making noise. Just like the lunette ring in the 2" receiver above.
And since I was in my YouTube file, here's a short one of my TJ and trailer (with pintle hitch and lunette ring) in action on the Washington Backcountry Discovery Route (WABDR):
TJ and trailer - YouTube
I run one of those lunette rings that goes inside a 2" receiver hitch on the front of my trailer. It is loose in there, and pivots on the pin. Watch the video (make sure sound it turned on):
This could be the noise some folks complain about when using a pintle hitch. It was for me. So when I figured out what was happening, I drilled a hole underneath, had a nut welded, and then used a grade 8 bolt as a set screw to keep the lunette ring pushed-up in place (bolt is not snugged-up in the picture).
Once I tighten up the bolt, now see what happens when I try to make the lunette ring rattle inside the receiver tube (make sure sound is turned on):
Lunette quieted - YouTube
If you have a pintle hitch attached to a mount that slides into a 2" receiver hitch on your vehicle, that too could be what's making noise. Just like the lunette ring in the 2" receiver above.
And since I was in my YouTube file, here's a short one of my TJ and trailer (with pintle hitch and lunette ring) in action on the Washington Backcountry Discovery Route (WABDR):
TJ and trailer - YouTube
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rnArmy
Adventurer
Kaiser Willys has a bunch of WWII trailer parts.
Willys Jeep Parts | Kaiser Willys Jeep Parts and Restoration
They even sell trailer kits to start from scratch:
Results for trailer parts (kaiserwillys.com)
This might be helpful:
Jeep 1/4 ton Trailer Page. Willys MBT, Bantam T-3, M-100, M-416, K-38 (wwiijeepparts.com)
They have forums on this thread that I believe is trailer specific (you might have to search for it):
G503 - Everything you always wanted to know about military vehicles, the WWII military jeep and green things in general...
And if we're going to talk about the old stuff...
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StowAway Hitch Tightener, Anti-Rattle Stabilizer for 2 Inch and 1.25 Inch Hitches.
https://www.amazon.com/StowAway-Tightener-Anti-Rattle-Stabilizer-Hitches/dp/B0001CMUV4#
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https://www.amazon.com/StowAway-Tightener-Anti-Rattle-Stabilizer-Hitches/dp/B0001CMUV4#
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rnArmy
Adventurer
My Dixon Bate hitch arrived today. I felt that was quick, considering it was coming from England.
I was expecting to pay an extra something for customs or something, but nope; UPS just handed me the box.
So here's what I got for $300.00 - a brand new Dixon Bate rotating pintle hitch.
Since the body of the Dixon Bate hitch is thicker than my military surplus pintle hitch, I needed longer bolts than what I had in my shop. So off to the hardware store for four 3.5" long, 1/2" grade 8 bolts, washers, and locking nuts. Came to under $5.00.
| Price | GBP 159.95 |
| Shipping | GBP 45.00 |
| Sales tax | GBP 16.61 |
| Total Charge | GBP 221.56 ($299.63 US Dollars as of 7 Feb 2022) |
|
I was expecting to pay an extra something for customs or something, but nope; UPS just handed me the box.
So here's what I got for $300.00 - a brand new Dixon Bate rotating pintle hitch.
Since the body of the Dixon Bate hitch is thicker than my military surplus pintle hitch, I needed longer bolts than what I had in my shop. So off to the hardware store for four 3.5" long, 1/2" grade 8 bolts, washers, and locking nuts. Came to under $5.00.
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rnArmy
Adventurer
I have a Dirtworx rear bumper and swing-away spare tire carrier. The swing-away portion just barely clears the top of my old pintle hitch. I don't know if you could put a credit card between the top of my military surplus pintle hitch and the bottom of the swing-away it is literally that close.
The new pintle hitch is even taller, so I had to put it on a different mounting plate (which I already had) to drop it down a little bit. The four-hole mounting distances/pattern for the Dixon Bate hitch are the same as the pintle hitches sold in the USA (to include my old military surplus pintle hitch). So I mounted the Dixon Bate in the next lower set of holes. I now have about 1/2" of clearance between the top of the Dixon Bate hitch, and the bottom of my spare tire swing. For most folks, this probably won't be an issue, but something to consider if you have a swing-away spare tire carrier. Because of all this, the bottom of the Dixon Bate hitch is now about 2" lower than the previous pintle hitch, and the lunette ring will rest about 1.5" lower now.
In this picture below, you can also see the fork in the upright position keeping the pintle hitch fixed and unable to rotate. you can also see the hole for the pin for when you want to drop and lock the fork so the pintle hitch can rotate. Pull the pin, swing the fork down, reinsert the pin in the lower hole and secure with the cotter pin thingy.
Here you can see I have about 1/2" of space between the top of the Dixon Bate hitch and the bottom of my swing-away spare tire carrier (not the best picture, sorry). If I were to have Dirtworx build me another rear bumper (for whatever reason) I would ask the 2" receiver hitch hole be as low in the bumper itself as possible. Even 7/16" or 3/4" lower than what it is now would be great. He makes a great rear bumper with a swing-away spare tire carrier (and Jerry can holder). Just saying....
The new pintle hitch is even taller, so I had to put it on a different mounting plate (which I already had) to drop it down a little bit. The four-hole mounting distances/pattern for the Dixon Bate hitch are the same as the pintle hitches sold in the USA (to include my old military surplus pintle hitch). So I mounted the Dixon Bate in the next lower set of holes. I now have about 1/2" of clearance between the top of the Dixon Bate hitch, and the bottom of my spare tire swing. For most folks, this probably won't be an issue, but something to consider if you have a swing-away spare tire carrier. Because of all this, the bottom of the Dixon Bate hitch is now about 2" lower than the previous pintle hitch, and the lunette ring will rest about 1.5" lower now.
In this picture below, you can also see the fork in the upright position keeping the pintle hitch fixed and unable to rotate. you can also see the hole for the pin for when you want to drop and lock the fork so the pintle hitch can rotate. Pull the pin, swing the fork down, reinsert the pin in the lower hole and secure with the cotter pin thingy.
Here you can see I have about 1/2" of space between the top of the Dixon Bate hitch and the bottom of my swing-away spare tire carrier (not the best picture, sorry). If I were to have Dirtworx build me another rear bumper (for whatever reason) I would ask the 2" receiver hitch hole be as low in the bumper itself as possible. Even 7/16" or 3/4" lower than what it is now would be great. He makes a great rear bumper with a swing-away spare tire carrier (and Jerry can holder). Just saying....
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rnArmy
Adventurer
This Dixon Bate hitch seems more refined than my "who knows how old" military surplus pintle hitch. The top of the Dixon Bate is also bulkier, so the lunette ring doesn't go straight up like it did with my military surplus pintle hitch. Instead of 90-degrees up, it'll go 58-degrees up (down it is still 90-degrees). I'm ok with that.
And with it being able to rotate 360-degrees, being at an angle will never be an issue.
And you can see how the Dixon Bate is mounted in the lower set of holes on this mounting plate. Using this plate and with the mounting surface of the Dixon Bate being thicker than my military surplus pintle hitch, this new set-up now sticks out about 2" further than the previous set-up. Not a big deal; I should have plenty of slack in my safety chains and trailer wiring harness to the plug on the back of the Jeep.
And with it being able to rotate 360-degrees, being at an angle will never be an issue.
And you can see how the Dixon Bate is mounted in the lower set of holes on this mounting plate. Using this plate and with the mounting surface of the Dixon Bate being thicker than my military surplus pintle hitch, this new set-up now sticks out about 2" further than the previous set-up. Not a big deal; I should have plenty of slack in my safety chains and trailer wiring harness to the plug on the back of the Jeep.
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rnArmy
Adventurer
So I am pleased - I've finally got the ability to have unlimited twisting of my trailer. Just one thing makes me a little nervous about this hitch.
If you notice in this picture with the hitch rotated 90-degrees, I've got the pin pulled out (and I have it laying on the floor). Technically there's another hole you put the pin back in on the hitch to keep the fork locked down, but I was busy taking pictures so I didn't put it back in. The pin itself has a small hole for a cotter pin to go through to keep it held in place. You can see the little hole in the end of the pin in the red circle below for the cotter pin.
Here's a picture of the pin head (circled in red) on one side of the hitch (with the fork locked in the upright position). You can also see the hole for locking the fork in the down position (the red line actually is going through it... sorry). So you pull the pin, rotate the fork down, then reinsert the pin in the new hole and secure with the cotter pin.
And here's a picture of the little cotter pin thingy keeping the pin in place (circled in red). So my fear is if this cotter pin thingy got knocked out, I might lose the pin itself. So I need to go to Tractor Supply and see if they have clevis pins that would be long enough and more secure. I wish the pin had a cable like the pin for the jaws (oh wait; something else to start looking for). There's always a domino effect when making changes to my Jeep or trailer.
If you notice in this picture with the hitch rotated 90-degrees, I've got the pin pulled out (and I have it laying on the floor). Technically there's another hole you put the pin back in on the hitch to keep the fork locked down, but I was busy taking pictures so I didn't put it back in. The pin itself has a small hole for a cotter pin to go through to keep it held in place. You can see the little hole in the end of the pin in the red circle below for the cotter pin.
Here's a picture of the pin head (circled in red) on one side of the hitch (with the fork locked in the upright position). You can also see the hole for locking the fork in the down position (the red line actually is going through it... sorry). So you pull the pin, rotate the fork down, then reinsert the pin in the new hole and secure with the cotter pin.
And here's a picture of the little cotter pin thingy keeping the pin in place (circled in red). So my fear is if this cotter pin thingy got knocked out, I might lose the pin itself. So I need to go to Tractor Supply and see if they have clevis pins that would be long enough and more secure. I wish the pin had a cable like the pin for the jaws (oh wait; something else to start looking for). There's always a domino effect when making changes to my Jeep or trailer.
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rnArmy
Adventurer
So there you have it - if you want to go with a pintle hitch, you've got the option of having either a pintle hitch that doesn't have the ability to rotate (and is much cheaper in price), or you can get one that has the ability to be either fixed in place, or able to rotate (for about $300).
Honestly, I never had an issue with my fixed military surplus pintle hitch; it served me well for years (and we did some crazy stuff with the trailer). But knowing this rotating Dixon Bate hitch was out there always intrigued me. So I finally got one, and I'm reporting back what I found, what it cost me, and my thoughts about it.
I asked the eBay person I bought it from if they could get more, and he said he could. I have no financial stake in this whatsoever (I got one, I wrote it up, I'm done - I'm happy), but let me know if you're interested or need more information. The site is nancydom on eBay ("nancydom" was the seller) and the person I was communicating with was a gentleman named Graham Perkins if that helps (or send me a PM and I'll give you his email address and you can take it from there).
Honestly, I never had an issue with my fixed military surplus pintle hitch; it served me well for years (and we did some crazy stuff with the trailer). But knowing this rotating Dixon Bate hitch was out there always intrigued me. So I finally got one, and I'm reporting back what I found, what it cost me, and my thoughts about it.
I asked the eBay person I bought it from if they could get more, and he said he could. I have no financial stake in this whatsoever (I got one, I wrote it up, I'm done - I'm happy), but let me know if you're interested or need more information. The site is nancydom on eBay ("nancydom" was the seller) and the person I was communicating with was a gentleman named Graham Perkins if that helps (or send me a PM and I'll give you his email address and you can take it from there).
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tx-jeremy
Member
tx-jeremy
Member
To follow up on @rnArmy’s well written write up on his pintle hook, I wanted to share my costs.
The military grade lunette ring (https://shop.midwestmilitary.com/) was $299.
The Curt pintle hook (Amazon Curt part 48004) for the 2” receiver on my Jeep was $76
My trailer is on jack stands while I await new bearings and races in the mail so I have not tried this towing setup yet.
One note on the lunette ring, the hole for the cotttar pin was very far back along the shaft that locks in the castle nut that the lunette is very tight and difficult to turn right now (it is well greased via the zirt). I am hoping this loosens with a bit with usage.
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The military grade lunette ring (https://shop.midwestmilitary.com/) was $299.
The Curt pintle hook (Amazon Curt part 48004) for the 2” receiver on my Jeep was $76
My trailer is on jack stands while I await new bearings and races in the mail so I have not tried this towing setup yet.
One note on the lunette ring, the hole for the cotttar pin was very far back along the shaft that locks in the castle nut that the lunette is very tight and difficult to turn right now (it is well greased via the zirt). I am hoping this loosens with a bit with usage.
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NMBruce
Adventurer
I still do not understand the need for a rotating hitch for a trailer that weighs about 1/5 of the tow vehicle, maybe for heavier trailers or lighter vehicles to keep the vehicle from rolling, but not for my 1300lbs trailer getting pulled by a 5000lbs vehicle off road at low speeds, I don’t see why it would be needed.
Like rnArmy said
Like rnArmy said
rnArmy
Adventurer
I'm going to take the pin to Tractor Supply or another type place in town and see what I can find. I can also order a replacement and see about drilling a hole in the end for a tether.