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Pintle hitches

Willie B

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This is a question closely aligned to another thread. Pintle hitches are rated by trailer weight. Mine is not labeled. My trailer is a 9 ton. I presume the ring on the front of the trailer is good for the rated capacity. I hope it was engineered to be adequate. The hitch came on the truck. There is no rating printed on it. I loan it occasionally to professional excavators who have been in the business since 1953. They are amused that I am concerned. They have towed 46000 with my truck, something I will NEVER do!

I'm confident that the hitch can handle 23000, but worry about tongue weight. Last weekend we had a 9000 LB tractor as far forward as possible, with a 6000 behind it. Can the hitch be trusted with extra tongue weight, or is balance important? The rig handles best with lots of weight on the truck.

Am I being a puss as my friends suggest, or are my concerns valid? I want to stay out of the evening news. My conscience won't handle killing a family.

Willie
 

fast_st

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Pintle hitches are usually rated by size, what size is the opening on yours? Most of the shank ones are 6-8 ton, I know there are different size rings and different size hooks.
 

Shimmy1

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Can u post a pic of the hook? When I was working with my dad, we had hooks that were rated for 60,000 lb. vertical load. They had 8 bolts. I would venture a guess that if your hook has at least 6 three-quarter inch bolts, it would be more than enough for anything you can put on the trailer. This is what we ran.
 

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lumberjack

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Where are the other 2 bolts to make 8?

That's basically the same as my pintle also, 6 bolts, rated for 30T I believe.
 

Steve Frazier

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It would be best to post a pic of your hitch, I'm sure someone will recognize it. The most likely weak link will be how the hitch attaches to the plate. I think if you've confirmed they are grade 8 bolts you'd be safe. For what it's worth, although I'm sure it's happened at some point I've never seen a hitch pull from the plate.
 

clintm

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it's not always going to break at the time you overload. it will stress it then break later. I have broken them on a pickup truck because I got it in a bind. I have seen the swivel military style pull the threads off the nut years ago on a pup trailer because it had no tongue weight and no spring on the tongue. I don't trust a pintle hitch with any thing over #30,000 gross trailer weight seen to many break or turn over.
 

Shimmy1

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Where are the other 2 bolts to make 8?

That's basically the same as my pintle also, 6 bolts, rated for 30T I believe.

I knew someone would comment. :cool: I'm not sure if they've changed the hooks or what, but I can take a pic sometime. My old man's have 8 bolts. It looks like they just trimmed off the top holes to make 6. After I've done a bit of searching, I may have been mistaken on the vertical load number, unless they are rated less than they used to be with 8 bolts.
 

Willie B

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I need to learn to post pictures. When I try I download to computer, then spend an hour finding it in the computer. Then it won't post. Mine is four 3/4" grade 8 bolts, (fine thread) through 3/4" plate. The plate is in turn, heavily reinforced with channel. It has a professional look about it. It has held up OK thus far, but I'm concerned.

Willie
 

Willie B

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P6081585.jpgP6081586.jpg
Thank you. None of these looks like a match, but it gives a sense of the probable ranges it might be rated. I recruited some expert help to post a picture. It sure ain't easy!

Thanks again!

Willie
 

Willie B

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Thanks guys. I'm a little less concerned now. Tongue weight is important, I was concerned about having too much. I think we'll beef up the tongue tool box lid some. With the front wheels of a Farmall M forward on the tongue, (the whole tractor weighs 4000 LBS.) The heavy tractor can sit where balance requires over the axles.

Willie
 
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