Most people don’t think twice about towing a vehicle until the time comes for them to do so. In any case, they should keep a tow hitch in their tool box in the inevitable case that they may need it. Perhaps you’re moving or need help hauling your heavier materials. A good, functioning tow hitch can ensure that your materials arrive at their destination in one piece.
Though, probably the best of any tow hitch is the Pintle Hitch. This towing device has been used in the agriculture, military and industrial industries, making it a universal tool. The Pintle Hook offers something a little extra than the average tow hitch. A Pintle Hook Hitch’s maneuverability can even make driving over unsafe roads less stressful. Basically, the Trailer Pintle Hitch takes the cake as the ultimate tow hitch. You’ll want this towing device in your storage box after reading this article.
What is a Pintle Hook & A Lunette Ring?
- Pintle Hook: A Pintle Hook can be best described as a towing device which boasts of strength and massive capabilities. Pintle Trailer Hitches can make towing easy. As mentioned before, they’re especially useful for the demanding jobs. They help you tow heavier or extreme loads such as a ram truck, a boat or even an industrial piece of equipment. Additionally, they’ve been used for other purposes, such as aircraft landing gear.
Pintle Hook With Ball Hitch
- Lunette / O Ring: Often used in conjunction with the Pintle Hook, the lunette ring helps establish a secure connection between your tow truck and trailer. Moreover, this coupling is more often used when driving down rough roads than a ball mounted trailer hitch. Clearly, the Lunette makes the Pintle Hook stronger when it comes to hauling your extreme materials.
Pintle Hook Setting with Lunette/O Ring
How Does a Pintle Hitch Work?
Now that we know what each item is, we can go over how a Pintle Hitch works. In general, these towing devices come pretty sturdy and can handle even the heaviest of loads. Moreover, this type of tow hitch was designed to fit a gudgeon, allowing your entire pintle hitch system to move around freely along a horizontal axis. This in turn is what gives your Pintle Hitch its ability to support and haul your heavier loads.
Lunette rings even give Pintle Hitches an added level of strength. Moreover, the O-ring on a trailer must be able to fit directly over a Pintle Hitch. After installing your Pintle Hitch, the lunette ring helps pull along your trailer. At this point, the lunette ring should have plenty of room to move around your Pintle Hook. This only makes your Pintle Hook Trailer system all the more flexible, making maneuverability possible on rough roads. This combination of Pintle Hooks and Lunette rings can even withstand sudden starts and stops repeatedly. Clearly, this pairing makes for a secure coupling that you won’t have to worry about when traveling down rough roads.
Pintle Hook with Lunette O Ring
A swivel jaw and locking pin can also make the connection between your Pintle Hitch and lunette ring all the more secure. In particular, you can raise or lower a swivel jaw to help your lunette ring stay in place. Simply lower the jaw on top of the Pintle Hook and lock it in place with the lunette ring. Additionally, a safety pin can be used to lock the Pintle Hook in place by inserting it into a locking slot at an angle.
How To Install A Pintle Hitch
Now that you know how a Pintle Hitch works, you’re ready to learn how to install one. Follow these tips to make sure you’ve properly installed your Pintle Hitch:
- Get Prepared: First things first, make sure you have all the right materials needed to install the Pintle Hitch. This includes your chosen mounting, a Pintle Hitch assembly, wrenches & sockets, a wire brush, torque wrenches, a drill & drill bits and even your tow vehicle’s owner’s manual. These tools do everything from adding tension, strengthening, modifications to letting you know where to properly place the tow hitch. Additionally, these materials can also keep your Pintle Hitch safe from early signs of corrosion. These tools can help ensure the proper installation of your Pintle Hitch.
- Jacking Up Your Vehicle: In order to get a sufficient amount of workspace, you may need to jack up your tow vehicle to see underneath. Wheel chocks also work as a means to keep your vehicle steady while you work.
- Removing Parts: Moreover, you may need to remove certain parts like a spare tire, bolts or wiring to make room for the Pintle Hook mount.
- Location: Now you need to map out where you plan to mount your Pintle Hitch. Referring to your truck’s owner’s manual can save you time in figuring out where to install your hitch. Make sure you choose an area on your vehicle that’s strongest for towing applications.
- Modifications: Also, if there’s no hole drilled in your chosen area, make one. Though, be sure to clean the area with a wire brush when you’re done drilling to ensure a smooth installation.
- Mount It: Next, you’ll want to start installing your Pintle Hitches mounting plate. Make sure the mount lines up with the holes before you insert bolts through them. On the backside, secure them with either nuts or washers.
- Keep It Tight: Another tip to keep in mind is to make sure to tighten all your bolts to ensure your Pintle Hook stays intact during towing.
- Safety Chains: Though, you can add an extra layer of strength with safety chains. If your trailer features them, attach them to your Pintle Hitch and tow truck’s frame. Your chains must have a sufficient amount of tension applied but also move freely to help tow your cargo.
- Double Check: Being the most important tip, you should always double-check that everything is secure and tightened. Test everything from tightening your bolts more to whether or not your Pintle Hitch can handle your trailer’s weight.
How To Hook Up A Pintle Hitch To A Trailer
You can apply many of the same Pintle Hook installation tips for a towing vehicle to a trailer as well. Though, the type of trailer does impact how you install the Pintle Hitch. Whether you’re towing a utility or a regular flatbed trailer, you have to ensure you’re installing your tow hitch correctly. This ensures that your materials are being towed safely.
Though, choosing the right Pintle Hitch for your trailer depends on what kind you’re planning to haul. More importantly, your Pintle Hitch and the weight of your trailer must both match your towing vehicle’s capacity.
Specifically, every trailer comes with its own compatibilities with Pintle Hitches. First, you’ll need to determine the Gross Trailer Weight (GTW) of your trailer and if your Pintle Hitch can support its Tongue Weight (TW). Moreover, the TW on your trailer’s tongue should not exceed 15% of the overall GTW. If your trailer begins to sway though, you’ll definitely need to invest in a weight distribution system and hitch. Essentially, this system balances out your trailer’s weight along a towing truck, which makes for a safer towing experience.
In the end, your Pintle Hitch must come equipped with three capabilities; providing a secure attachment point, and supporting the weight of your tow vehicle and trailer.
Here’s How You Can Maintain A Pintle Hitch
Of course, in order to ensure you’re safely towing your materials, you have to make sure that your Heavy Duty Pintle Hook Rigid Mount Hitch is well being taken care of. Now Pintle Hooks may have a certain level of durability and resistance to environmental hazards. They even come with the guarantee of being long-lasting. However, even these heavy-duty hitches need help living up to their reputation. Doing maintenance such as greasing down parts, tightening up fasteners can go a long way. More importantly, inspecting your Pintle Hooks for signs of rust, dirt or corrosion can lead to a proper clean and ensure they work better for the future.
Where You Buy A Pintle Hitch
Now you’re probably wondering where you can get a high-quality Pintle Hitch? When it comes to selecting a reliable supplier and manufacturer, you want to make sure they’re products are tested in the warehouse, are made high-quality, come affordable and have a good customer-service track record.
Fortunately, there are tons of places you can go to find a Pintle Hitch trailer for sale. For instance, Mytee Products checks off a lot of boxes when it comes to being a reliable trucking ecommerce company. Our company has a wide variety of Pintle Hooks and accessories that can suit any of your towing needs. We have in stock everything from an 8 Ton Pintle Hook with a pintle ball hitch to 1.25”-2” Anti-Rattle Hitch Tighter U Bolt.
Pintle Hitches Are A Lifesaver
At the end of a long work day, you want to make sure you’ve done a job well done. You’ve done the homework on learning how Pintle Hitches work and how they can make a challenging tow move along smoothly. No one likes heavy-lifting, especially if it’s hard on your back. Even installing your Pintle Hook could mean the very difference between hauling your materials safely or damaging them on the drive over. You could even put yourself in danger. Evidently, cargo loss means a headache and a bad pay day.
Not to mention, keeping your Pintle Hooks clean improves their functionality and enhances your towing experience. You want your hooks to maintain their longevity. Also, it helps to buy your towing devices from a reputable company that’s known for making high-quality products. Spending a couple more dollars on a Pintle Hitch may seem daunting at first but it’ll save you more money in the long run. In any case, Tow and trailer hitches can ensure the safety of you, your tow vehicle, your trailer and materials.
