Pintle Hitch Question

[shebuilt]

I tried to query and check on answer but didn't find specific answer.

I want to add the pintle hitch with just the 4 bolts. I plan on towing cars that I buy periodically with the U Haul car trailer - is anyone else using this method?

I would rather not put the entire hitch underneath.

Appreciate any chime in from members who may be doing this.

Appreciate it!

 

[utopoo]

I've used mine lots. You just need to wire up a controller and get a pintle with the right size ball. Only down sides is ball is time consuming to change out compared to a hitch and no quick option for dropping it if your vehicle is lifted. I've got both on mine for simplicity, only lose about 6 inches of clearance with receiver.

 

[98 SNAKE EATER]

Many will say the pintle mount isn't rated for your intended use, however, I've done quite a few panic stops while hauling over 10,000 lbs. worth of power boat without issue

That being said, I'd be more concerned about the tongue weight than the actual load

*sent from my android powered string cup*

 

[WarDamnEagle]

I think you'll be fine. I've pulled at least 4k lbs on long trips with no problems. Holland makes a pintle with a built-in 2" ball. Here's a pic of mine.

 

[shebuilt]

Great news. Will buy that soon. As for the lift, I don't believe it is. Where should I buy the wiring kit? I love that set up. Clean and neat.

 

[WarDamnEagle]

Hopkins wiring kit. They sell a plug n play kit for the LC and they also sell those 6 pin round, 4 pin flat adapters. You just have to drill about a 1" or so hole in your rear bumper (hole saw works great). I posted all this info somewhere in a trailer hitch thread; once upon a time, which included the hole size, part numbers, etc.

 

[fj user]

^ what he said. Just bought the wiring pigtail from etrailer. Plug n play

Sent from my iPhone using IH8MUD

 

[98 SNAKE EATER]

Here's a combination pintle I put on one of my minicabs

$34 bucks on sale at HF

 

[Blueegg]

There has been discussion about this set up before: https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/547345-d-rings-stock-rear-bumper.html
There were serious safety concerns about a hitch on a stock bumper.
I use a pintle in a receiver hitch on a 40 and the LX.

 

[greentruck]

Well, I wouldn't advise using the D-rings illustrated in that other thread to attach your safety chains to.

The way to do that is to get a "chain plate" like the one illustrated in the photo by WDE. It's the item sandwiched between the hitch and the bumper that has the holes on either side.

These are available as military surplus, have stood the test of time and countless GI screwups, and will work with any capacity trailer within the limits of the pintle capacity. Use "chain plate" as the search term on mil surplus sites and you should be able to come up with one for ~$20 and up.

 

[98 SNAKE EATER]

Yeah, I wouldn't use those D-Rings for anything other than safety chains

Not too concerned about the pintle on a stock x-member though

 

[Bjohnston115]

Haha that's my thread with the drings. I put them there mainly for the look since I dot really ever tow anything. I did put 1/4 inch steel plate behind them so I'm sure they would support some weight if needed ( safety chain situations)

In regards to the Pintle.... I've yanked 7000 lbs trucks stuck up to the floorboards in sand and dragged them around as dead weight. The thing is stronger than people say. But again once going over the specced oem limits you are on your own.

 

[Ropeman]

I assume that everyone talking about 'rated' weights and load limits has their towing points inspected annually on a 15 to 20 year old vehicle and has them certified as being still within spec?

Thought not.

That hitch point will do the job but you need to accept responsibility for the possible outcomes if it isn't up to the job for whatever reason, deterioration, excess weight towed, faulty fasteners or whatever.

I'm happy that it will do the jobs I require of it but I'd take that hitch off if I sold it and let prospective buyers make their own decision.

 

[greentruck]

I'm not recalling exact numbers on the rated tow capacity for the 80, but they do differ between the US and other markets. IIRC, it's 4500 lbs in the US? I think it's rated as something like 7000 to 8000 ibs in other markets (where it's probably in rated in kilograms rather than pounds).

AFAIK, there is no difference in the pintle mounting point and bumper strength between US-spec and the others.

Obviously, the rated towing capacity -- legally speaking -- is what it says in your owner's manual. This could be an issue if you run into trouble and need to make an insurance claim, as a load over the US-spec rated tow capacity might cause problems with them.

But unlike most other vehicles, the 80 has quite a "reserve" in towing capacity built in. Obviously, loads toward the upper end of towing capacity would suggest trailer brakes and possibly other mods on the truck, like airbags, etc.

 

[Bearcat80]

I've been welding around and on pintle hitches on work trucks most of my life. I've laid under the back of my 80 and looked at the crossmember for quite a while analyzing how it's built. There's no way I would tow anything over 3-4000 lbs without doing some beefing up behind the crossmember. A piece of 4" channel and an hour of cutting and welding might save somone's life. Towing that cigarette boat posted above on a stock crossmember is bordering on criminal. If that trailer gets away, somebody's wife or child is likely to die, and I know I wouldn't be able to live with that.

 

[greentruck]

I'd say you're safe at up to 5000 lbs in the US. My 97 owners manual states that's the rating with the "tow package." Not sure what that consists of, because Toyota does NOT recommend a weight-distributing hitch.

Now, go overseas. In Australia, the max tow rating is 3500 kgs, so long as you have trailer brakes and the once again not defined tow package.

In neither case do they refer to the pintle hitch specifically, yea or nay. So there is potentially a gray area here with using the pintle hitch mount points, as they don't specifically state that this applies to a pintle hitch, but to the "tow package," as being rated to 5000 lbs.

However, the vehicle certainly seems up to the weight, if the trailer is braked, to ~7700 lbs. Certainly, one might consider that the frame mounted hitch frequently seen as a dealer-install and available in the aftermarket will handle at least the US rated capacity.

I can't speak to the pintle hitch at those loads, but I never plan to haul anything much over what you can squeeze in a 1/4 ton trailer -- which is a lot more than 500 lbs, but likely under 2000. The only issue I worry about is dropping the pintle hitch onto a rock going over a step formation, as I've heard of people breaking them that way.