I just picked up a pintle hitch and adapter that mounts to my 2" receiver on the FJ60. It has several setting for height. I am wondering how high off the ground the lunette is when the trailer (either M101 or M416) is perfectly horizontal. This will help me get the right setting. Thanks--
Oh, and I don't have a trailer yet, but I am in the hunt.
The US M101A1 and M416 lunette is on the end of a shaft which passes thru the nose of the trailer drawbar.
The shaft is bent just behind the ring providing 2 to 3 inches of height difference if it is rotated 180 degrees.
To rotate the lunette shaft loosen and back off the large nut on the back of the shaft about 1 inch. The drive the shaft forward and you can rotate it to adjust the lunette height.
The US M101A1 and M416 lunette is on the end of a shaft which passes thru the nose of the trailer drawbar.
The shaft is bent just behind the ring providing 2 to 3 inches of height difference if it is rotated 180 degrees.
To rotate the lunette shaft loosen and back off the large nut on the back of the shaft about 1 inch. The drive the shaft forward and you can rotate it to adjust the lunette height.
The M416 is the same as the cdn M101 that the lunette will rotate in a full circle, the US M101 the lunette is fixed with the offset. If you want I can measure my M416 and get you that height. With the lunette is the lower position and the reciever adapter with six holes in the top position the trailer is still not lever when towing it behind my UZJ100. With my US M101 I could use a adapter with eight holes, it sits higher than M416.
thanks for the info, guys. i will probably have more questions once i get my hands on one of these trailers. i may have one lined up, so i just need to keep my fingers crossed.
For a stock 1/4 ton trailer, 20.5 inches for the lunette heights seems about right with stock tires. I have 33" tires on my M101 CDN and it sits at 23.5" (I have an extended landing leg.)
Looking back over this conversation, a M101A1 was mentioned. That's a bigger trailer. Also, my M101 CDN has the straight lunette. The discussion about the two-position one, which I think may only be on the M101A1 or perhaps only on some M416s, would not apply to the M101 CDN, although it may be possible to fit the two-level lunette to it?
For my purposes (towing with an 80) the height is just right to hook up to a pintle bolted in the standard 4-hole provision that's available in the rear bumper.
... Also, my M101 CDN has the straight lunette. The discussion about the two-position one, which I think may only be on the M101A1 or perhaps only on some M416s, would not apply to the M101 CDN, although it may be possible to fit the two-level lunette to it?
I tried that route for mine because I didn't see any real gain making my trailer a bunch taller. No idea what its orig application was on the offset lunette I picked up. It was similar length but had a different fatter taper. Would be possible to turn it on a lathe, but I just cut/spliced to extend mine .
BTW, is the lunette diameter, etc the same as the standard one?
I just didn't want anyone thinking they could just fit the bent lunette up, spend money getting one and then find out it's a little more complicated. Nice job on yours and good to know that's an option. For some folks, this will be just the ticket for a clean tow set-up. Simpler is always better on the trail.
I tried that route for mine because I didn't see any real gain making my trailer a bunch taller. No idea what its orig application was on the offset lunette I picked up. It was similar length but had a different fatter taper. Would be possible to turn it on a lathe, but I just cut/spliced to extend mine .
The top lunette looks like the one on my M101A1 US. It does not rotate after it is installed. It just there to adjust the height depending on which military vehicle was towing it. The bottom one looks like the one off my M416. The cast piece that this bolts to on the trailer has two positions again for the same reason as the M101A1 (what vehicle was towing it). Later M101s were available with surg brakes. Those were a completely different setup. I believe there is a later version of M416 that went by M716. It was a flat bed setup to haul a generator and it also had a different setup with surg brakes. May hava also been a later M416 setup this way. I also now have a Willys MBT 1/4 ton trailer and the lunette on it is smaller in diameter then the M416 but the size of the ring on the end seems about the same. But from researching it a little the taper at the end and they can not be innerchanged with the M416.
The green one in the photo is from an m101 cdn. It is spring loaded and greased to allow it to rotate and keep from binding. The trailer had the lunette in the lower position when matched to the iltis. Towing behind my 40 I needed it just a bit taller than in the upper position.
The raw cast steel bent lunette I found in the random parts at a local princess auto. No idea of the original application, package wasn't marked and don't recall seeing any P/N stamped in it. Overall length was very similar. The taper was larger, as was the threaded stub on the end. The lunette ring is basically same outside diameter as the m101cdn, but smaller inside diameter. Fits the pintle just fine. For the $30 odd bucks it cost, it was worth a try. Cut/sleeved welded to extend my drawbar and give a couple inches extra height.
That green one I'm sure is the same as the one on my 3/4 tom M101A1. It is beefier than the 1/4 ton lunette. Here is the best picture I could find right now.
The M416 is spring load and greaseable with two positions. The WWII trailer rotates. Would have to check to see if it spring loaded but only has a single location for the lunette. I think during WWII it was only towed behind the jeep or at least was only designed to be towed behind the jeep.
The green one in the photo is from an m101 cdn. It is spring loaded and greased to allow it to rotate and keep from binding. The trailer had the lunette in the lower position when matched to the iltis. Towing behind my 40 I needed it just a bit taller than in the upper position....SNIP
Good point mentioning that the M101 CDN lunette holder(?) casting has two positions. I should've pointed out that the measurements I too were with the lunette in the UPPER position.
Combine that with the lunette with the crook in it and you have a wider range of positions.
That brings up the question of whether the modified crooked lunette locks in either up or down or whether it rotates like the stock one in the M101 CDN set-up?
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