How does a Pintle Hook work?

There are many truck and trailer merchants around asking: how on earth did you damage that pintle hook?

The answer is mostly: “Well, I incorrectly installed my heavy-duty pintle hook and ring coupling equipment, and within one month my equipment is ruined.”

The most important decisions when purchasing towing equipment are:

• Is the towing equipment approved?
• Is my trailer weight and D-Value compliant?
• Do I have grade 8 bolts?
• Is my trailer level with the tow bar?
• Ensure the towing coupling is correctly rated.
• Check your D-Value to the right size pintle hooks that are connected to your tow vehicle.
• Importantly, ask your dealer or ask us for the registration number of your towing equipment.
  

ADR 62 advises the ring must endure 2,000,000 repetitive or simultaneous compressions at full load. This durable and corrosion resistance product should last for years.

Key Points

1. Make sure the Pintle Hitch – tow eye or lunette ring is horizontal. Use a 120cm builders level, measure the ground level and then put it on your trailer. The trailer must be level with the ground to begin. See your trailer builder if you cannot attain level with airbags or an adjustable pintle adaptor. An uneven connection will result in wear on either the top or the bottom of the ring coupling.
2. The longer the drawbar will result in the ring coupling riding uneven on the pintle hook. The result is excessive wear of the ring coupling.
3. Spread the load equally over your axles with up 10% load on your coupling.
4. The centre of the tandem axles should be 60% front of the trailer – 40% rear of the trailer ( not including the drawbar). A short towbar will ensure the tongue weight will be stable.
5. The same also applies to pintle hook/tow ball combos.
6. Mount pintle hook using grade 8 mounting hardware.

Towbar Attachment Considerations

• Chain towing capacity matches the ATM of the trailer
• The tow chain is G80 grade
• The towbar gooseneck is certified and has a CRN number

Recommended drop-forged Pintle Hooks

We recommend the yellow and black powder coat, low wear Couplemate unit CM532 – ADR Approved.

Your vehicle will tow better, and save on fuel and tyre wear with ADR-approved products.

Read Pintle hitch setup and testing procedures here.

What are some of the problems with non-certified equipment installed on new trailers?

1. Non-certified equipment does not have a letter of approval with a CRN. Your protection against cheap, untested imports is the CRN.
2. Product failure frequently occurs with a non-certified product. Failure can also happen through an incorrect trailer setup.

Product testing and CTA-approved equipment dramatically reduce failures, and accidents and reduce downtime.

Talk to Christopher or Mike on 0733483822, if you have trouble with your trailer drawbar calculations.

Finally, check your chosen equipment by the D-Value vehicle towing capacity calculator Australia link.