Flipping lunette on m105a2

[m16ty]

I decided to do some work on my m105a2 trailer today so I could pull it better with my Dodge 2500. First thing I did was flip the lunette. After hearing all the horror stories about them being rusted in place and by the looks of mine I thought it was going to be a long day. The cotter pin was rusted in place and took a while to get free and then I tried to loosen the nut. It wouldn't come without heat and PB blaster. I backed the nut off to the end of the threads ( to protect the end on the threads) and then inserted a wood splitting wedge between the nut and the place where the jack latches in the upper position. I drove the wedge in tight and then hit the end of the ring with a sledge hammer. It poped right out. I wire brushed everything clean and added liberal amounts of anti-sieze and put it all back together.
The only other problem I have is the jack was pivoted to the side and froze solid when I went to pick it up at GL so I had to to chain it up so it wouldn't drag the ground because it won't latch in the upper position unless it is straight. I tried to free it with heat, a come-a-long, and a long bar but it was like it was welded. I finally got it straight so it would latch up after alot of beating, prying, and cussing but it's still not free. I always say I'm going to take pics of projects while I'm doing them so I can post them but I always get caught up in the project and hand and don't remember to take pics untill it's over.

 

[CCATLETT1984]

you lucky dog, four people tried to get the lunette free on my m200a1 trailer at aberdeen, none suceeded.

 

[ida34]

Mine have been extremely easy to get flipped also.

 

[m16ty]

It was quick but I did have to use a good bit of force on the wedge. I would guess that most trailers have never had the lunette off since it left the factory. In the military I don't know why they would ever flip it.

 

[nasman2]

I flipped my lunette tonight and it was fairly straight forward. I pulled the cotter pin by shoving a phillips screw driver through the loop ( it was at the bottom) and drove a piece of angle iron against the shank of the screwdriver right at the head of the cotter pin. About 4 or 5 good whacks and it came out. I used a good sized pipe wrench and 4' length of pipe to break the nut loose. I then beat each side of the lunette with a 10# sledge until it rotated. Eventually it worked itself completely loose. Clean, lube and reinstall.

 

[Bigmillman]

I bent my 4' Ridgid steel pipe wrench like a banana trying too free mine. I put a healthy coat of Napa chain and gear lube on it and came back a day later.. I won with little effort. All hail the squirrel juice!

 

[swbradley1]

I flipped my lunette tonight and it was fairly straight forward. I pulled the cotter pin by shoving a phillips screw driver through the loop ( it was at the bottom) and drove a piece of angle iron against the shank of the screwdriver right at the head of the cotter pin. About 4 or 5 good whacks and it came out. I used a good sized pipe wrench and 4' length of pipe to break the nut loose. I then beat each side of the lunette with a 10# sledge until it rotated. Eventually it worked itself completely loose. Clean, lube and reinstall.

That's because I had loosened it up for ya.

 

[nasman2]

Huh, and I'd already bent a smaller wrench like a banana.....

Thanks for the help anyway.

 

[emmado22]

I swapped mine out.. Loosen the nut, spray it with PB Blaster or WD-40, beat on it with a sledge a few whacks, spray more, beat more, let it sit for an afternoon. Repeat for a few days, and it will come off.....

 

[swbradley1]

Maybe if I took the cotter pin out it would loosen up easier, you think?

 

[emmado22]

yeah, dont forget that step either.....

 

[nasman2]

THAT'S how the cotter pin got so bent up.... I did cut the pin flush with the nut before it tried to pull it through the bottom. I had the boys in the trailer, wow, that trailer makes EVERYTHING look small. My 7 year old was begging that I not paint over the cool 'Army paint'. I just grinned and said 'Not a chance...'

 

[nasman2]

Oh, a big thanks to swbradley1 for the trailer score. I couldn't be happier. My wife is mildly amused by the whole thing, but she wanted me to get a trailer.

 

[oifvet]

I bent my 4' Ridgid steel pipe wrench like a banana trying too free mine.

 

[Mike_Pop]

I've never had a problem flipping a lunette. I guess I've just been lucky.

I have however, bent a banana to look like a wrench.

 

[jatonka]

I am going to try the way you got yours out. I have never gotten one out before and I think your method will work for me r. Thank You for your great post. If I listen, I can learn. John T

 

[neilhendrix]

Liquid Wrench or lots of oil of some sort. No wedge, just hit the SIDE of the hitch to give it a twist action. BIG hammer. poped right out. pulled with a Tahoe 200 miles to get it home. Now I gotta flip it back to pull with the deuce . HMMMMMM.

Neil

 

[KaiserM109]

I bought 3 M105s and one had no lunette. To move it around I decided to use one from another trailer. Getting the nut to turn wasn't too difficult, but I didn't notice the ding in the threads of the lunette. I cranked and cranked 'til I got the nut off and to my disgust discovered that I had mangled the threads in the nut. It was easy to file the ding out of the lunette using a thread file.

About the mangled nut I said “No problem, I’ll just buy a new one.” I hit every nut and bolt shop within a 30 mile radius of Denver, CO and found out that not only did they not stock a 1 1/8 inch “Slotted Nut” (not castle nut) with 16 tpi but you can’t order one either. The only relief in the whole mess was that there are lug nuts on 18 wheelers that are the correct size and pitch and that is what I did to get the trailers moved around.

I sold the trailer to a guy who will probably read this and wanted to do right by him. I work for a company that manufactures gas well equipment and I took it to the guys in the back to look at. They did not have thread chasers even close, but they did mount it in one of their NC machines and re-cut the threads.

John, have you ever taken the lug nut off and put the original one back on?

A tip about the lunette is put heavy axle grease on it before you reassemble it so that it is easier to get off the next time. I have a trailer wheel with a seriously bent crank. I’m afraid to just bend it back, so I plan to take the whole assembly apart so that I can heat just that one shaft. It looks tough. I know that there are several variations, I have 3 different kinds in my own collection, so it probably doesn’t help to ask for advice, but if anyone has any to offer, I will listen. I have been amazed at the good info I see go through this web site.

Arlyn

 

[docfarmall]

my 105 crank was bent too we used a 4' piece of pipe and bent it slowly and it works great just dont get in a hurry
'

 

[KaiserM109]

my 105 crank was bent too we used a 4' piece of pipe and bent it slowly and it works great just dont get in a hurry
'

Sounds like it might be worth a try. I'll give it a shot. I've seen quite a few bent cranks on GL.

Arlyn