Twisted pintle plate, M1102 need advise

[Xfile]

Hello, I need some assistance in what not to do in the future concerning towing my M1102. I Have a mostly stock Jeep JKU as my tow vehicle and while not ideal, it's what we have for now. I was helping a friend move and during the several trips there were no issues towing or backing the trailer except the occasional clanking of the lunette and pintle hook. Before we left each time I did a quick inspection and did not see anything out of the ordinary. While backing the trailer into the garage at the end of the night I did make several right and left hand corrections to get the trailer as close to one side as possible. When the trailer was almost all the way in I got out and noticed the 12in riser plate had been twisted. I unhooked and pushed the trailer the rest of the way. The lunette looks as if it was bound up somehow because of the gouges. The trailer and The Jeep are almost level. I swapped out the tires to lower it and the riser plate makes up the rest. Could the back and forth maneuvering on a very slight incline cause a binding issue? This is my first experience with a trailer of any kind. I have towed it for 500-600 miles without incident and backed the trailer in the garage several times as well. Any and all insight is greatly appreciated as I would like to mitigate this issue in the future.

 

[mikey]

Several people have had this issue, myself included. The simple answer is do not back up with this setup. Or backup gingerly with soldier B watching. My riser is also bent. In my case it sheared the 4 grade 8 bolts right off and the trailer fell to the ground. I was backing up a slight incline with he trailer empty, also at a slight angle, in my non paved driveway. The driveway was hardened mud and it had some ruts.

All people that I have read who have reported this issue were backing up. And all of them were backing up with some resistance (over a curb, up a hill, over a rock etc).

Good luck.

Mikey

 

[MidnightDuramax]

It may be that that pintle hook doesn't have enough clearance on the lunette at all angles. I have never had a problem with my pintle that has a ball incorporated into it. Might be worth switching out to one of those.

 

[Valence]

I do not have a lot of trailer experience either, but I do know it reduces wear on the lunette and pintle to grease them. Maybe it would also help prevent such a situation where a bind might otherwise occur?

When I'm done using my trailer for a while I always wipe off the grease on the trailer's lunette to help avoid me getting it on my shirt/pants later (when I forget).

 

[M543A2]

It does look like there was some binding. However, I would not trust that pintle mount plate for much of any towing. The vertical plate that has the pintle hook bolted to it is in no way properly supported against twisting loads. It does have the center vertical triangle for fore and aft loading but is relying only on the strength of the what looks like about a 1/2" thick steel plate the pintle hook is bolted to to resist twisting loading, especially since the part the pintle is on is above the brace triangle which is just not enough. This plate needs to be braced from the outer sides down to the bar that inserts into your hitch receiver to stiffen it from twisting. Remember an engineering rule, triangulation adds strength!
I think, because this plate can flex so much with its inadequate triangulation especially as you reverse it allows the trailer lunette to catch as the plate springs and twists, causing the binding rather than it having enough strength to force the lunette to properly pivot in the pintle.
From an engineering viewpoint, it is poorly designed and not properly braced and triangulated.
Regards Martin

 

[Daybreak]

Howdy,

One word "surge brakes"
The surge brakes are doing its thing. They locked the brakes and you were still moving your vehicle. Backing is always a bear with surge brakes. Someone here had a temporary fix for locking he surge brakes out for moments like this. Placing a bolt somewhere so the pintle does not slide in and apply your brakes.

 

[mikey]

Howdy,

One word "surge brakes"
The surge brakes are doing its thing. They locked the brakes and you were still moving your vehicle. Backing is always a bear with surge brakes. Someone here had a temporary fix for locking he surge brakes out for moments like this. Placing a bolt somewhere so the pintle does not slide in and apply your brakes.

I believe, like m543A2 stated, that the design of these cheap risers is the major factor. I will absolutely agree that surge brakes probably complement the problem, but in my case my surge brakes were, and still are, not functional on that M1101.

In my case I was backing up a small incline at an angle with dried up ruts in the ground. That was enough to bind the lunette even without surge brakes.

Mikey

 

[dmetalmiki]

Looks like time to fabricate up something stronger (after you get the "brakes" sorted).

 

[juanprado]

What is the silver piece straddling the receiver bar?

If you purchased that at a retail location, I would bring it back for a refund/ exchange. What brand is it?

If the surge brakes had locked, I would think you would feel it and hear the tires dragging. Are there flat spots on the tires?

 

[Mike929]

I use one of these with a three section 2.5 inch hitch but it also comes in 2 inch hitches and up to 4 sections.

These are fairly stout, so plan on something else bending or breaking if you get it into a bind.

 

[juanprado]

I use one of these with a three section 2.5 inch hitch but it also comes in 2 inch hitches and up to 4 sections.

These are fairly stout, so plan on something else bending or breaking if you get it into a bind.

View attachment 612121View attachment 612122

That and the torsion hitches they make are pricey but awesome. Cool website!

https://www.genyhitch.com/about

 

[Recovry4x4]

Martin is exactly right. Pintles always have some binding when backing. The tall riser has just enough spring action that it would twist and snap back and eventually bent. I have a 4" riser for my M1010and I don't like it a bit. I'll drop the trailer at home and back it with another truck before using that one.

 

[Xfile]

Juanprado, the silver piece is a hitch vise. It slips over the shank and the two bolts are tightened squeezing the metal wings on the sides of the reciever. It helps eliminate the small amount of movement it had. The riser and the pintle hook I picked up at Northern Tool. I did not hear the tires sliding and I did not think to check for flat spots. That is a good suggestion, I will check the tires. Thanks!

 

[foxtrk2]

if I may add a point if you look at all military hook ups all pintles are swiveled mounted takeing that away and with the surge problem id say that those two issues are your problem like others have said lock the surge and I would try to add a swivel mount of some type

 

[Daybreak]

I believe, like m543A2 stated, that the design of these cheap risers is the major factor. I will absolutely agree that surge brakes probably complement the problem, but in my case my surge brakes were, and still are, not functional on that M1101.

In my case I was backing up a small incline at an angle with dried up ruts in the ground. That was enough to bind the lunette even without surge brakes.

Mikey

Howdy,
How do you know your brakes are not working?

Surge brakes will work fine moving forward. You will not get flat spot on tires that you would notice. The surge brakes work with g-force inertia. When you come to a stop, trailer is still trying to go forward as your braking and the assembly applies the brakes. While backing, the pressure on the pintle and surge brake apply the brakes when backing. Trying to back a trailer up a incline probably won't work. Backing it over a curb really would not work well. As soon as the tires go against the curb, it would really apply the brakes.

 

[DeadParrot]

Consider have a custom hitch made that comes out above the bumper. I did that on my Chevy PU and the hitch is almost perfect for my 1101 after putting civilian rims and tires on it. Had to cut a notch in the top of the bumper for the hitch. The bumper was $30 from the local Pull-A-Part and the hitch was about $120 from J&I Hitch. The hook was bought via Amazon from about $80.

 

[mikey]

Howdy,
How do you know your brakes are not working?

Surge brakes will work fine moving forward. You will not get flat spot on tires that you would notice. The surge brakes work with g-force inertia. When you come to a stop, trailer is still trying to go forward as your braking and the assembly applies the brakes. While backing, the pressure on the pintle and surge brake apply the brakes when backing. Trying to back a trailer up a incline probably won't work. Backing it over a curb really would not work well. As soon as the tires go against the curb, it would really apply the brakes.

I understand how the surge brakes work. I have two M1101's and have tested the brakes on both. They do not work on this trailer but they do work on the other trailer. I have confirmed this, but I have yet to take the time to fix them due to higher priority projects.

As stated, I'm sure surge brakes may contribute to some binding in some cases. They did not contribute to binding in my case. I believe poor design of the riser and a pintle that does not rotate are the issue with this setup. The lunette is a snug fit in these pintle's. There is not a lot of room for the lunette to move like there is in a military pintle. If the tow vehicle is flat and the trailer is on a side angle the lack of a rotating pintle and the more snug than military pintle cause binding. That's what occurred when I was backing up. The trailer wound up at a side angle when one trailer tire dropped into a 10" rut with the truck flat. I was also at about a .45 angle (trailer and truck) and those angles were enough to shear the grade 8 bolts and bend the riser.

Mikey

 

[Csm Davis]

You guys are missing the actual cause of the problem the pintle itself is the main problem y'all are using to small of a pintle I had this same problem with a M101A3 and have gone to a much bigger pintle and have not had any more problems, if you don't believe me take your pintle and hook it on the luenet and move it off center and then try to move it the opposite direction around the luenet it will jam. The larger pintle fills the hole in the luenet and doesn't let it jam.

 

[BrassBallz]

Hello, I need some assistance in what not to do in the future concerning towing my M1102. I Have a mostly stock Jeep JKU as my tow vehicle and while not ideal, it's what we have for now. I was helping a friend move and during the several trips there were no issues towing or backing the trailer except the occasional clanking of the lunette and pintle hook. Before we left each time I did a quick inspection and did not see anything out of the ordinary. While backing the trailer into the garage at the end of the night I did make several right and left hand corrections to get the trailer as close to one side as possible. When the trailer was almost all the way in I got out and noticed the 12in riser plate had been twisted. I unhooked and pushed the trailer the rest of the way. The lunette looks as if it was bound up somehow because of the gouges. The trailer and The Jeep are almost level. I swapped out the tires to lower it and the riser plate makes up the rest. Could the back and forth maneuvering on a very slight incline cause a binding issue? This is my first experience with a trailer of any kind. I have towed it for 500-600 miles without incident and backed the trailer in the garage several times as well. Any and all insight is greatly appreciated as I would like to mitigate this issue in the future.

To me.looksblilebtimpintle is to small for the Lynette. Look like chunks of the lunette is missing from try to move around in such a small pointless. Good luck

 

[tobyS]

Howdy,

One word "surge brakes"
The surge brakes are doing its thing. They locked the brakes and you were still moving your vehicle. Backing is always a bear with surge brakes. Someone here had a temporary fix for locking he surge brakes out for moments like this. Placing a bolt somewhere so the pintle does not slide in and apply your brakes.

Bolt is behind ram so it cannot actuate. Has to be close to ram so there is no play. These are supposed to be free backing but I don't always trust them. Look to see if the leverage loosened up the Reece (square in square) hitch.

I'm with csmDavis....too small hitch. Consider a ball.