towing a m101a2 question m1009

[jdeoliveira74]

looking to purchase a m101a2 or a3 but the question I have is will my hitch work with the donut pintle on the trailer. My m1009 has the ball with the lock down latch like this one

 

[Barrman]

Yes it will work. However, since your new pintle is a bolt on, it won't swivel. No big deal for the highway you might think. However, what about pulling into a fuel stop with a few feet of elevation change and a tight turn to miss that idiot who didn't see you while they just drove right in front of you? Now you have the pintle and lunette at a 10°-30° angle difference.

With an empty trailer, going slow and a good USA made forged hitch it won't be a problem, probably. Cast hitch, China made or a bit more weight and speed mixed in could cause the 4 bolts holding your pintle to the not really re-enforced all that well M1009 rear bumper to bend or snap, the pintle itself to crack or even the bumper to buckle.

Basically, if the lunette fits in the pintle with a good bit of slop, you should be fine driving nice. The tighter the lunette fits, the more likely you are to cause damage.

 

[jdeoliveira74]

Whats your suggestion??

 

[Flyingvan911]

I say get (if you don't already have one) a quality frame mounted receiver/hitch from a reputable company like Croft. Then use your high quality hitch like you pictured above. Make sure the set up you get is rated to pull a loaded M101.

 

[lindyp38]

where did the original pintle hitch go....?

 

[M1075]

I have never seen a fuel stop that will twist this pintle hitch off. That sounds like a doomsday scenario if you ask me!

 

[86m1028]

Since your asking.....

I would NOT get the ball combo.

I have both & the combo ball will beat you to death.

Get the factory installed one, back on there &
like others have said go ahead & get a good quality receiver hitch installed.

 

[DonK]

Since your asking.....

I would NOT get the ball combo.

I have both & the combo ball will beat you to death.

Get the factory installed one, back on there &
like others have said go ahead & get a good quality receiver hitch installed.

Ditto..the Combo will beat you up a bit, the reason people use them is if they have several different trailers that require either the Pintle or a Ball. If your only pullin pintles, go back to stock or simuliar type hitch. I use a combo, but most of my trailers have 2 5/16 ball which does cut down on the slack a little.

 

[M1008driver]

It will work just fine. Make sure you don't overload your receiver hitch.

EDIT- It also gives me some length to jackknife my trailer more if needed.

 

[jdeoliveira74]

my pintle hitch is bolted in the factory space... Its the way I got the truck. I just won a trailer from the gl and was really wondering if I could use what I have to get it home!
Thanks
I am going to install a regular hitch mount under the truck just tight on funds

 

[Evil Dr. Porkchop]

my pintle hitch is bolted in the factory space... Its the way I got the truck. I just won a trailer from the gl and was really wondering if I could use what I have to get it home!
Thanks
I am going to install a regular hitch mount under the truck just tight on funds

the combo hitch will work just fine for that

 

[coyotegray]

Generally speaking, you can pull a 3/4 ton M101 with a M1009 but be careful with how much weight you load. The M1009 was only intended to pull the 1/4 ton trailers. I would never pull a fully loaded 101 behind a M1009.... You could have problems stopping and could damage the pintle hitch..

The "factory" pintle mounting on the M1009 is weak. It's only rated for a tong weight of 100lb..

Posting a picture of what you have would help, since it sounds like it has been modified.

 

[Pawnshop]

I have used a combo hitch on my M1009 for two years with no issues, including being "beat up". I have towed my M416 and about a half dozen M101A2 with no issues, but I will only tow the M416 off road because it has a rotating lunette. The locked M101A2 lunette will bind and break something if it twists too much as Tim pointed out in an earlier post so on road only with them, and keeping twist in mind on road too.

 

[Barrman]

Yep, I did lay out a doomsday possible application. However, I have been in his part of the country before. Some parking lots or fuel stations are several feet higher than the edge of the road and require a tight turn to get in. Water drainage. Houston is the same way.

I also read a thread by a guy over on the Zone in the last month who picked up a 101 from GL empty with a reciever pintle, pulled it 200 miles with no issues and then found a huge crack in his pintle when it un hitched. The darn thing was cast instead of forged.

Then there is the M1009 and its "weak" bumper and stock pintle mount. Plus, the previous owner installed 4 bolt pintle without the thru shaft.

Add up all the stuff that could be wrong: Chinese cast pintle, possible grade 2 bolts not torqued or lock washered on by the previous owner, maybe removed rear support for the bumper, tight off angle turn into a parking lot and things could go wrong.

That is all I was trying to do. He did ask for opinions on his recovery.

 

[jdeoliveira74]

I have towed with her before with some serious weight. No so. Worried about pintle hitch breaking.

 

[jdeoliveira74]

got my m101a1 pretty clean won tonight will be picking it up next week along with my motor that I recovered also

 

[jdeoliveira74]

here she is my new addition

 

[Pawnshop]

That is an M101, no brakes, be careful!

 

[ctmustang]

I pull a m101a2 with my m1009 with a combo hitch that was installed by previous owner. I actually changed the 4 bolts just to make sure and reinforced things just a little. Hundreds of miles of highway travel with no problems. I pull the trailer empty no weight. And as stated above no trailer brakes except emergency stops so be easy on the stoplights and no tailgating. Nice trailer
CT

 

[epartsman]

Yikes! No brakes and the early hub, tire, and wheel set up. Be careful towing with any load. Taking it home empty will be OK but with no brakes loaded that will push you right through a stop light if not careful. You may want to consider a conversion to electric brakes.