Exchanging the brake actuator pintle to ball

[goldneagle]

For that kind of money, just get a pintle hitch with a ball mount combo.

I use one likr this Buyers 10-Ton Combination Ball Hitch/Pintle Hook — 2 5/16in. Ball, Model# 10057 | Dual-Purpose | Northern Tool + Equipment

I would get the one with the 2" ball. The 2" ball is more common.

 

[3dAngus]

Update: Another neighbor stopped by while I was rechecking the mechanism holding the pintle to the piston bolt. Turns out he noticed a bolt there I did not see. He says if I remove that bolt and nut, the whole receiver could come out. He might be right, in which case, it is only 5 bolts to remove the pintle. I'll try it tomorrow, then if sucessful, see what need be done to install a new 2" receiver that will take the pintle or the 2" ball.

I have two pintle hitches for my vehicle, so I am familiar with the do's and don'ts.

We all not all alike, and I am trying to make something for everybody, not just for the select few. I believe this will increase the marketability of these trailers for those holding.

 

[3dAngus]

Just so everyone is on the same page, here are my two pintle/2" ball hitches.
In the first one, it is attached to my truck, temporarily. I like to leave the normal 2" ball there as my wife hurt herself on this one walking around the truck putting in groceries.
On the second one, this is a new project I started today where I am mounting the pintle/ball hitch to an old unused hay spear from my tractor riding days. I took the spear off, then started to mount the hitch, but it needed a little adjusting with an 8" vice on the ubolts and in this 101 degree weather, you don't last long in the sun so I hope to finish it in the morning.

What I am trying to do here, again, is customize a M101 for resale. It is not for me. I hope to find an easy way to do it with a 2" ball for a ball owner who doesn't want a pintle.

 

[doghead]

If you're having trouble with removal, it is covered in the TM! Great pics of all the components and step by step instructions for removal and replacement.

TM 9-2330-202-14&P
4-38. HYDRAULIC BRAKE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY REPLACEMENT.​

This Task Covers:
a. Removal b. Disassembly
c. Cleaning and Inspection d. Assembly​

e. Installation

 

[3dAngus]

Good tip. Sometimes we just go after these things like bulldogs and see what we can do.
I have that Tech manual on file. Running ink now. Thanks.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Keep us in the loop on your progress! If you end up with pintle/brake assemblys, I bet they would sell good on their own. It would prolly swap onto an A1 trailer easily. Heck, I might want one as a spare.

 

[3dAngus]

OK, I am pulling the plug on this project. It is not do-a-ble without some welding, and I wanted to avoid that, and try a bolt on field mod.
My best guess at this point is, DH suggestion is closest to the task, however, I would be concerned about welding this cheap metal on the iron on the trailer or a wedge. Its not that strong, and meant to be a bolt on.

Secondary task of trying to insert a 2" receiver in place will not work either as the flange on the pintle is flattened and sizing is not going to fit from the new receiver where it would insert into the slot.

I'm going to try another dumb task, and only for the lightest weight M101 serier trailers. I'm going to purchase (on order) one of those pancake locking mechanisms for the pintle. They have a 3/4" bolt running through them. I am going to get an extra long 2" ball, and insert the 3/4" bolt through this pancake, which is aluminum (I know, I know) and tighten it down with a good lock washer and test it for strength on these little trailers. I would feel perfectly comfortable with it as a two inch ball conversion kit if it were steel, but it is what it is. I will report loaded trailer results later for braking and accelleration if I feel comfortable about the fit and tightness of the newly fashioned trailer hitch. It might be workable, but I would not use it for a M105 or larger trailer.

Destruct testing coming next week.

Oh, and I got my tractor pintle/ball hitch all hooked up. It's so much easier to work with movable hydraulics then working with a fixed pickup truck hitch, when you have six trailers all at different levels hanging around the house. It becomes a speed drill to move things now.

 

[Ripcord01]

****, I was getting all excited to see it work. Well ho humm. I am going to pick up a trialer for a fellow member on Tuesday at Mead, His trailer has no hitch or lunette on the front. He is going to put a 2" ball on the front of his, maybe we can convince him to take some pics for us. Hint Hint. I know it is not the same but maybe we can excited for him.lol

 

[gimpyrobb]

So your going to put the 2" ball on the trailer? Then use the coupler on the towing truck?











(There is a Jeff Foxworthy joke in there somewhere!)

 

[3dAngus]

Ha!

My first and personal choice is the original pintle. I'm just looking for a easy way to convert to a 2" ball for someone else.

 

[gimpyrobb]

I know, I just had to give ya some ****e. I totally understand "marketing".

 

[Ratch]

I'm late to the party...

I think the part you're looking for is 10686 from Toledo. I've tried several different retailers, and none can (or will) get it from Toledo for less than the price of an entire actuator.

It *looks* like a direct-fit ball replacement for the lunette.

Angus, I know exactly what you're talking about making it appealing to others. I wouldn't mind putting a ball on my keeper M101, but running around with the pintle for so long now, I feel like it's much more secure than a ball, especially when loading near capacity.
Ball would still make it easier to tow with anything. I've been trying to get an empty 101 to Long Island for 3 months, and had a half dozen opportunity's with minivans making return trips there. A ball hitch would have been perfect for that, but I wouldn't put an M101 on a minivan without brakes. I can't really afford to lend out my pintle for one-way trips like that, either.

 

[harleyhouse]

Here is my solution.
I took the non functioning lunette off my M101A2 and bought a 4 position channel to weld to the front of
the V mount. I use a 2" ball mount when on the highway and lunette when off road for more movement.
Two 5/8" bolts or pins is all I need to change them and I can remove them all together for a theft deterrent.

The one problem I did have is that I was not able to use the large military safety chain with the bolt on the point.
They did not clear the channel, a smaller chain would work though. I replaced the safety chains with 8000LB rated safety cables with snap hooks mounted to the V mounting bolts under the tongue.
For a civilian use trailer the removal of the surge lunette removed a lot of weight.

I also cut off the landing leg mount and replaced it with a crank down jack.
It plan on enclosing the open tongue with diamond plate and storage box.
and the original leg would have been too hard to work.

 

[Ratch]

I really like that, looks like a good solution if you don't want/need brakes, or for an A1 with an A2's actuator mount. This would work out great for someone that's replacing the 8-lug axle with an electric brake axle, too.