Front tow pintle

[zebedee]

I realise that US vehicles traditionally don't have these, since pushing a vehicle infonts bumperettes would not be possible... However most other NATO countries do have front tow pintles, for use with rigid bars and also 'nosing' of trailers or back loading of landing craft etc...

AND, I see that the recent Buffalo has a front pintle, in a recessed pocket on the bumper (see pic) - which is not flat either (kind of resembles the 'tree buster' front bumper on the M1 Ward la France (WWII Heavy wrecker).

So, quesrtion to the masses - has anyone put a pintle on the front for a reason that helps them?

I am thinking of making a QD setup utilising the lift/tow shackle points and the spade pockets, so that I don't have to drill and stiffen the front bumper.... Especially as tow shackles are being stolen and I think I will keep them in a locker.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Quite a few folks have done just that with deuces and CUCVs.

 

[gunboy1656]

Few have done it mostly to push a trailer, instead of backing it into place.

 

[unclemikey]

Works For Me !

 

[jesusgatos]

No headlights?

 

[zebedee]

Unclemikey - did you just bolt the hitch on the bumper or add some stiffening behind?

.... Additional storage lockers, IR lights, tool holders, removable civi tag - great mods. Arctic camo - never enough of that!

 

[zebedee]

Few have done it mostly to push a trailer, instead of backing it into place.

Yea, that was part of my reasoning too. However the winch cable tensioner and the narrowing of the bumper for the winch would dictate that I offset the pintle towards the passenger side a little, but that has an advantage of giving more visibility down the right side of a trailer.

 

[swbradley1]

I've seen a lot of guys putting them on their civy trucks as well.

 

[Kasper31]

They work on M-37s really well. Sorry no pic's yet.

 

[mdmorgan]

I have one on the front of my deuce. Because of the crappy turning radius that deuces have, backing a trailer in tight quarters can be rather difficult, but when backing a trailer while hooked to the front, it is super easy.

 

[Bighurt]

I considered adding a 2" reciever hitch to the front so I can nose whatever I want. I don't need the capacity as the lugs are already present for the rings or towbar. However in retrospect the heigth pretty much eliminates everything but lunette drawn trailers.

 

[cranetruck]

Only have a limited number of PS magazine article saved, but do a search now and then in case i have something pertinent...here is a note from '72 about the front pintle hook.

 

[pevrs114]

It was done regularly when I was overseas to many of our HMMWVs as a part of a quick damaged-vehicle exfil system. Truck gets hit, or breaks down, someone in the convoy is driving a truck with a tow bar mounted to the rear. They pull up on front of the damaged truck, drop the tow bar lunette into the front-bumper pointless, and haul ass. Start to finish, less than a minute, not counting wounded people. Sensitive items such as weapons and radios are still secure, and the convoy isn't stranded on the side of the road like a big fat sitting duck, one of the most dangerous places to be in 2005 Iraq.

 

[Robo McDuff]

Most older European trucks used to have a simple receiver with a holding pin in the front bumper, not really sticking out like a pintle hook. When I was driving trucks as student to earn a bit of extra money, we were driving container trucks with trailers in night shift. Backing them up to the loading ramp alsways a problem for me. One friendly very experienced driver showed me how it was done. He then continued to say that he off course had decades of experience. I should use the waiting time to experiment and train with the empty trailers taking them "head-on" to begin with. A lot of much more experienced drivers used the same trick to get the container trailers quickly from one loading spot to the next one.

Most modern trucks I see in Europe do not have that option anymore.

 

[zebedee]

I considered adding a 2" reciever hitch to the front so I can nose whatever I want.

Great idea - I may use some receiver tube off cuts to make the lower parts of my QD design that will allow me to use any insert.

 

[F18hornetM]

Unclemikey> Thats a cool looking truck. Can you post some more pictures and info? Looks like you have done a ton of things to it.

 

[zebedee]

QD idea - OTT?

Is this over the top?

NB it's going on a wrecker which already has a load of heavy extras (BII) so it wouldn't be out of place...

Includes lifting ring, same as whiffle tree, also stiffening.

 

[73m819]

NO, not really, sure would be heavy duty, could handle anything that needed to be delt with, that is a wreckers job

 

[unclemikey]

Zebedee, That is not only over the top, that is way over the top......." I LIKE IT "

F18HornetM, You ain't seen nothing yet. Have been making major mods for the last 8 months. Will post in a few weeks. You will get a kick out of this, I hope. opcorn:

 

[mendo]

Is this over the top?

NB it's going on a wrecker which already has a load of heavy extras (BII) so it wouldn't be out of place...

Includes lifting ring, same as whiffle tree, also stiffening.

I think as long as you can lift it to put it in place, you do have a crane built in! you are good! I like modularity.