Lunette to ball

[Nick54]

Has anyone replaced your lunette ring on you brake actuator with a 1 7/8" or 2" ball receiver? If so where did you find the parts to do it? This is in reference to an M101A2 or similar trailer with this type brake actuator.

 

[sp00n]

It seems like if you are a proficient welder you could cut the lunette ring off and weld your choice of 2" coupler in its place. The actuator works similar to surge brakes doesn't it?

 

[Pawnshop]

I use a pintle/ball hitch from Harbor Freight, that way I can go both ways without modifying the trailer.

 

[glcaines]

Ditto. Much easier and more versatile hitch.

 

[Nonotagain]

Has anyone replaced your lunette ring on you brake actuator with a 1 7/8" or 2" ball receiver? If so where did you find the parts to do it? This is in reference to an M101A2 or similar trailer with this type brake actuator.

The lunette ring is part of the brake actuator and can't be swapped without a lot of trouble.

You could install a commercial trailer surge coupler for around $250 or so, as the other posters have stated, get the ball pintle combo hitch.

If you make the change over, I'm interested in purchasing the parts you remove.

 

[Nick54]

I use a pintle/ball hitch from Harbor Freight, that way I can go both ways without modifying the trailer.

I have this pintle/ball hitch. The issue is that the trailer lunette ring seems to have to much slop and bangs forward when I brake and bangs backward when I accelerate from a stop. Is there anything I can do without trying to replace the ring with a ball socket.

 

[m16ty]

I have this pintle/ball hitch. The issue is that the trailer lunette ring seems to have to much slop and bangs forward when I brake and bangs backward when I accelerate from a stop. Is there anything I can do without trying to replace the ring with a ball socket.

That's just the nature of the pintle hitch. There's going to be more slop than a ball type hitch. I don't find it that big of a problem though and think the pintle hitch has many more advantages that I think outweigh the slop you feel. The pintle is stronger than a ball hitch, has more range of movement, is easier to hook up by yourself (a little more room for error if you're a little off when you back up to it), and you don't have to jack it as far to hook/unhook (if you've got a trailer that has a moveable jack).

 

[Pawnshop]

What he said! The slop is unnerving at first, especially for experienced ball hitch users who are used to little or no slack, but you will get used to it. The ease of use and range of movement makes it easier to accept the bumps

 

[Nonotagain]

I have this pintle/ball hitch. The issue is that the trailer lunette ring seems to have to much slop and bangs forward when I brake and bangs backward when I accelerate from a stop. Is there anything I can do without trying to replace the ring with a ball socket.

By any chance when braking does the trailer seem to get jerky and start banging around?

If so the shock asorber in the surge coupler is bad.

If you decide to replace the whole assembly for a ball type, as I stated earlier, I'll buy your surge coupler.

 

[Nick54]

By any chance when braking does the trailer seem to get jerky and start banging around?

If so the shock asorber in the surge coupler is bad.

If you decide to replace the whole assembly for a ball type, as I stated earlier, I'll buy your surge coupler.

I likely not going to replace the whole mechanisim, I recently bought a new master brake cylinder so if I can't modify it to a ball receiver I will just rebuild the entire brake system and use the lunette ring.

 

[ChrisABQ07]

My M101A2 had been swapped over to a 2" ball when I bought it. The lunette had been cut off and the ball receiver was welded under the remainder of the lunette mount. It is a very strong weld -- I've drug the trailer around fully loaded with firewood over primitve roads with no problems.

As for the new 2" ball replacement receiver, check here:

BALCRANK PARTS BREAKDOWN, Products

There is an exploded diagram to look at and you want to check out part Balcrank #10612.

 

[NEIOWA]

That's just the nature of the pintle hitch. There's going to be more slop than a ball type hitch. I don't find it that big of a problem though and think the pintle hitch has many more advantages that I think outweigh the slop you feel. The pintle is stronger than a ball hitch, has more range of movement, is easier to hook up by yourself (a little more room for error if you're a little off when you back up to it), and you don't have to jack it as far to hook/unhook (if you've got a trailer that has a moveable jack).

And 90% fewer potential thieves to run off with your pride and joy. Stay with the pintle no reason to change to anything else. If you do go with the 2-5/16" ball and keep some of the benefits listed above. 2" is for toys.

 

[Nick54]

These are great responses guys and after looking at the Croft breakdown page I'm convinced that I don't want to spend $200.00+ to switch to a ball reciever. Thanks for all the input. And if there are still some with examples of converter hitch recievers from lunette ring to ball reciever I still would be interested in seeing those set ups.

 

[Asgar]

I wanted to make an adaptor that would let an un-modified mil trailer to be pulled by my HSKC (high speed kid carrier). I used a 2" bulldog ball hitch, a Buyers 5 position adjuster and a bunch of 3/4" and 3/8" steel to make this. The idea is that the adaptor just bolts onto the unmodifed trailer. The end result is that both an 1/4 ton M100 jeep trailer and the 3/4 ton M101a2 tow level behind the HSKC. So far it has worked fine. The M100 has a rotating lunette so I had to make 2 pieces of angle, brown w/ rust in picture, to slip under the frame to lock from rotating. The angles bolt into threaded holes in the picture. The m101a2 gets one more piece that is not shown that just grips the bottom surge brake between the two lower swing bolts. This is just to stablilize the adaptor from swinging sideways in the lunette eye. Grade 8 bolts are used everywhere, some pics show grade 5 but they were replaced later. Once tighened down this is really soldi. The max drop is 10" and the position used drops it about 8" from the lunette.

I found that baking the paint at 170 for half an hour works well in the winter... wife not home!.

I wanted this to just bolt onto stock trailers to make it easier to pick up GL stuff, driving 6 hours each way in a M1008 gets old fast.

 

[Pawnshop]

Something like that came with my M416, not at all strong enough for a M101, but still pretty clever

 

[Asgar]

Pawnshop, that definatly is the way to go for a light trailer. It would be faster to build and way less money. I was going to copy one that was even more minimalist, just the hitch and the pipe, not brace extension, I saw it in a rental yard to adapt the woodchipper pintle to ball. I went heavy because the M101a1 gets some wieght in it. I am dreaming of the day I run down to PA to pick up a spare 6.2 in a can or a MEP generator! I would have used a piece of pipe but I could not find one that was just under the 3" that would fit so I went with the welded +.

 

[jesusgatos]

My M101A2 had been swapped over to a 2" ball when I bought it. The lunette had been cut off and the ball receiver was welded under the remainder of the lunette mount. It is a very strong weld -- I've drug the trailer around fully loaded with firewood over primitve roads with no problems.

That looks pretty sketchy to me. Those type of trailer hitches get most of their strength from being bolted/welded to the trailer tongue, but the way somebody modified your trailer, it's that top edge that's taking all the load. Not ideal. Would gain a lot of strength if you just welded some plate across the bottom of that open C, and maybe box the back in too.

 

[therealsundance]

I have this pintle/ball hitch. The issue is that the trailer lunette ring seems to have to much slop and bangs forward when I brake and bangs backward when I accelerate from a stop. Is there anything I can do without trying to replace the ring with a ball socket.

They make different size pintle hitches. I have a 7t and a 10t. The 7t is smaller and allows less movement.

 

[therealsundance]

That looks pretty sketchy to me. Those type of trailer hitches get most of their strength from being bolted/welded to the trailer tongue, but the way somebody modified your trailer, it's that top edge that's taking all the load. Not ideal. Would gain a lot of strength if you just welded some plate across the bottom of that open C, and maybe box the back in too.

They should of used a piece of square tube in it and welded that to the trailer.

 

[ChrisABQ07]

jesusgatos and therealsundance, I appreciate your comments. I have some scrap 3" square tube that I am going to weld below the remainder of my lunette mount. It will be long enough to fit into the 2" ball receiver (about 8"). Then I'll drill and add grade 8 bolts through the square tube and receiver for insurance.