M1009 pintle hitch question

[BigGriz86]

Hey all, until recently i hadnt really paid much attention to the trailer hitch on my rig, because i dont have a trailer. But im starting to look into buying a surplus military trailer to build my biodiesel production plant on, and my friends want to go camping, but want to take along their pop up trailer. (she has an FJ cruiser with no hitch)

so i checked out my truck, the PO already installed a brake booster that seems to be wired correctly, ill be doing some online checking to find out more about that part so i can properly test it.

but when i looked at the hitch itself, i noticed it dosnt latch all the way down. almost like the ball in the hitch is too big. keeping the upper part of the latch too far up for the lock to fall into place. obviously im not towing ANYTHING with this until i fix the problem. I asked on a different forum and they all thought the military trucks didnt even have ball receivers...... just a curved bottom half, and a curved upper latch. i can post pictures tomorrow if needed, but im just confused. ive spent hours on google trying to find pictures of the BACK of a CUCV (no one seems to take gratuitous booty shots of these trucks).

i guess what im asking is, what style hitch originally came on the '86 M1009 trucks???? (pictures greatly appriciated)

 

[Mike_Pop]

This is the standard pintle hitch on an M1009.

 

[BigGriz86]

well..... that answers that question.... the top half of my hitch looks exactly like that, the bottom isnt that kind of hook, its a ball hitch, maybe a civilian class 3 hitch???. looks like the PO changed it. ill just have to put a smaller ball on it so the upper latch will close all the way.

 

[jimm1009]

M1009 Pintle Hitch

I have a Valley brand hitch p/n 63011. See link below.
http://www.usa-trailer-hitches.com/products/2 inch Ball and Pintle Hook,63011

Very important to remember, you can not tow a large trailer with a M1009 for two reasons. #1 it is a Chevy Blazer and they are rated to 3500 lbs. in the civy version with a class three or five civy hitch. Your military pintle is basically attached to a dummy license plate bracket with four small bolts and a cross bar that is about three feet long that ties the bottom of this dummy bracket to the frame. I pull 3500 to 3800 lbs. on a irregular basis and have never had a probem.
The hitch that I use can tow a military trailer, a civy 2 inch balled trailer and I also have a 1 7/8 ball too.
I purchased a MS series plug just like it on all of the smaller trailers used by Uncle Sam and attached an 8 inch pigtail to it that converts the system to a civy 4 pin flat plug.
There a few unused pins that you could probably use to add a brake power line to.
It is all 12 volts back there so there is no boltage issues.
I can send you a picture of my truck tommorrow with the Valley hitch and crossbar if you want. I don't know how to post pics on this site so send me your email address and I will forward one or two if needed. The hitch is the same bolt pattern so there is no hogging holes out to make anything fit and the original pintle can be put back on when you want.
Jim jimm1009@yahoo.com

 

[Mike_Pop]

Very important to remember, you can not tow a large trailer with a M1009 for two reasons. #1 it is a Chevy Blazer and they are rated to 3500 lbs. in the civy version with a class three or five civy hitch. Your military pintle is basically attached to a dummy license plate bracket with four small bolts and a cross bar that is about three feet long that ties the bottom of this dummy bracket to the frame. I pull 3500 to 3800 lbs. on a irregular basis and have never had a probem.

I've modified my bumper by removing it and installing an M1008 bumper with some reinforcing. It's no problem for me to tow larger trailers but the 6.2 isn't robust enough to get out of it's own way on the hills.

 

[jimm1009]

Just remember that you have modified the hitch attachment but you still have not modified the basic drive train of the truck itself.
You have a GM 10 bolt axle with a gov-lock differential doing the work.
The 10 bolt axle will last 150,000 miles and up if taken care of (180,000 on mine)
but one of the weak points is the 28 spline axles shafts and the differential housing.
The cross pin tends to elongate the holes in the diffential housing and then the clutches only last about 80,000 miles or so and then you have an open differential again.
The hitch looks KOOL though and anything tied to the frame is good to have.
Jim

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Some 3.55 or 3.73 gears and that 6.2L would tow a lot better. 4.10's and OD gear and it'd tow great.

 

[Bozor1000]

To make it an OD you will have to put in a 700r4, right?

 

[AJMBLAZER]

700R4, 4L80E, NV3500, NV4500, and lord knows what else the creative fabricator can do.

 

[Bozor1000]

700R4, 4L80E, NV3500, NV4500, and lord knows what else the creative fabricator can do.

I had a 700r4 in my 1984 K20. The OD helped with the gas mileage, especially riding on 40 inch swampers. M1008 is going to be trailered when I take it out to play. The Turbo 400 burns fuel. With the fuel costs the way they are, I'm going to be trailering it to any off road excursions!

 

[AJMBLAZER]

OD is a bit of a dream for mine but it will happen...eventually. Probably a 700R4 but I'd love a NV4500.