Pintle vs. Ball

[Chuck21387]

Is there any big advatages of having a pintle over a ball...or a ball over a pintle? Just got a 13,000lb (rated) trailer and it came with a pintle on it, but it's changable. I've only had ball hitches in the past, so i wanted to switch it to a ball, i didn't like how it kinda "floated" or "bounced" around, the ball type is a tighter fit (in my mind) I'm not going to haul anything more than my 5000lb utility tractor...so to me the weight ratings not as big a deal as the comfort of ride.

any advice is much appreciated!

[lawnboy1988]

I'd say change it to a ball, that way you could tow the trailer with another truck if you have to. Plus, 5,000 pounds is no big deal on a ball hitch.

[Chuck21387]

and what happens when I load the trailer up and reach the 10,200lb limit of the truck? Keeping in mind i've got the stock hitch rated at 6,000lb load with 600lb tongue weight. What do you think about that? up grade the hitch also? I think i will change to the 2 5/16" ball.

Edit: this is not my ford...it's a 2004 Chevy 1500HD, so it's got the 3/4 ton axles, 8 lug, blah blah blah, 6.0 motor...4l80e auto...it's a heavy truck just not as expensive, the frame isn't as stong.

[mudguppy]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Chuck21387</div><div class="ubbcode-body">... Keeping in mind i've got the stock hitch rated at 6,000lb load with 600lb tongue weight. ...up grade the hitch also? ... </div></div>

there's your problem. and in all actuality, your 5k tractor + trailer is putting you over 6k to begin with. though, it's probably fine (i'd do it), i wouldn't attempt much more than that. and if i felt i might have the need to do more, get a better hitch.

and, still, unless we were talking about A LOT of weight being towed off-road, i'd stick w/ the ball in all cases.

[img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img]

[88beast]

ok trailer is rated 13k? tractor 5k? another 4k for trailer?
youre way under with the ball setup youll be fine
a pintle is for a tow rig that is so large that a bit of bounce wont affect it
and it is more interchangable every eye fits every hook
also a pintle can be rated up to 100k or 50 tons which is way more than your ball but your 13k is not too much for a ball

[TWeatherford]

I'm lazy, and always find myself hooking up trailers alone. Wouldn't a pintle be easier to hook up? Just a thought.

[Dave Holl]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Chuck21387</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Is there any big advatages of having a pintle over a ball...or a ball over a pintle? Just got a 13,000lb (rated) trailer and it came with a pintle on it, but it's changable. I've only had ball hitches in the past, so i wanted to switch it to a ball, i didn't like how it kinda "floated" or "bounced" around, the ball type is a tighter fit (in my mind) I'm not going to haul anything more than my 5000lb utility tractor...so to me the weight ratings not as big a deal as the comfort of ride.

any advice is much appreciated!

</div></div>

I just bought a used trailer to haul my JD 990 utility tractor or the gator. Part of the deal was to change out the pintle for a ball (2 and 5/8in..? whatever the next size up from 2 in is)

Seems to me a pintle hitch is best suited for hauling over uneven ground.

Trailer wgt is 2600, dual axle. Previous owner says it's rated to haul 10K. Brand name of trailer is "Felling".

What kind of brakes are on yours? Mine are surge type which I guess are better than nothing..

Dave Holl

[Chuck21387]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 88beast</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> ok trailer is rated 13k? tractor 5k? another 4k for trailer?
youre way under with the ball setup youll be fine
a pintle is for a tow rig that is so large that a bit of bounce wont affect it
and it is more interchangable every eye fits every hook
also a pintle can be rated up to 100k or 50 tons which is way more than your ball but your 13k is not too much for a ball </div></div>

Pretty sure the trailer empty doesn't weight anything close to 4k...it's only 18' long...maybe weighs 1500lb...just my guess.

thanks for all the info guys!!

Edit: i'm basing this off of my friends 34' gooseneck duallys that weights 4k empty...

[mflores]

I think yours friends trailer ways more then that. I have a 40 foot gooseneck tandem dually 20,000 gvw and weighs 9500 pounds empty. I also have a 18 foot 14,000 gvw and it weighs 3500.

[88beast]

i didnt pay much attention to the trailer description but by making it at least double what it is and saying its still under then youll be fine

[Hook'em Horns!]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Chuck21387</div><div class="ubbcode-body">and what happens when I load the trailer up and reach the 10,200lb limit of the truck? Keeping in mind i've got the stock hitch rated at 6,000lb load with 600lb tongue weight. What do you think about that? up grade the hitch also? I think i will change to the 2 5/16" ball.

Edit: this is not my ford...it's a 2004 Chevy 1500HD, so it's got the 3/4 ton axles, 8 lug, blah blah blah, 6.0 motor...4l80e auto...it's a heavy truck just not as expensive, the frame isn't as stong. </div></div>

Well, you are only as strong as your weakest link. Where do I start?

A 3500 DRW with the 6.0/4L80e 4-speed Auto is limited to 10,200 towing capacity. The 3500 SRW is limited to just over 9,000 lbs.

Are you sure that the 1500HD is rated the same as the 1-ton with the same motor/tranny configuration?

Std. pipe rail 16’ 7k gvwr = 1,720 lbs.
Heavy pipe rail 18’ 10k gvwr = 2,650 lbs.
Heavy pipe rail 18’ 14k gvwr = 3,450 lbs.
Lowboy GN 28’ 21k gvwr= 5,550 lbs.
2” Ball with standard shank = 3,500 lbs
2” Ball with larger 1” shank = 5,000 lbs (sometimes 6,000)
2-5/16” Ball… up to 30,000 for a GN

5k lbs tractor plus 3k+ lbs trailer on a 6k lbs receiver hitch?

Even with the required 2-5/16” ball, have you ever seen a receiver hitch fail? Not a pretty sight and it tends to ruin your day.

What fails first? The ball? the ball mount? the hitch? The bolts on the hitch? The brakes on the truck? The Truck?

The bare minimum is to switch to a class 4 receiver hitch, a solid shank ball mount and a 2-5/16” 10k+ ball and ease the torque into the load and don’t tailgate and you might be fine. [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/eek.gif[/img]

[senatordan39]

I have had numerous trailers with all types of hitches. I noticed the trailer would bounce unloaded with the pintle, but if you are by yourself, it is easier to hook up when you are by yourself. My 18ft flatbed had a pintle, and then I switched to a 2 5/16 ball, but they were bolted on, so there was still play in the ball, so it also depends on how you affix it to the trailer. Just my .02

[mudguppy]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TWeatherford</div><div class="ubbcode-body">... Wouldn't a pintle be easier to hook up? Just a thought. </div></div>

if it's set up right, no. a properly sized pintle and ring combo leaves little play. it has enough to freely turn, but not enough to make it any easier to align than a ball.

also, a properly sized combo does not have all this bouncing that everyone is talking about. if the ring is the right size, the hasp closes down almost right on top of it. if you have too small of a ring or too large of a pintle hook, you'll experience the "slop" and play that causes the bouncing and such. a matched set doesn't bounce.

[88beast]

my father hauled 25k scrap aluminum in bed and on trailer from nc to pa with his 96 psd construction bed srw rated 14k towing(rebuild package thing) no problem at all with a 2 in ball and a bolted on class v hitch the trailer

he had no problem at all and was doing it legaly and commertialy go figure all the states cleared him for it

now id never do it but he did and it was a 4 axle with brakes on every axle

[Hook'em Horns!]

Strange that someone would build a trailer with that much capacity and then rig it with a 2" hitch. OMG...hope he didn't tow it all the way with the wrong ball mount!!