Did you ever see one of these?

[bobodu]

Oh...use it!! You worry too much. Look what holds the springs and axles on!!!
That thing is WAY tougher than any stress you could possibly put on it.

 

[J_J]

Well. J-J you made a very good point there about the instructions. I just tried to contact the manufacturer to get the installation instructions. It turns out this particular hitch have not been made for 6 years and they DO NOT have the instructions anymore. The lady on the phone asked where and when I bought it. I said : a couple of days ago from a local retailer.
She guessed that it has been sitting in some warehouse for at least 6 years.

I will take some more pictures over the weekend and ask what you guys think of my intended installation process (ie: where I want to weld)

As for how it works. The large round pin has to be rotated so the flat side faces the towing ball. Then when the coupler is lowered onto the ball I let go of the little lever and a spring returns the pin to the lock position when the flat side faces away from the ball. On the other side the hole is for the safety pin that prevents the large pin from rotating. I see no option to adjust it.

Edit: The more I think about it the more I lean toward returning the coupler.

They show that same picture here, but do not describe it.

Trailer Parts Superstore - Trailer Couplers, Straight & A-Frame

 

[Mike120]

Interesting hitch...I've never seen one like that. I'd go ahead and use it. So what if you can't find parts? If you break a bulldog hitch you can't get parts for it either...you just grind it off and weld another one on.

 

[BearKiller]

The more I think about it the more I lean toward returning the coupler.

You better hang onto it; the only thing close to as good you will find is a BULLDOG coupler.

I wouldn't worry about "parts" availability; I only see maybe two parts other than the coupler-casting itself; that rolling pin latch would take maybe ten minutes to duplicate and the rest is plain old hardware.


I really like the BULLDOGs; but, I like your coupler better, and that is saying a lot.

Here is a BULLDOG for comparison :

http://www.tractorsupply.com/traile...dog-low-latch-a-frame-coupler-2-in-3b-0190075

Interesting hitch...I've never seen one like that. I'd go ahead and use it. So what if you can't find parts? If you break a bulldog hitch you can't get parts for it either...you just grind it off and weld another one on.

 

[Brad_Blazer]

It looks much nicer to deal with than the standard lever type coupler. With a lever coupler, it has to slide onto the ball just right or else the foot will get pushed up and it won't go on. The stamped metal part is mild steel - you can weld it with impunity. (If you don't have impunity try some 3/32" 7018 )

 

[Willl]

impunity

Huh ?

 

[easygo]

Thank you guys for the good words. Last time I let TBN members convince me about something I ended up spending $3000 on a loader and it was very good advice.
So. I will keep the hitch and hopefully will weld it on Monday or Tuesday. I have dealt with the lever type hitches a lot and this seems a LOT heavier duty.

I will have to go to my welding supplier. After a quick inventory of my welding rods I discovered that I only have 4 pieces of 3/32 7018's left. I don't use that stuff a lot because of the storage issue involved. I tend to use 6011/6013/7014 that are not so sensitive to storage.

 

[schmism]

you got to wonder why they didnt use double shear through bolts on the tong to bracket connection.

 

[Brad_Blazer]

Probably because it's hollow and would not withstand the compression of fully torqued through-bolts. When torqued, the friction should provide greater strength than bolt shear, especially considering the repetitive load reversal this part will see.

My welding rod recommendation, while sound, was mainly made to complete the lame pun that popped into my head as soon as I typed "impunity".

My dad used to tell this joke: "The doctor gave me some medicine called Supository. He told me to put it in my rectum. I looked all through my cupboards and I couldn't find any rectum so I put it in my Postem (cereal). For all the good it did me I could have shoved it up my ___."

 

[Willl]

was mainly made to complete the lame pun that popped into my head as soon as I typed "impunity".

Huh ?