What's the story with hitch pins? Now that I've actually got a truck that can move some weight, I've started wondering about hitch pin strength. There are no working load strengths listed on the packages, so I'm wondering what the difference is between a regular hitch pin and a 5/8" Grade 8 bolt which is what I use.

 

The four advantages to using Grade 8 bolt vs. a hitch pin - TheDieselGarage.com

 

what are you planning on pulling? tractor pulls

 

well a grade 8 bolt will probably be the strongest thing youll want to buy, i just use a regular wagon pin in my hitch, i havent broke it. seriously youll have to worry about breaking a hitch pin. time for my engineer to come out... a 5/8'' 1020 (mild steel) pin in double shear has a shear stength of around 92000 pounds, so its probably a pretty safe bet that you wont break one.

 

Chances are good you will shear the ball off the hitch way before you ever break any pin.

 

I should go take a picture of my dually's hitch right now. Backing up with about 4-5 tons on it, (total weight would be about 8-9 tons) I hit a rock in a dip that I didn't see. I bent the entire hitch forward about 2-3", but didn't mark the pin. This was a 10K rated hitch, that I now have to torch off and toss. I'll build a new one for it though, make a couple changes while I'm at it, and next time it won't bend.

 

yea youll have a much greater chance of breaking the ball, or bending the hitch before you shear that pin off

 

grade 8 bolt is about as good as it gets i would think now the ball and reciever is where you'll want to be strong.

but that can get expensive real quick..... ah the price of safety

 

The price of safety?

The price of safety is but a drop in the bucket when you compare it to the price of an accident because of the lack of safety.

 

yes i know i was being smart the price of the slide in hitch that is rated for the max load on my trailer is between 50-60 bucks and the ball that goes along with that is about another 30

 

yea if its a consern go with the grade 8 bolt, but id be lookin more at the load rateings of the hitch, ball, etc. thats where youll most likely have a problem.

 

The pictures will show that the hitch is far from the weak link. I figured the hitch pin would let loose before the 4 Grade 8 bolts holding the pintle to the pintle plate. The pintle is rated at 16k pounds, and I really don't plan on pulling more than 16k. I was just wondering out of curiousity more than anything, since I see MANT people hooking up chains and tow straps to the trailer hitch ball for recovery purposes. I do not, since these stinkin' D-Rings are so huge. These are what I bought: Buyers Heavy-Duty Forged D-Ring — 1 in. Dia. w/ Weld-On Bracket | Rope Rings | Northern Tool + Equipment
My neighbor who welded them on said they were a bit overkill, but I said that t made sense getting the bigger ones since they were only a couple bucks more. With a 46k pound breaking strength, I don't worry about shock-loading these puppies! Now the hitch I worry about when shock-loading which is why I brought up this thread. I don't shock-load my hitch, but many others do.
As for the truck pulls, I do want to try those next fall, they look like fun! Though I hope to have my 65 F350 mounted on the 95 F150 SWB chassis and converted to 4x4 for 2 extra wheels to give power to the ground!









My neighbor who welded the hitch is the same guy who welded the D-Rings on. He said I really don't have to worry about this hitch. My only issue is the height. It's too tall to really tow anything with, so I've dedicated it for use to hold a winch in a receiver cradle. I'll cut some 3/8" flat steel for a full-width rear bumper and have my neighbor weld it on, with lots of gussets and such. The bottom receiver will be closer to the ground so towing won't be an issue.

 

I should also say that I double-nut my Grade 8 bolt so the nuts won't back off! Nylon lock nuts are probably a good idea also, but I like the tried and true method of double nut action.

 

Oh yeah, and my rear "bumper" is 1/4" thick C-channel that fit right inside the frame rails and was welded everywhere. I essentially consider this hitch part of the frame.

 

looks good, i had the same setup on my work truck, works great. its ment to also tow a pindle and eye setup. only issue i see are the D rings. you might wanna take along (2) 3/4t shackles with you. you will find that many trailers dont have safety hooks large enough to make it around that large of a d ring, or they will just make it over, but the safety clip wont be able to engage. just my .02