Correct pintle/ball mounting procedure.

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Hi everyone,

I'm looking for advices on the most practical way to mount a pintle/ball combo onto the back of my S3 109 GS.

I've seen the original army mounting plates for sale both here and on Ebay, but they're already preconfigured to suit the NATO plug etc. I was looking to get one made without that hole, and perhaps a bit shorter, to keep the PTO hole exposed, if that's possible/practical.

My trailer plug is mounted in the PTO hole, so I was hoping to retain that.

My main question is with regard to that plate, is it necessary to make it as wide as the army one? Does it really need to cover the PTO hole?

Also, what height would the centerline of the pintle need to be? (I can guesstimate it but would like a precise measurement if at all possible)

I noticed that the number plate assembly fouls the drawbar when the tailgate is opened, and while that's something I'll have to take care with for now, I reckon there should be no problems after I fit the dreaded barn door.

I'd also like opinions on the pintle/ball combo hitches, are they any good and are they likely to make a lot of noise when pulling a lunette equipped No.5?

All comments appreciated.

[FFRMAN]

HI,

Attached photo show correct army configuration for pintle hook. it has the backing plate and the pintle hook bolts to a plate that sits on "legs"and that bolts through the chassis and there are backing plates behind as well.

The main plate does have a hole in it for trailer plug connection through the "PTO" hole. see photo

Series 3's had the wide backing plate but 2's and 2A's did not.

Your rear cross member will have all the holes in place.

There are quite a few version of how to fit a ball hitch as well which generally sits under the pintle.

I have a Series 3 backing plate if you want it.

Cheers
Scott

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G'day Scott,

Ok, no problem, I'll get you to put it aside for me if you don't mind.

Are you going to relist it, or would you prefer we just do it privately?

I have to go to Ballarat in the next week or two to see my father in Wendouree, so can pick it up if that's acceptable to you.

From the images, I presume I just get a small plate made to bolt the pintle/ball combo to, and using some kind of spacers, attach that to the plate.

My immediate concern is where the spacer bolts go through the big plate, where that mates to the rear crossmember, as I don't recall any free space in those areas where a nut would sit. I'll have to have a closer look, it's probably hidden by the towing plate I have on there at the moment.

Regards,
Ross.

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My rear crossmember isn't standard army, it's been replaced with a powdercoated civvy item by the looks of it. I say that as it has no heli lift points.

Will this make the fitment of the pintle plate more difficult?

[Polizei]

this might help

[Polizei]

[FFRMAN]

Hey Ross,

give me a few days notice when coming to Ballarat and you can crawl over my series 3 to get measurements etc, the backing plates a freebie...

cheers

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Thank you Scott,

Greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Ross.

[aussiegregmac]

G'day Ross,  I've recently solved the same problem with my Series2A SWB exNavy which has a Civilian rear Crossmember.
The mounting holes in the crossmember don't correspond to either the pintle hook mounting plate or the strengthening plate that Scott shows on the rear of the Series 3. (to which is then added the pintle mounting plate)
What I did was use one of the civvy L/rover towing plates (which you've already got mounted) suitably shortened and drilled to
take the military mounting plate to which is added the pintle hook.
The photos should explain.
Points to watch.  Most other pintle mounts including civvy combination types use standard hole measurements.
If you cut off the bottom of the L/rover plate you can't go back to the standard arrangement.
The towing height is always a little bit higher if using a civvy trailer.  The height on mine is just right for my No. 5 Trailer even
though I haven't got long shackle plates.  And that strengthening plate that Scott has will probably not mount up to the two
much larger holes on the bottom of the civvy crossmember.
Any further questions just ask.

[aussiegregmac]

AAAaaaaannndddd,   use high tensile bolts, and the spacers between the civvy plate and the crossmember give just
enough room for the bolt heads holding the adaptor plate.
Now you've got to get the pintle adaptor plate.  Haven't you ??
Greg

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AAAaaaaannndddd,   use high tensile bolts, and the spacers between the civvy plate and the crossmember give just
enough room for the bolt heads holding the adaptor plate.
Now you've got to get the pintle adaptor plate.  Haven't you ??
Greg

Hi Greg,

Yes, your set up is what I was looking for.

Due to mine not having the military rear crossmember anymore, I'm thinking I'll have dramas perhaps in the fitting of the military plate.

Yes, I would need an adaptor to marry up my pintl/ball hitch to the plate, as you say.

Given that my pintle/ball hitch is probably different to what you're running, I will probably have to custom make one to suit what I have.

Apologies for the late response but I've had a shocker of a week with a serious dental problem. Bit down on a BBQ chop bone and it sent a sliver of broken bone up into my jaw between the tooth and gum of a molar. Killed it did. Still coming good from it.

[aussiegregmac]

Ouch.   Good luck.

[juddy]

G'day Ross,  I've recently solved the same problem with my Series2A SWB exNavy which has a Civilian rear Crossmember.
The mounting holes in the crossmember don't correspond to either the pintle hook mounting plate or the strengthening plate that Scott shows on the rear of the Series 3. (to which is then added the pintle mounting plate)
What I did was use one of the civvy L/rover towing plates (which you've already got mounted) suitably shortened and drilled to
take the military mounting plate to which is added the pintle hook.
The photos should explain.
Points to watch.  Most other pintle mounts including civvy combination types use standard hole measurements.
If you cut off the bottom of the L/rover plate you can't go back to the standard arrangement.
The towing height is always a little bit higher if using a civvy trailer.  The height on mine is just right for my No. 5 Trailer even
though I haven't got long shackle plates.  And that strengthening plate that Scott has will probably not mount up to the two
much larger holes on the bottom of the civvy crossmember.
Any further questions just ask.

Is that a fully revolving Pintle/

[aussiegregmac]

Yes 'tis.   but not one with the locking latch.

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AAAaaaaannndddd,   use high tensile bolts, and the spacers between the civvy plate and the crossmember give just
enough room for the bolt heads holding the adaptor plate.
Now you've got to get the pintle adaptor plate.  Haven't you ??
Greg

Hi Greg,

I've been looking over your hitch assembly and I have a question about the way you stepped/spaced the hitch adaptor out from the tow plate.

I can see that you drilled 4x holes in the tow plate for the adaptor to bolt to.

Did you just drill 4x larger holes into the rear crossmember to allow the nuts and excess thread to pass into the rear crossmember?

I was looking at this and wondering why you just didn't make the pintle adaptor a little bit larger and pick up the existing 4x bolts which hold the tow plate to the rear crossmember, and add the spacers there.

Maybe I'm not seeing this clearly and there's a reason for doing it the way you did?

Regards,
Ross.