vam715 : Pintle hook and hitch question?

Pintle hook and hitch question?
Post by vam715 on Jun 7, 2006, 3:55pm

After owning this truck for 7 years, I hate to ask stupid questions, but.........

Is the Pintle hook supposed to swivel or not? Mine sits a little crooked, won't move, and I've never had it off and I noticed a NOS on Ebay that showed it as a shank with a nut.

And does anybody have a part number for a bolt on style Reese hitch? I notice a couple of you have a "Hidden Hitch", but I'm not a good welder and need something with ease of installation.

Thanks,
VaM715

Re: Pintle hook and hitch question?
Post by brute4c on Jun 7, 2006, 4:12pm

The pintle hook is supposed to swivel and should have a total of 3 grease fittings....one on the left side of the lever you lift to open it....one on the left side side of the jaws opening point...and finally one on the right side, more rearward, to get grease in around the mounting shaft so as to keep it rotating...

Here are the 2 on the left:
http://www.m715zone.com/manuals/20/fig2-91.jpg

The one on the right, where the grease gets direted onto the mounting shaft, the one you really need, can be found in this illustration as #10:
http://www.m715zone.com/manuals/34parts/fig92.jpg

Re: Pintle hook and hitch question?
Post by binfordm715 on Jun 7, 2006, 4:22pm

Good to know, Jon. Mine is upright, but doesn't turn at all. Jaw opens and such. Never really looked at it before. I'll have to check for the grease fittings and see if it will free up. I just figured the Forest Service had welded it or something!

Re: Pintle hook and hitch question?
Post by robertcowan on Jun 7, 2006, 4:48pm

PUT A LOND PIPE OR BAR INTO THE CLOSED jaws and close the jaws the rotate the pintle hook. this will free it up. bob

Re: Pintle hook and hitch question?
Post by robertcowan on Jun 7, 2006, 4:50pm

also i,am in the beginning of building a heavy duty reciever hitch setup for the m715 that is equal to the quality of the truck . not the class 3 type that everybody uses but a heavy duty version, one the truck could hang from type h-d. i,ll have kits for sale when i get it all engineered out. i want them to be as good as everything else i build and sell.
bob

Re: Pintle hook and hitch question?
Post by jeepistdougiowa on Jun 7, 2006, 4:56pm

Adding some heat from a propane torch will only help what Bob suggested. Loosens up old grease so you can push some new in.

Re: Pintle hook and hitch question?
Post by twodogs on Jun 7, 2006, 5:55pm

Mine has a zerk on the bottom of the rear X member. Is that a production change?. Field modification? ('68 model).

I too have been on a hitch hunt. Found this:

http://www.etrailerpart.com/Receiver.../universal.htm

Think it'll work?

Re: Pintle hook and hitch question?
Post by warwick on Jun 7, 2006, 8:07pm

my 68 M715 has the same

two on the left
none on the right
one on the bottom of x-member

Re: Pintle hook and hitch question?
Post by brute4c on Jun 7, 2006, 8:32pm

Mine has one there too....actually I was at work when I typed the above and thought it was on the frame but I went by the manual...couldnt run out and look....maybe I'll get a pic later...

Re: Pintle hook and hitch question?
Post by rjenkins on Jun 7, 2006, 8:47pm

I plan on pulling the pintle out cutting the area to fit a universal reciever blank. (19.99) With that done I will shorten the threaded portion of the pintal and weld a square tube section (from a draw bar) over it. When it is installed it will look stock and be removable to be replaced with a drop hitch.

Re: Pintle hook and hitch question?
Post by 40grit on Jun 8, 2006, 9:27am

I have a drawtite adjustable 2"hitch receiver, originally designed for RV's. you would need to drill mounting holes in the bottom of the frame, the crossmember bolts in after drill a thru bolt when you get the right width. It's a standard 500/5000# hitch iirc...let me walk out and check the number on it..I think it was roughly $150 or so from JCW

[img=http://img362.imageshack.us/img362/3405/mvc015f8uc.th.jpg]

[img=http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/7346/mvc013f9yl.th.jpg]