Competition Sled Hitch...

[MLeppen]

I'm going to the local township truck pull and I made this hitch. I need some opinions on the finished product. I used 1/4" hollow tube and a shackle with a 1" pin with spacers to control side to side movement. I welded the tube end shut where the pin goes through. Would this be adequate?



Thanks, Mike



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[csutton7]

I wouldn't use a hollow shaft---a solid one would be much better and I'd weld the shackle so it doesn't move---chris

 

[MLeppen]

You're right a solid one would be "better"... but do you think this might break?

 

[csevers]

I would think it would work, I have seen worse and they have held up. One problem is there is no room for adjustment to meet the hitch height requirements if your truck is to tall or low and that effects how the rear of your truck is weighted while pulling.



Good Luck and Have Fun



Craig

 

[Sled Puller]

It doesn't look big enough. Some places want a 3. 5 inch opening for the hook.

 

[doldenburg]

hitch height -most of the time is 26 in.

 

[Duluth Diesel]

Looks nice for using with a snatch strap to pull out stuck cars. Not beefy enough for sled pulling (not that I really know what I'm talking about when it comes to sled pulling). Since I do have experience towing really heavy stuff (other than sleds), I would not use a hollow shaft. Never. Get a real hitch. I like the spacer idea to control side-to-side movement. I'm going to have to steal that idea.

 

[MLeppen]

The hitch height for this unsanctioned pull is 22"max ... i'm below that. The width of opening is 4" at the tube end then tapers. Since there isn't much tounge weight you wouldn't think it would break,I was more worried about the 1" pin pulling through the end so I welded the tube end shut, my guess is it would take a heck of a shock load to do that.

I also think it would make a very good strap hook to pull some thing with a strap since that's what the shackle is intended for, the spacers I used to control side to side movement are made of 1" EMT conduit. cost $40 to make.



We'll see how it goes this saturday..... but am wondering how the stock converter will like this:{

 

[JGheen]

I think that set up will work for ya. Don't know why everyone on here is saying that you should go with a solid square shaft when every tow hitch I have seen is made with square hollow tubing and the tongue tab with the ball welded to it. I'll bet ya a beer or two that it will not break.

 

[csutton7]

towing 40,000lbs that drags you to a stop and sometimes abruptly isn't for hollow tubing, not to mention hitting a rut or two that loads and unloads the sled which translates to loading and unloading the hitch----I wouldn't use it --it's not worth the chance---chris

 

[JGheen]

Not trying to argue or say your right or wrong there Chris, but I have seen tons of hitches like that, even weaker looking ones that have survived sled pulls. Now I'm not saying it will last forever but after a couple of pulls and you probably be replacing the tubing from the pin wearing out the hole it goes through or even the pin wearing out itself. A rule of thumb that I got from my uncle who has been a welder since the late 70's is that 1" of weld is good for up to 16,000 lbs. of static load pressure. That tubing looks to be about 1/4" wall square tubing so that should hold up fine. Thats what every other hitch in America is made with. The weak link in a sled pull varies from truck to truck. I doubt the sled he will be pulling is going to have 40,000 lbs of weight on it for his class. 40,000 lbs sounds more like the Pro-Modified class weight rating.

 

[MMiller]

Heck the wieght af the sled doesn't have alot to do with a pull. How fast the weight moves and how it sets on the pan is the secret.



About the hitch, I have seen several recievers pull out of the hitch. The small pin still intact, and the truck intact, but the hitch that slides in pulled out. My hitch is an old clevis with a large bolt through it into solid 2" bar stock. The clevis is then welded to the bar stock to keep it straight, not hanging down.



Some places want a screw type clevis to prevent the clevis spreading.



Michael

 

[jkern]

the problem is gonna be where the hole is drilled into the tubing for the pin. if you look closely at it there is very little "meat" on the top and bottom of the hole. this is where is is gonna break. and yes there is a downward force on the hitch, because any sled that i have ever seen has the chain hooked at gorund level. by hooking up at 22 or 26 inches on the truck creates down pressure on the hicth and the truck... this is why when pullers tighten up the chain and start to pull the read end sinks a few inches on normal suspension. this is also why some pullers like to run suspension blocks so that the suspension bottoms out and all the weight then is transferred to the tires for traction.



all that being said, the hitch will probably hold up for a few pulls, but it probably will eventually break and the pin hole, especially if it is a bouncy or rough track.

 

[csutton7]

Jgheen--I know you're not argueing --I just wouldn't use it and I'm pointing out why--I agree it will probably hold for a couple of pulls, but it's still not good enuff---something else to think of is the event coordinator may not let him use it and that would suck if you drove a long way and then couldn't pull--do it right the first time and save yourself the headache--chris

 

[doldenburg]

it will hold. dont worry about it. i've been pullin 15 years.

 

[MLeppen]

If I took a piece of solid stock and drilled in a press (don't have) it would then be indestructable I would think, and would like to do that. This is my first pull so if I like it ,next time I will spend a little more... .

 

[Duluth Diesel]

Since I'm not experienced with competition sled pulling, can someone tell me the obvious answer to this? How does the sled hook to the truck? Is it just a big chain? Is it a pintle hitch?



If all we're hooking to is a chain, why can't a guy get a solid shaft 2" shaft with a pintle hitch? I have a 20 ton rated pintle hitch for my truck that looks more stout that anything I've seen on other trucks.



To fan the flames of the solid shaft or hollow shaft debate, the only hollow shaft I own (after looking through my truck's toolbox) is the shaft for my 1 7/8" ball. Sissy ball, sissy hitch (because it was cheap!) to tow our sissy trailer (little single-axle enclosed that never weighs more than 1,000 pounds). My 2", 2 5/16, and pintle are all on solid shafts. And my Renegade Manufacturing gooseneck hitch is rated at 30,000 pounds. Going with a hitch that you know is more than you need is safer than going with a hitch that is questionable. Err on the side of caution. All my chains, straps, clevises, shackles, etc. are probably heavier-duty than I really ever demand of them. But I like it that way.

 

[csutton7]

usually the sled uses a hook that needs to fit into a 3" opening--guys have used pintles--some have broken them(high hp trucks)--some have used just a ball, but I believe this is pretty much not happening any more--safety reasons plus many have been bent or broken--other's use clevis's----and other's use custom setups---chris

 

[Duluth Diesel]

And are most of these guys pulling using the factory receiver hitch or is something more stout needed?

 

[kstehnacs]

I don't know a thing about sled pulling, but www.northerntool.com has some interesting items that might work. # 330440 and #12881.