Anyone lose their hitch pin?

[kobuk]

I'm looking for ideas to upgrade my receiver hitch pin hairpin for my wheeler. This year I lost 2 of them! I lost the rear first and literally had my rear receiver drop out where I stopped, which was a miracle I didn't lose it! Then a day later I lost the hairpin from my front receiver pin. This was the first time it's ever happened and it happened twice. I'm using the pin with the hole drilled through the end and not the ones that are machined down towards the end and slipped over. I need to be able to remove the pin in the field so I can flip the rear one over to raise it and make it easier to hook onto the D ring I welded to the hitch. The front holds a shackle which can be swapped out to a front hitch when needed. I don't want to use a locking pin as that sounds like a rusty nightmare but was kind of thinking about drilling the hairpin hole larger and using a large split ring. Has anyone come across this or have any other ideas? Thanks

[iofthetaiga]

You could replace the hairpin with a cotter pin, or heavy safety wire...but simplest solution is just to shove the hairpin all the way on to the center loop. They don't tend to ever fall out from that position.

[SmokeRoss]

Do you know how to make a molly hogan with a strand of cable?

[kobuk]

You could replace the hairpin with a cotter pin, or heavy safety wire...but simplest solution is just to shove the hairpin all the way on to the center loop. They don't tend to ever fall out from that position.

I've thought about a cotter pin or something like that. I used a nail to get back but I want something that is tool less to change. I was also thinking of just using a bolt with a nylock nut but then I was back to needing tools. I did come across a pin made by masterlock. The end has a spring loaded gizmo that you pull and it cams over where the spring locks it in place. It also comes in stainless which would be nice as well. As yu mentiones, maybe just pushing the hairpin all of the way through would suffice.

[kobuk]

Do you know how to make a molly hogan with a strand of cable?

I've never heard of it and had to look up that term! What were you thinking? It sounds like it is a type of stranded wire?

[SmokeRoss]

I've never heard of it and had to look up that term! What were you thinking? It sounds like it is a type of stranded wire?

Yes. You cut a piece of wire rope say 18-20 inches long. 3/8 diameter should work well for the size of the hole in your hitch pin. Unwind the strands from the now short piece of wire rope. Take one strand and loop it into a small circle. say 3-4 inch diameter. start lacing it back using about half the length. Slide the loose end through your pin and finish lacing it. Should look like a round wire rope when done. In my logging days I made thousands of these. Used in pins on shackles and many other places where a cotter pin would fall out.

[Daveinthebush]

Using the right sized hairpin, they usually don't come out. Is it possible that someone was screwing with you and pulled it part way out for you? You can buy ones that lock or have a slider like the one below.

[kobuk]

I'll do some more searching on you tube. I do enjoy knot work and braiding so this will be fun to learn. Thanks

[kobuk]

Using the right sized hairpin, they usually don't come out. Is it possible that someone was screwing with you and pulled it part way out for you? You can buy ones that lock or have a slider like the one below.

I hear ya, like I said, it was the first time this ever happened. Since I tow a lot, I"m pretty particular to my setups and and won't use hairpins that seem light and flimsy. Heck the ones on my truck I can hardly get in and out because they get grimy. I am interested in the pin you show as well as the masterlock version. I guess I need to do a little more looking. Have you tried one of the slider styles? Do they hold up to road grime and salt?

[Daveinthebush]

One of my setups had the slider pin and it did well. Tolerances were loose enough that road grime did not matter. I have a hitch right now with a lock on it. It has endured three years of grime and gets dipped in the ocean occasionally. If you were worried about the locking type you could always wrap it in plastic with a rubber band. But I do not think you'll need to do that. I don't know if they make this type small enough. Try the link for ideas too.

https://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Hit...and_Clips.aspx

[iofthetaiga]

As yu mentiones, maybe just pushing the hairpin all of the way through would suffice.

My plow attachment points use shear bolts with hairpins and I've had the same problem as you described. It's surprising easy for a piece of brush to snag the hairpins and pull them out, but shoving the hairpins all the way on to the center hoop solves the problem completely. Simple solutions are usually the best solutions.

[kobuk]

Thanks guys.