NATO tow hook / pintle

On or around Thu, 10 Mar 2005 18:12:29 +0000, Colonel Tupperware enlightened us thusly:

half-inch bolts (you can use 12mm, they're slightly loose).

hole spacing as per the hitch :-) - find a 90/110 and measure the hole pattern on the crossmember, is the easiest. They're something slightly odd, ISTR.

angabout, what are you trying to fit it to?

on a series/90/110, the bolts need to be long enough to go through the hitch, the crossmember and a fat washer or reinforcing plate on the other side. 5 or 6 inch, I think.

So. M12, but how long?

Not got the hitch yet, buying it from the same bloke as the trailer I'm picking up on Sunday.

Disco towing plate.

I've got 2 types of Ball and Pin tow hooks, but the consensus at work is that the NATO ring wont fit in a 3.5tonne Dixon Bate dual pin / ball hitch, or my other Sealey type hitch.

Section diameter of the 3 inch NATO eye is nominally 41.2 mm

Most smaller Dixon-Bate jaws (including the one you describe)accept a maximum 28.6 mm diameter.

88 x 44.5 mm for the Land-Rover sized version.

Probably already drilled to accept this NATO hook with M12 or 1/2 inch bolts.

Please be careful about bolt/nut strength/backing plates/washers even if you are just towing a small trailer. If you have anything else in mind be extremely careful!

On or around Thu, 10 Mar 2005 21:39:13 +0000, Colonel Tupperware enlightened us thusly:

no, It won't, the nato ring is larger. What trailer? If it's a 4-wheeler, then you'll need a special thing to fit the DB sliding hitch rails, in order to get the hitch at the right height; the standard height is about in line with the disco bumper.

A sankey or similar will slope downwards, if you mount it lower.

Just been and measured it - the rectangle looks to be about 86x43mm. If you're looking at bolting to a standard DB hitch-mounting plate then that's

12mm thick, and the flanges on the nato hitch are something like about 16mm, so your bolts need to be about 45 or 50mm, I should think.

If you want details of the adapter I made for the DB hitch rails, then these can be supplied. In fact, if anyone does...

Sorted. Fitted a NATO hool (ex. Bedford 4 Tonner) straight on to the Disco's plate. The Trailer, although described as a Sankey is actually a Reynolds Boughton 1 tonne Air Portable with 2 height suspension. On the high setting it looks like a ski jump! Pulled it back from Aylesbury to Bedford without too much hassle. NOw to set about giving it a good service and converting it to how I want it.