Adding a HD pintle?

air activated has air ram rod which eliminates the slack.https://www.rcpw.com/truck-accessor...1Wg8iyQv-XaeiySlNAJfcYEEfyXC5l3wVFxoCFTjw_wcB

 

Another thing you'll need is a spot to hook your safety chains to. Also you'll need to run service and supply lines as well as electrical to the tailframe. You'll need to install shut off valves on all your glad hands as well. IIRC we'd plumb the air pot for the pintle hitch into the trailer supply so the slack would be released when the trailer brakes are applied but you can hook it up to a dump valve in the cab as well. You'll want a heavy duty steel crossmember at the back with heavy duty gussetts. Only Grade 8 mounting hardware on any of those parts as well.

 

OK, as long as you are adding a pintle hook, why not also add a 2 inch receiver hitch for towing smaller trailers, then add an electric brake controller to the 7 way spade light receptical, different than a standard light cord plug. Seen several styles, but the ones that looked the best were where they boxed in the rear of the frame with a thick piece of vertical steel mounted the pintle hook on it and supported the steel with 45 degree braces toward the frame rails. The pintle hooks on the freight tractors are usually only rated for 4000 lbs, just enough to pull the counter dolly ONLY. Heavier hooks have larger bolts securing the assembly, look at construction trucks, those with pintle hooks usually have larger hooks.

 

Towing a trailer that doesn't have air brakes and does not require the trailer air button pushed in only gives you brakes on the rear axles of your tractor. The front brakes will not come on until you make a panic stop, then the air controlled valve will send air to the front brakes.

 

What would be better is a pusher setup.
That would give you the much needed weight on your single drive axle.

 

If your truck is a run-of-the-mill highway tractor without a double frame, you'll want to reinforce the mounting area around the pintle, as well.... those are typically installed so someone pulling doubles can move a congear... put any weight to them, and it stresses that crossmember and causes it to bow out.



This one had to be doubled at the rear crossmember. In spite of the specs (525 N14, 18 spd., 3.73s) the pintle mounting was only suitable for congears and particularly light stuff originally.... owner had the crossmember reinforced and the original pintle replaced with a much heavier duty one (and air actuated, at that).