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| Caterham Member Since: 06 Nov 2008 Location: Birmingham Posts: 6266   
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hi,
just bought a NATO hitch and might be getting myself a sankey the weekend. problems which your help with solving would be much appreciated...... - currentyly have the standard LR tow hook arrangement which as some of you will know this kind of gets in the way of where the NATO hitch should go? - also I'm guessing regardless of suggestions above where will I be able to get necessary bolts asap - I'm going to be looking to swap from ording 58mm ball to Nato and back. |
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17th Feb 2011 1:07pm |
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| ken Member Since: 18 Aug 2009 Location: Banging Birds with my bitches !! Posts: 4328 
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There are Hitch and Ball thingys out there how good I dont know I use a 2" receiver so can swap between 50mm ball recovery point or Nato hitch
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17th Feb 2011 1:13pm |
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| Sonic3d Member Since: 28 Jan 2008 Location: Ross on Wye Posts: 1505 
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As Ken says the best solution is a 2" reciever type hitch (safari equip sell one) one drop plate with your 50mm ball and they sell a drop plate with the correct hole ctrs for the nato hitch
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17th Feb 2011 1:20pm |
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| 110SEB Member Since: 29 Jan 2009 Location: Essex, England Posts: 1444 
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We have a Dixon Bate slider and it works perfectly. Two plates - one with a ball on and the other with the Nato jaw on. The added benefit is that when you're not going to be doing any towing for a while, you can take the plates off and save your shins from bruises every time you fiddle in the boot. I've not seen a set up with the fixed braket on a Defender.
I'm not sure how comfortable i'd be using a pin and ball set up as the Sanket eye is a whopper. Doesn't matter though as you have a Nato jaw Caterham. Are you bidding on eBlag for a Sankey? |
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17th Feb 2011 2:13pm |
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| Zagato Site Supporter Member Since: 08 Jan 2011 Location: Billingshurst West Sussex Posts: 4992
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Yep, Dixon Bate adjustable towing set up with a NATO hitch. If you are going off road you will need the rotating type NATO hitch not the fixed hitch.
My NATO rotating type is pictured below and as said, easy just to whip off when not needed - weighs a ton as well, no point in carrying extra weight about. Go for a good nos or good second hand one, (£50 max) as some of the new ones advertised have been found wanting in quality.  Click image to enlarge Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated  |
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17th Feb 2011 2:20pm |
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| Caterham Member Since: 06 Nov 2008 Location: Birmingham Posts: 6266
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thanks everyone.....
kind of thought the Dixon Bate drop plate was the answer but hoped / thought there might be an easy / cheaper alternative. 110 SEB - yes looking on eblag. and yes already have a second hand / rotating jobbie just as per Zagato's photo. is anyone now going to offer me a wolf mk 111 in excellent condition for £50 ? 
 thought so. |
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17th Feb 2011 2:46pm |
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| 110SEB Member Since: 29 Jan 2009 Location: Essex, England Posts: 1444
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Caterham, Sankey prices on eBay have recently been ridiculous. Don't forget about the prices at the ex MOD suppliers - like Witham Specialist Vehicles, who sell good Wolf wide tracks for £250+. Some old rust bucket narrows have been going for £400+ on eBay.
Let us know how you get on. I am looking for a wide track Sankey to replace my old narrow track (bought for £90, sold for £170) when there's some spare cash! |
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17th Feb 2011 2:53pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 16979 
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The downside with the receiver type is that (as far as I know) none of this type is actually type approved. I am well aware that the issue of whether or not it needs to be is not fully established, but the use of a DB type avoids any doubt.
The only downside the the DB type really is the reduction in departure angle - the bottom of the hitch often acts as a plough, but in more than 30 years of driving Landrovers of various types in sometime quite extreme terrain, this has never caused me any significant problems. The ability easily to select the optimum height of the coupling is also a blessing. |
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17th Feb 2011 3:49pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 16979
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There are no pin/jaw couplings available which are suitable for a NATO 3" ring - the only correct coupling is one of the matching hook pintle types. |
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17th Feb 2011 3:52pm |
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| JSG Member Since: 12 Jul 2007 Location: Berkshire Posts: 2412
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Not true - Dixon Bate make some but they tend to work out dearer than a NATO hitch. Clicky Link John http://www.hampshire4x4response.co.uk 2011 Tdci 110 CSW XS |
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17th Feb 2011 4:04pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 16979
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Sorry, I have to disagree with this. A Sankey trailer, which has a rotating ring coupling, should never be towed on a free-to-rotate pintle - the pintle must be fixed - due to the risk of inversion. The pintle is only designed to take the towing loads the right way up (applying the trailer noseweight to an inverted hook is dangerous). It is also essential that a locking pin is fitted to the jaw of the hook whenever it is in use since these hooks have often been known to come open without a pin fitted. The only situation when a rotating hook should be used free to rotate is if the towed equipment has a fixed towing eye (such as a hollebone A-frame, for example) which cannot itself rotate. There is always a risk with the NATO hook/ring set up when used with a rotating trailer drawbar of bending the drawbar (or the rear crossmember or both) under conditions of extreme coupling articulation. This is nothing to do with the terrain, per se, but is caused by the fact that under extreme lock (or jacknife) conditions the side of the ring which is not in the jaw can drop round to the bottom of the jaw (in effect the trailer eye swivels to a vertical alignment instead of a horizontal alignment). When the vehicle draws forward, the coupling tries to straighten up but cannot of itself swing back to the horizontal (there is no restorative force, since it is gravity which made it vertical) and the result is that either the shaft (if you're lucky) or the rear crossmember (if you're unlucky) bends. This is also the main reason that the LR mounting kit for a NATO pintle includes reinforcement for the rear crossmember. There is, unfortunately, nothing that can be done to prevent this except either locking up the drawbar so it cannot rotate (not possible on a standard trailer) or avoiding such drastic articulation in the first place. As long as you are aware of the potential for this to happen and understand why and how it happens, it should not be a problem. |
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17th Feb 2011 4:09pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 16979
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OK thanks! I hadn't seen that in the spec, and I take back my comment! I actually have one of those for towing a trailer with a 40mm ring coupling and I didn't think the NATO ring actually fitted, but clearly it does. Unfortunately I sold my own Sankey trailer a year or two back so can't try it. You will have the same problem with the risk of the ring dropping and bending the drawbar shaft with one of these as you would with a NATO pintle. |
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17th Feb 2011 4:13pm |
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| Sonic3d Member Since: 28 Jan 2008 Location: Ross on Wye Posts: 1505
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Not all Sankey trailers have a rotating ring, my widetrack one didn`t and had a label on it saying to use a rotating coupling on the towing vehicle not sure about the older Sankies as you said if the trailer has a rotating coupling the vehicle hook should be locked from rotating |
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17th Feb 2011 4:28pm |
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| Caterham Member Since: 06 Nov 2008 Location: Birmingham Posts: 6266
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so I've got a rotating ring (lockable if necessary) and I'm thinking the mk 111 wolf trailers have a fixed ring - so all ok there.
back to the dixon bate slider which looks like the most convenient option ....but its going to cost ! I did wonder if removing the standard set up and leaving the NATO on for most of the time ? but for this to be remotely practical I'd need to look at relocating the electrics..... does anyone know how to go about relocating this into the rear member which I've seen done? |
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17th Feb 2011 4:37pm |
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