Insert pins

[Horsedoc]

Loaned my Ram 1500 to a relative the other day and upon return the insert from the hitch was in the bed but the pin was missing. I had a pin with a hole that a clip key slid into. I was pretty sure this would not come out as it was hard to pull w/o pliers. Not a big deal to replace but I needed to use the truck. Local hardware and the only thing he had was a Reese pin with a groove around the end that the hairpin style clip fits around. Is on style safer than the other? Just seems like the clip through the pin would be less likely to come out. Am I worried for no reason?

[Grit_dog]

JRscooby wrote:

Grit dog wrote:
How does a thread like this get past like 3 posts?
Rubber bands tape and zip ties? Lol

Y’all don’t generally use locking hitch pins?
Very trusting I suppose?

Never owned a locking hitch pin. Never had ball-mount stolen. I have lost some pins, normally have spares. But sometimes I have not had the retaining pin when needed.

You must live in a nice place and only visit nice places, or very lucky... by your logic, locking anything up is probably silly to you...

To be fair, alot of my missing trailer hitch stingers are attributed to someone else on the jobsite "borrowing" it (and the primary reason I started locking them so I wouldn't have to do the trailer hitch easter egg hunt), but I've lost a couple to plain old theft....a long time ago, before I started locking my hitch onto the truck!

[JRscooby]

Grit dog wrote:
How does a thread like this get past like 3 posts?
Rubber bands tape and zip ties? Lol

Y’all don’t generally use locking hitch pins?
Very trusting I suppose?

Never owned a locking hitch pin. Never had ball-mount stolen. I have lost some pins, normally have spares. But sometimes I have not had the retaining pin when needed.

[Cummins12V98]

Grit dog wrote:
How does a thread like this get past like 3 posts?
Rubber bands tape and zip ties? Lol

Y’all don’t generally use locking hitch pins?
Very trusting I suppose?

I always lock my B&W adjustable with a "straight" locking pin!

[Grit_dog]

How does a thread like this get past like 3 posts?
Rubber bands tape and zip ties? Lol

Y’all don’t generally use locking hitch pins?
Very trusting I suppose?

[JRscooby]

bucky wrote:

mkirsch wrote:

bucky wrote:
They make them with a built in retainer as in the link

Can't lose the pin clicky

Those don't work well in this climate. A little salt and rain, and they seize up.

Good point, I didn't think of that as we are southern. I do remember having some that had a different kind of flipper but they seem to be off the market now. Maybe a bag of small rubber bands for back up when the pin is lost.

I can see how rubber band would work. I posted before I once used tape. (Guess too political?) A zip tie in groove or hole would work for RV use.

[bucky]

mkirsch wrote:

bucky wrote:
They make them with a built in retainer as in the link

Can't lose the pin clicky

Those don't work well in this climate. A little salt and rain, and they seize up.

Good point, I didn't think of that as we are southern. I do remember having some that had a different kind of flipper but they seem to be off the market now. Maybe a bag of small rubber bands for back up when the pin is lost.

[Me_Again]

I tend to say, sure you can use my truck, I will drive!!!!!!

[Horsedoc]

Thanks guys. I will use the grooved pin and check often. Oh, and remove the insert before it leaves the shop next time

[mkirsch]

bucky wrote:
They make them with a built in retainer as in the link

Can't lose the pin clicky

Those don't work well in this climate. A little salt and rain, and they seize up.

[bucky]

They make them with a built in retainer as in the link

Can't lose the pin clicky

[valhalla360]

Not that I would ever recommend going without the retaining clip, reality is the pin is very unlikely to come out even without the retaining clip. The clip should never be under any significant stress.

I've had both and never had one come off. If it was an issue, you could expect there to have been lawsuits and an unsuitable design would have long ago left the market.

[Cummins12V98]

You need a straight pin without the curved end. Problem is the curved end will cause an egg shaped hole in the receiver. This has been discussed thoroughly on the TDR.

[Grit_dog]

Not an issue OP.

[p220sigman]

I've used both and never had either one lose the clip. The grooved one was easier for me because I didn't have worry about the orientation of the clip hole when putting the pin in.

[PA12DRVR]

I tend to lose pins and clips at a 1 x per year basis since I set it down ("I'll remember that location") and then walk away or drop it in the snow or something similar. My "fleet" (4 vehicles, 3 UTV/ATV, all with receiver hitches of one size or the other) was equipped with the Reese pins with grove. As I lose them, I'm replacing with the style the OP mentioned in his post.

I've never had either style clip or pin come out without an external (i.e. me) influence.