News: Pintle Hooks and Testing
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News: Pintle Hooks and Testing
Pintle hooks and all other towing couplings over 3500kg must be Dynamic Cyclic tested over 2,000,000 cycles to comply with Australian Design Rules for use on Australian roads.
Towing equipment over 3.5t that is not approved can incur a fine and/or put your vehicle off the road.
Stainless tags on all Couplemate pintle hook products clearly identify these legal requirements.
with weight,
Company name
Rating
and other identified as prescribed by legislation.
D-Value plays a critical role in selecting the correct pintle hook. Select your D-Value from the chart below.
D-Value does not apply to connection devices mounted to the front of a motor vehicle or devices not intended for towing trailers.
The D-Value applies to all vehicles or trailers built after July 2009. VSB1 and DOT bulletins are additional requirements for ADR62/2.
Picking the right pintle hook is critical. The table above identifies the correct pintle hook for your truck and trailer combination.
Firstly, you need the weight of your tow rig and the weight of your trailer. Then it is a simple matter of looking at the chart above and selecting the right D-Value for your pintle hook.
Therefore, to select the right equipment your pintle hook must have a D-Value.
If your supplier is claiming ADR approval, ask him for the CRN number otherwise you cannot select pintle hook for your rig.
Suppliers also claim an SAE rating. SAE means Standard American Equipment. SAE tests are not an acceptable Australian Standard and are not compliant.
For your protection get a CRN number on your invoice or return the goods.
Couplemate is a major supplier of Pintle Hooks, Couplings and associated towing equipment over 3.5t.
If you require a 50mm combination pintle hook, the best low wear version is located here.
How to fix your Pintle Hook installation. Click here
ADR62/2 Applies to all towing equipment over 3.5t. Australia Standards had their origins in Germany and tested to rigorous EU standards.
SAE is the Standard American Equivalent and is less rigorous than the Australian Design Rules.
For example, the test for a pintle hook in the American market cost $300 for a static load test. This test lasts less than a few minutes.
Australian testing to Australian Design rules for pintle hooks testing is expensive.
To give you some idea costs up to $20,000 per a 2 million cyclic test as required by Australian Design Rules for some components.
When shopping for Pintle Hook and other towing equipment, some cheap product has no testing which may explain why it is cheap. SAE is not an accepted standard of testing by DOT Canberra and will likely be rejected by vehicle inspectors.
Furthermore, a label or engraved piece must identify the following as minimum requirements:
Company Name
Rating
Part #
Finally, if you are unsure about Pintle Hooks and Testing, call us on 07 33483822 for an explanation.
Pintle Hooks and Testing