Q1. Is the McHitch Uniglide trailer coupling an 'off-road only' coupling?
No! The McHitch Uniglide trailer coupling was developed to be the safest all purpose coupling for all types of towing situations. Through strength comes reliability and safety and through these pillars this coupling has proven to be far ahead of any other coupling for off road use. Its articulation is over 105 degrees with a total angle available of 210 degrees in all situations. This compares to current poly-block couplings which have an articulation angle of no more than 36 degrees and a total angle of 72 degrees. McHitch also has a heavy duty 6 tonne model available with identical articulation angles as its smaller brother and is ideally suited to extreme off road and commercial use.
Q2. What makes the McHitch Uniglide Trailer coupling the safest on the market?
The fundamental difference between the McHitch system and all other
couplings on the market is McHitch has the point of attachment separate to the point of movement and the resultant wear. With a ball and coupling the wear can reach a point where the trailer can come adrift from the tow vehicle. With the McHitch coupling there is a multiple locking system which makes it impossible for the coupling to detach from the tow vehicle. This is vitally important for those who may be towing one or more horses in a horse float, a lovingly restored priceless car on a car trailer, or that new bayliner being taken for it's first wet run. on a boat trailer. Even more important is the safety of others on the road, a detached trailer coming adrift turns into a missile that can and HAS killed people when colliding with incoming traffic.
Q3. I don't trust a universal joint! They are unreliable, my father/uncle/brother has plenty of horror stories of universal joints breaking and failing when working on the farm.
Universal joint technology has made leaps and bounds since the days of the grey motor Holden. Universal joints used in PTO situations were typically undersized for their intended use, were poorly maintained and were often used at angles of rotation in excess of their ability which caused failure under load. The universal joint used in the 3.5 tonne McHitch is from a Toyota Landcruiser which have a typical life of up to 500 000 KM. |
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| A typical poorly maintained agricultural universal joint |
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Q4. Universal joints can handle great forces when in a cyclic motion, but can they handle the back and forth force towing strain?
This is a question asked many times over and shows a great misconception about the strength of universal joints. ADR testing of the McHitch Uniglide coupling placed around 5-6 tonnes load in tension and compression with no sign of stress in the universal. Universal joints are used in a variety of commercial situations both in a cyclic and tension dependant situations. Sawmills use universal joints to hold and machine large logs with the loading similar to our couplings.
The universal joint is made up simply of a set of 4 arms, with 4 caps on each arm which contain a row of roller bearings in a circular fashion set on inside the cap. These allow the caps to rotate when needed while eliminating any play between the cap and the arm.
Any forces applied on the cap are transferred through the roller bearings and onto the arm directly, regardless of whether or not the force is applied in a traditional 'cyclic' fashion or back and forth. When under load, a universal joint fitted in a driveshaft spreads the load to all 4 arms, and this same philosophy is applied when fitted to the McHitch Uniglide; all 4 arms share the load of towing.
Q5. How often does the universal joint and the coupling body need greasing and what grease should I use?
Under normal circumstances the grease in the universal joint and rear housing would rarely, if ever, need renewing. Though, if the joint is submerged under water and moisture is present in the joints then greasing would be recommended after each such time, which is easily done as grease nipples are provided on both the universal joint and rear housing. We recommend a good quality all purpose bearing grease.
Q6. How is the universal joint held in place?
McHitch has decided that safety comes ahead of cost when designing the Uniglide system. One side of the universal joint is held in place by a 'register'. This register is a blind hole that holds one end of the universal joint and carries the weight in the vertical plane and prevents the universal from moving under load. This system is also employed in the horizontal plane to take care of side loads .Threaded plugs provide a positive location of the universal and are capable of withstanding loads of several tonnes. They can be adjusted for pre-load with the optional McHitch pin spanner to eliminate any play and hammer in the coupling, a problem that plagues all other couplings.
Q7. If I need to replace the universal where can I buy one and are they readily available?
The 3.5 tonne versions are fitted with an industry standard Toyota Landcruiser universal joint Industry part no. RUJ 2041, manufactured in Japan and are readily available at all automotive spare outlets and Toyota Genuine dealers nationwide. Costs vary between $35.00 and $70.00. The 6 tonne version is fitted with a 6 tonne truck universal Industry part no. K5GB22R, manufactured in Japan and is available from most bearing suppliers nationwide. Costs vary between $60 and $90.
Q8. Is the McHitch compatible with all over ride brake systems?
The McHitch 3.5 tonne over ride versions are compatible with all current braking systems whether they be hydraulic or mechanical.
Q9. Does the McHitch Uniglide Trailer coupling suit all towbars?
Yes. The McHitch has been built from the ground up to be fully compatible with all popular towbar configurations. For non-standard situations, such as the aforementioned late model Prado's with their proprietary narrow towbar tongue, adaptors are available.
Q10. Does the McHitch Uniglide Trailer coupling suit all trailers?
The McHitch system is compatible with all trailers. For applications over 3500kg, we recommended the 6 tonne unit be fitted.
Q11. Where is the McHitch Uniglide coupling cast, machined and assembled?
McHitch is proudly Australian made and owned. White Industries in Dalby Queensland manufacture most of the components and are assembled in the Lithgow Factory in New South Wales.
Q12. Walk me through attaching a McHitch Uniglide Trailer coupling to my vehicle.
The McHitch system is just as simple and in some respects even easier than attaching a normal 50mm ball coupling. Firstly, replace the normal ball with the stainless steel tapered pin and bolt the main body of the coupling to your trailer. Place the tow vehicle beneath the coupling and lower the trailer so that the coupling body lowers onto and fits snugly over the tapered pin, making sure that the two lugs on the base of the McHitch fit securely over the sides of the tow tongue. If your tongue is narrower than the standard size of 76 mm, McHitch can supply an adaptor plate (for example, some Toyota Landcruiser Prados have a non-standard 50mm wide tongue).
Tighten the billet aluminium hand wheel firmly. The ratchet trigger engages with ridges set on the hand wheel which prevent the wheel from loosening due to vibration. If you are towing a heavy trailer long distances or find tightening by hand difficult you can use the hitch pin to tighten or loosen the hand wheel by inserting the pin in the holes provided. Next, insert the hitch pin through the coupling body and insert the locking 'hairpin'. With this second hitch pin inserted you now have a secondary fail-safe mechanism. With the optional key lock you can also attach the lock body to the pin to prevent theft. |
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| 6 tonne unit fitted with anti-theft pin |
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The fundamental difference between Mchitch and all other couplings is that the point of attachment is separate to the point of wear. McHitch uses a properly engineered roller bearing to provide movement and prevent wear. Compare this to the Fred Flintstone solutions employed in most couplings.
Q13. Is the McHitch Uniglide trailer coupling available in a range of colours or only yellow?
Like Henry Ford said, the McHitch is available in any colour you wish; as long as it's yellow! WE have chosen to use 'safety yellow' to further highlight the safety benefits of the McHitch towing system, while also making night time hitching easier.
Q14. Do I need to grease the tow pin?
No! There is no need to grease the pin because there is no movement between the body and the point of attachment. One huge advantage of the McHitch is that all grease required is contained in the universal and the rear body, not on the pin . Because the pin is stainless steel there is no need to cover it up when not in use either, it will not rust when exposed to the elements.
Q15. Are you sure the threaded shaft holding the tow pin to the tow tongue is sufficient for towing?
The threaded section on the tapered pin to suit the 3500kg McHitch is the same threaded section as the pin on any standard 3500kg towball; the length, the width, the thread type and pitch are all the identical. Obviously it has been engineered to be the same to maintain compatibility with hole sizes in existing tow tongues, whether they be square hitch receiver or bolt on flat style. This size thread has proven more then adequate for the purposes of towing, but to increase strength further, the McHitch system is engineered in such a way where most of the towing force is located at the base of the pin (where it mates with the towbar tongue) - the widest and strongest point.
Q16. Is the thread on the hand wheel sufficient for securing the coupling to the Stainless Steel tapered pin?
Again, McHitch has put safety ahead of cost. The grade 8, 9/16 UNC bolt has a breaking strain of 12 tonnes, far in excess of what is required. Even if this mechanism were to fail due to overloading or was not secured properly by the user, the coupling is still secured by the 5/8 hitch pin inserted through the body, this is the same pin you now use in your square hitch pin receiver.
Most couplings only use one locking system, the McHitch uniglide use two separate systems, the hand wheel removes all play from the attached coupling body and the hitch pin provides the ultimate safety feature to prevent the trailer separating from the tow vehicle.
Q17. If my trailer is fitted with a McHitch Uniglide coupling, how am I able to still attach my older light duty box trailer which still runs a ball coupling? As it's used sparingly, I'd rather not have the outlay on another McHitch coupling for it also..
The ideal solution for your problem, is to keep an extra tow bar tongue fitted with a towball on hand and simply switch between them when necessary. No tools are required to do this, so this is a quick and painlesss method for interchanging between the old and the new.
Q18. What is the life expectancy of the McHitch compared to a ball and coupling?
A Landcruiser universal joint, such as the one fitted to the McHitch Uniglide, can have a life expectancy of up to 500,000 km under normal automotive use. We would expect that the McHitch will have even greater life expectancy due to significantly less force being applied to it when in a towing situation. This is many hundreds time greater then that of a ball and coupling which, under certain conditions, can have alarming rates of wear, particularly in sandy terrain and if they are greased.
Q19. I lost the hitch pin! Am I able to get a replacement easily?
Yes. The hitch pins are a standard item which are utilised in all square hitch pin receivers and are available at all spare parts outlets for around $12 to $15.The McHitch Unglide can and will still operate without the hitch pin inserted, but it is strongly recommended that one be fitted as soon as possible as it is a key safety feature.
Q20. Does the tow pin need regular replacing like a traditional towball?
No. We would expect that under normal circumstances the stainless steel tow pin should last indefinitely as absolutely no wear is placed upon it nor will it deteriorate when exposed to the elements. Spare tow pins will be available from McHitch.com.au at around $49.95 each.
Q21. Does the McHitch Uniglide trailer coupling have provision for an anti-theft device?
Yes. When you purchase the McHitch coupling we can supply an optional hitch pin with a key lock attached. These are also available from all good spare parts outlets. This can function in two ways, first it can be inserted through the coupling when attached to the tow vechicle to prevent uncoupling and re-coupling to another vehicle, and it can also be inserted though the coupling when not attached to prevent someone hooking your trailer up to their tow vehicle as the tow pin can not be inserted with the hitch pin blocking access.
Q22. I have wagon/van with a rear opening door. How high does the McHitch sit when connected to the tow vehicle and will it impede my ability to access the back of the car via the rear door?
No. A typical quick release ball coupling is 190mm high and the McHitch is only 150mm at it's highest point.
Q23. Is reversing with the McHitch fitted to the trailer a lot harder?
No. The McHitch does not pivot on the tow pin as the point of attachment is separate to the point of articulation, but just like all other couplings it still only has one pivot point (the universal joint) making reversing with the McHitch attached no more difficult.
Q24. Is the McHitch Uniglide trailer coupling compatible with all types of weight distributing systems including the Hayman Reese?
McHitch can supply adaptor plates to fit the Hayman Reese and 'Car Van' weight distribution bars. We can also supply custom adaptors for other systems which are currently coming on the market. Because the McHitch coupling does not rely on huge draw bar weights to hold the coupling on to the pin unlike most ball and coupling systems, McHitch can operate with a much lower draw bar weight. In some situations it may be possible to redistribute the weight of the trailer to achieve a maximum 150kg draw bar weight.
Q25. What warranty does McHitch offer?
McHitch Uniglide Trailer Couplings warrants all McHitch towing products to be free from defects in material and workmanship, under normal use and service, for a period of 24 months from the original invoice date. This warranty is applicable only to the original purchaser (name on invoice) and is non-transferable.
This warranty does not cover, and McHitch Uniglide Trailer Couplings are not liable for, the cost of replacement, repair of, or replacement parts of couplings which have been subjected to misuse, negligence, accident, exceeding weight restrictions, improper installation, modification, lack of maintenance (greasing etc) or normal deterioration due to wear and exposure, or defects caused by unauthorised repairs. If any product or part returned to McHitch Unilgide Trailer Couplings is found to have a fault or otherwise failed due to any of the reasons above (but not limited to) the product or part will be returned to the original purchaser who will also bear any return freight costs.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL MCHITCH UNIGLIDE TRAILER COUPLINGS BE LIABLE FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO DAMAGE TO OR LOSS OF OTHER PROPERTY OR EQUIPMENT.
If you believe a Mchitch Uniglide product to be defective cease use immediately and contact us directly by either phone, email or fax (contact details available in the 'contact us' section of the website).The original purchaser also understands that any freight charges involved in returning the defective product to McHitch Uniglide trailer couplings will be borne by them. If the product is found to be defective or otherwise faulty the original purchaser will be entitled under this limited warranty to repair or replacement (at the option of McHitch Uniglide Trailer Couplings) of the defective product or part. The repair or replacement of the product or part under this limited warranty will be made by McHitch Uniglide Trailer Couplings without charge for parts or labor or the cost of returning the repaired or replaced product or part to the original purchaser. |
