HOW To: Make your Andersen pin easier to insert

[John E Davies]

This is the standard pin, it has a very slight and rough 45 degree bevel on the small end:

I used a file and a belt sander to make a nice tapered bullet contour. I polished it with 360 grit sandpaper after reshaping it.

Optional: the holes in the ball mount did not have much of a taper:

I used a 1” drill bit plus tapered polishing stones to open it up and smooth the inside edges where the pin will slide past. You only need to do the left side, the one you normally insert the pin from

Now it slides in with much less fussing and swearing.

John Davies

Spokane WA

Edited June 27, 2020 by John E Davies

[Yukon]

Thanks John, figured as much. The wife found some post that said the pin was installed under the new triangle plate . From the pictures I could not see how that could be. Wishful thinking I guess. I do like your idea on the pin I will give that a try.

[Jim_Oker]

Nice, and thanks  for  sharing. Looks easy enough to do.

Have you by any chance shared this notion directly with the  Anderson  folks as a constructive suggestion for presumably a cheap and simple way of improving their  product?

[BackofBeyond]

I'd bet a beer  -  Anderson would claim the little swaging out JD did was outside their engineering specs... I'd certainly do the same, except I sold  my Anderson. RB

[Jim_Oker]

Yes, that occurred to me too as I  was typing that, but still, I like to  give people a chance to better serve their markets by really thinking about constructive customer input.

[Jim_Oker]

It's certainly  an easy enough thing  to  do  at home (especially with a  mounted belt sander etc. like I have in my shop area) but it seems like they could  probably add a pretty cheap step  and  get more love. Maybe it doesn't  pencil out for them,  maybe it  does.

[Trainman]

I don't see rounding off the end of the pin a problem, but modification to the actual hitch itself in an accident and lawyers today if they can find where modification have been done could cause you big problems in court. It's the same as towing a trailer with a vehicle not rated for the trailer being pulled, know your tow limits and what your tow vehicle will handle under the manufactures ratings. Yes, my 1500 RAM 4X4 needs a WDH, but a 2500 RAM does not for the Elite II, don't cut corners just because you don't want it. 

 

trainman

[John E Davies]

1 hour ago, Trainman said:

I don't see rounding off the end of the pin a problem, but modification to the actual hitch itself in an accident and lawyers today if they can find where modification have been done could cause you big problems in court.

Thanks for bringing this up. You are certainly entitled to your opinion. This mod does nothing to weaken the attach point of the whale tail. The shackles, chain or the welds on the fin would fail long before the solid steel bar it attaches to would break. If anyone is worried about liability, then skip the hole part.

John Davies

Spokane WA

[John E Davies]

This mod is now OBSOLETE, instead of grinding, just buy one of these hitch pins with the great big handle. Thanks to all the Ollie members who suggested this.

 

 

 

John Davies

Spokane WA

 

 

[Ralph Mawyer]

Just watch tight turns as you will bend the handle…

[John E Davies]

If clearance is an issue, you could easily saw off a few inches of the tip and drill a new hole. Mine clears fine, but I have a 3" longer "extended" Andersen stinger.

John Davies

Spokane WA