Why a Spare Set of Hitch Pins Matters

A truck and tractor pull can place a sharp shock load through the trailer coupling each time the machine digs in. A bent tow pin, sheared retaining clip or damaged mounting hole can therefore create problems far beyond the pull itself. The vehicle may be stranded on the track, and a crowded event ground may have no suitable replacement hardware close at hand.

That is why having a spare set of hitch pins is sensible preparation rather than an unnecessary luxury. A proper set gives a crew a matched backup for the towing pins, retaining clips and small pieces that can be lost or damaged. It supports a quick change, helps keep the trailer secure and allows the team to keep moving without a long trip to a trailer-parts supplier.

Those needs become especially familiar in regional Australia. Pulling crews often travel between country towns and agricultural shows, sometimes covering long stretches of the Newell, Stuart or Mitchell highways with a ute and trailer in tow. Roads may be corrugated, dusty or wet, while a useful workshop can be many kilometres away. Carrying the right spares is part of making those journeys practical.

The same discipline applies at home competitions and overseas events. Organisers can publish schedules, safety requirements and registration details, yet each crew remains responsible for its own equipment and contingency planning. A compact, correctly matched and well-labelled spare pin set is cheap insurance against a minor failure that otherwise becomes a missed class, a costly recovery or a trip home.

When One Missing Part Stops the Action

Pin failures often happen where the crew least wants them: after a heavy pull, while the engine is hot and the crowd is gathering. The coupling may look intact even when a pin has developed a crack, worn retaining clip or distorted hole. A quick inspection is essential, because pushing on with damaged hardware can damage the hitch, trailer and towing vehicle.

Having two correctly sized spares changes that moment from diagnosis to repair. One spare can replace a failed pin, while the second preserves redundancy if the first part is not actually the problem. Crews can also compare wear patterns before deciding whether the coupling needs workshop attention rather than another roadside adjustment.

A spare set is not permission to neglect inspection. The same care applies to the fitted pins: check the head, shaft, retaining hardware and mounting points after every pull where possible. Any component with visible distortion, impact marks or uncertain history should be replaced and removed from service, not kept as an emergency backup.

What to Carry in the Spare Pin Set

Start with the coupling rather than the spare box. Measure the towing pin diameter and usable length, note the head style, and identify the retaining clip or locking mechanism. Many trailer connections use two pins, but their arrangement can differ between ball, gooseneck and drawbar systems. A set that looks familiar may be the wrong fit for the trailer.

Useful additions include two matching tow pins, spare linchpins or locking clips, the correct washers, and any manufacturer-specified locking device. Hardware sold in a metre or farm-supply bin may not be suitable for competition towing, so markings and load ratings matter. Items should be clean enough to inspect and free from rust, gouges or thread damage.

The Great Lakes Truck and Tractor Pulling Association publishes related advice on selecting suitable hardware. That is a useful prompt to check the actual coupling and its requirements. Those details should be reconciled with the trailer builder’s instructions, the vehicle handbook and the event safety rules before parts are bought for a race day.

Choosing the Right Carrying Option

The practical difference comes down to redundancy, weight and how far the crew is travelling. A single loose pin may handle one predictable failure, whereas a matched set covers both fitted positions and reduces the chance that a substitute will not match. A larger kit suits long-distance travel, provided everything remains securely packed.

Carrying option	What it usually includes	Where it fits best	Limitation to consider
Single spare pin	One correctly sized towing pin and basic retaining piece	Local meets with a nearby parts supplier	No backup if both fitted pins are damaged or the spare also has a hidden defect
Matched pin set	Two compatible tow pins, clips or linchpins, washers and required locks	Regular competition use and regional travel	Parts must match the coupling exactly and remain protected from corrosion
Full travel kit	Matched set plus locking tools, short lengths of approved hardware and documentation	Long-distance touring or crews supporting several trailers	More weight and more items to inspect, organise and replace

For most Australian pulling crews, the matched set is the practical balance. It handles the common failure without turning the ute into a mobile workshop. A full travel kit becomes more valuable when the event is beyond easy reach of a tow shop, a farm supplier or a trailer manufacturer, but even that option should contain only parts the crew knows how to use.

Match the Hardware to the Hitch

Correct size is only the beginning. The spare must suit the pin’s grade and the connection’s rated load. A strong-looking piece of steel can still be unsuitable if its metallurgy, finish or locking system does not match the manufacturer’s design. Record the part numbers and measurements for every trailer in the crew’s fleet, especially if one ute tows different combinations to different shows.

Do not bend, grind, weld or alter a towing pin to force a fit. Any such work can weaken the pin or change its dimensions without anyone noticing. If the original pattern is unavailable, seek an approved replacement from the trailer or hitch manufacturer and confirm that the vehicle’s towing capacity and the trailer’s rated load remain appropriate for the event.

Australian road rules apply to the journey to the pull just as competition rules apply on the track. Check state and territory requirements for towing equipment, registration, licence plates, safety chains and load restraint. The driver must remain within the tow rating of the vehicle, and passengers should not be carried in the trailer or on an unsecured load. The spare kit never raises those limits.

Keep Spares Clean, Secure and Easy to Find

Storage can damage good hardware before it is needed. Corrugated roads shake a toolbox hard, summer heat raises the temperature, and dust or rain can enter a poorly sealed compartment. A hitch pin dropped in an ordinary tool bag may become scratched, muddy or lost under sockets and spanners. Keep competition pins together in a purpose-made pouch or fitted section of the tool chest.

Mark the pouch with the trailer type, pin diameter, length and required clip, then seal separate pieces in labelled bags. Rust inhibitor suited to the metal can protect the shafts, while a light film of clean oil helps threads and moving lock parts. Retain the inspection instructions and a simple sketch showing which pin fits where. That makes a handover between drivers much easier.

Make the check routine at the start of each trip, after a rough crossing and before leaving a venue. Look for bent heads, ovalised holes, damaged threads and weakened clips. Australian crews often use the word “spare” for just about anything from a washer to a full fuel can, so a labelled towing-pin pouch avoids an expensive mix-up when someone asks, “Have you got a spare?”

Plan Around Events and Local Support

Event information should be part of the same planning process. Before travelling, confirm the class, track surface, arrival time, scrutineering requirements and any specified towing equipment. For readers following the Great Lakes Truck and Tractor Pulling Association, its association schedules and notices provide dates, locations, registrations, results and updates that can be checked against the crew’s own gear.

Local knowledge is equally valuable. A regional supplier may stock common trailer pins but not competition-grade locking hardware, while a general workshop may have the tools to straighten or cut a component but not the authority to certify it. Telephone ahead when a non-standard part is required and carry the trailer builder’s contact details. That simple step can prevent a wasted trip around a country town.

Allow enough time to obtain a replacement rather than treating the event as the first place to test a new design. At an agricultural show, club meet or pulling event, ask the organiser where technical support and scrutineering will be based. Crews from neighbouring districts may be able to share a supplier location or a suitable spare, but this works best when pins and hitch requirements have been recorded in advance.

Build a Pull-Day Spare Kit

A useful kit is organised around the failure it is meant to solve. Match it to the trailer, keep it accessible and inspect it as carefully as the fitted hardware. The following checklist is suitable for a ute, prime mover or tractor that tows a competition trailer to regional and interstate shows.

• Measure every towing pin and carrying position; write the diameter, length and head style on the pouch.
• Carry a matched two-pin set with the exact clips, linchpins, washers and locks required by the coupling.
• Record part numbers, load ratings and trailer identification inside the case for quick confirmation.
• Inspect pins and retainers for cracks, rust, impact damage and thread wear before and after travel.
• Secure the kit against movement and moisture, keeping sharp hardware together in a closed, labelled pouch.
• Review event instructions, towing limits, registration and load-restraint requirements before departure.

Make the spare set a fixed item on the pre-trip checklist and include it in the vehicle’s recovery gear. Keep a second copy of the measurements and a photograph of the fitted coupling with the paperwork, but leave the actual spare where it can be reached without unloading the trailer. A prepared kit turns an awkward delay into a manageable roadside job.

Before the next pulling meet, confirm the hitch specification, pack the matched hardware and book a check of the towing setup. A few minutes at the workshop can preserve a whole competition day—and give the crew confidence that a roadside pin problem will not decide the result.