How Hitch Cinch Came to Be:

In the late 1970’s I first became aware of the need for a hitch-tightening mechanism when I hooked my pickup to a new boat. The pickup’s hitch was high, and the boat trailer was low. The hitch insert had about a twelve-inch drop and moved laterally about ¾ of an inch at the ball. After a summer of trips to the lake, that movement had increased to more than an inch. A simple solution seemed to be drilling a hole through the bottom of the receiver, welding a nut, and installing a jam bolt. And that is what I did. But it would stay tight for only a short period of time. It would always work loose, and the jam bolt would dig itself into the insert, creating a damaged area on the insert. Even though this “solution” was not perfect, I used it for many years.

When I started my construction business in 1986, frequent heavy trailer towing became normal. We were constantly tightening the jam bolts as they just would not stay tight. And since they weren’t tight, the hitches, pins and inserts were experiencing significant wear and damage.

I came up with the idea of a captured but free-floating piston that would press against the insert. The larger surface area of the piston would prevent damage to the insert and the close tolerance between the piston and bore would prevent internal movement. That, along with about four tons of pressure exerted by the tee bolt, would create a tight, secure fit. This design would not require modifications to inserts, would work on both tube-type and solid inserts, and would tighten with just a simple turn of the tee bolt.

The result is Hitch Cinch. This patented, simple mechanism quickly and absolutely tightens the insert to the receiver. Changing the insert is quickly accomplished by loosening the tensioning screw, removing the hitch pin and insert, inserting a different inset, reinstalling the pin, and tightening Hitch Cinch’s tee bolt.