PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-575
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 575
OCTOBER 2000
PS 575
3
PS 575
2
OCT 00
Tractor-Trailer Rigs . . .
Brakes/Air System
To check the trailer’s brakes and air
system, you’ll need the tractor. Set the
trailer’s brakes with the tractor’s trailer
brake hand control. Move the tractor
slightly ahead to make sure the brakes
hold—then release them. Note: Make
sure you completely release the brakes.
Eyeball the gladhands. Take a look
at their air lines for chafing, bending
or crimping.
Eyeball the air lines from the air
tanks to the brake diaphragm. Make
sure there are no cut or pinched lines.
eavy haulers need heavy doses of
preventive maintenance, especially in
times of heavy use. Tractors generally
get the big end of maintenance, ’cause
if they can’t pull, the load doesn’t go!
However, if the trailer’s not main-
tained just as well, what’s that tractor
got to pull? Zip, zero, zilch!
Here are several tractor-trailer PM
tips that’ll come in handy for keeping
your rig on the road and haulin’:
Frame/Suspension
For the tractor to pull any trailer, the
fifth wheel’s got to be in good PM
condition. A light coat of GAA is all
that’s needed on the fifth wheel base
plate and approach plate. Lube them
Fifth wheel
according to the vehicle’s LO, usually
every 1,000 miles or monthly. A
1
/
4
-in
coating will do.
Too much lube attracts dirt and crud
and can damage the fifth wheel or the
trailer’s kingpin.
On trailers, look
for cracks around
welds, bolts and
rivets at these sites:
Crossmembers,
tiedown points,
side rails, upper
coupler, subframe
and rear bumper.
Get under the trailer
and eyeball the
springs for cracks
or breaks. Kick the
U-bolts to see if
they’re loose. Take
a look at the axles
for bending or
alignment problems.
yee haw!!
sing
it
purty
,
willie!
H
If the brakes remain on the least bit,
they’ll heat up and maybe catch fire.
Lightly coat with GAA
Springs
Broken springs? Loose U-bolts
or hardware? Axles bent or
out-of-alignment?
Brakes
Test trailer brakes with hand control
Air lines
Eyeball air lines at brake diaphragms for
bent or pinched lines
Gladhands / hoses
Test trailer brakes with hand control
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