PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-719
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 719
OCTOBER 2012
5
PS 719
OCT 12
•±
Always
raise
or
lower
the
ramp
completely.
Don’t
lower
the
ramp
partially to give Soldiers a seat or to
carry equipment, especially when slat
armor is installed. Just leaving the ramp
partially opened for a while can stretch
the chains. Extra weight from you
and your buddies just makes it worse.
And make sure you open and close
the ramp smoothly. Flipping the ramp
switch up and down will make the ramp
jump and jerk as it moves. That puts
extra strain on the hydraulic rams and
can blow the seals.
•±
Remove
any
water
buildup under the floor
plates, then have your
mechanic give the ramp
chains a light coat of
GAA semiannually to
prevent rust.
Sometimes only the
portion of the chain
that shows when the
ramp
is
down
gets
lubed.
There’s
quite
a bit more wrapped
around the pulleys and
hidden
beneath
the
floor plates. So make
sure he lubes all of
the chain.
•±
Give the ramp chain
pulleys
a
few
shots
of GAA, too. A well-
greased
ramp
chain
won’t do much good
if the pulleys seize up.
There’s a lube point at
the top and bottom of
both housings holding
the pulleys. The bottom
ones are easy to miss.
•±
You cannot lower the ramp
fully if the tow pintle is
installed. It juts out enough
that the ramp will hit and
bend
the
pintle
shaft.
Until it’s actually needed,
remove and stow the pintle
and replace it with the pintle
plug, NSN 5340-20-001-0203.
That keeps dirt and moisture
out of the vehicle. You’ll also
need an O-ring, NSN 5331-
00-585-1068, and a lock pin,
NSN
to
install
the
plug
properly.
± Note± that± this± information± is± for± flat-bottomed± Strykers,± not± the± newly± fielded±
double±V-hulled±(DVH)±vehicles.±These±parts±will±not±fit±DVH±Strykers.
•±
If the ramp is slow or balky,
it could be a sign of hydraulic
problems.
Open
the
rear
service hatch and eyeball the
vertical tube at the back. If the
fluid is
1
/
4
to
1
/
2
full in the tube,
the hydraulic level is OK.
If the hydraulic level is too
high (above
1
/
2
full), hydraulic
seals will blow. Too low (below
1
/
4
full) and you’ll have trouble
raising
and
lowering
the
ramp. The annunciator panel
should flash and sound if
the hydraulic fluid drops below
6
1
/
2
gallons.
•±
Never exceed the load
capacity for the ramp
and
ramp
door.
The
ramp chains may stretch
or break and you can
ruin the hydraulics. The
ramp door seal or hinges
could
be
damaged.
With slat armor, the
ramp’s load capacity is
1,000 pounds and the
door’s load capacity is
500 pounds.
Install pintle plug when tow pintle is stored
Don’t flip ramp switch up
and down repeatedly
Be sure to lube
unexposed chain, too
Level above
1
/
2
full can blow seals!
Lube top…
…and bottom pulleys
of each chain
c’mon!
lemme
in!
are You
kiddin’?! All this
extra weight
would
squash
you like a
bug!
719 04-05.indd
1-2
8/27/12
4:18 PM
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