Just some work pics

[terex herder]

Good deere dealers will have a large assortment of individual deutsch components.

 

[kshansen]

The tools need care because they are easy to snap. What holds the pin/socket into the connector are two plastic “fingers” inside each hole location in the connector that lock on the flange that is located right below the wire crimp so that the wire can’t be pulled out. If the tool doesn’t engage the fingers the first time, pull it out, rotate it 90 degrees and slide it in again. Patience is key.

Used those a lot on the newer Cat equipment at the quarry. I always kept at least a couple of each size on hand just for that reason.

A side note is when doing a larger round connector is to make sure you get the wires in the right hole. Sometimes the numbers can be confusing as to which hole the number is for. Would not want to mistake a hot for a ground that could really ruin your day!

 

[crane operator]

Have had a 3-4 inch ice/sleet event this week. Not much crane activity. The suspension is back together on the link belt- we had some machinist issues but got that sorted out. Got some new tires put on some trucks, and weights unloaded off the broken trailer.

I was going to dive into the wiring on the swivel this weekend, but I've been battling a sinus cold, and I honestly just wasn't up for it. All the work that was supposed to happen last week, is now supposed to happen on monday.

Actually we've been tryinig to condense this week and last week into this week, and it isn't going well. The 90 and 100 ton are both heading out for projects monday morning, and I've got my fingers crossed. I have no idea how we're going to manage the rest of the week, but we're going to give monday our best shot first. It's supposed to rain 1/2 the week also, so that will help out.

 

[Welder Dave]

Sometimes it's nice to have weather delays so you can relax just a little bit.

 

[crane operator]

This is the suspension pivot/ bushing we replaced on the link belt. I had a piece made that this was supposed to press into ( a buddy of a buddy is starting a shop). The first time I had it made, I went to pick it up, and it had a ridge about 1/2 way in, and it seemed narrow the rest of the way (by my precision finger feel). The lathe man said "well I was a little big on the front, but the back will press fit in". I aint no machinist, so I took his word on it, even though it felt wrong. Well I decided to test press it in, before we welded it into the frame.

Well, it went about 1/2 way in, right to the ridge, and then things got a little ugly. We pressed a little more and put a little heat to it, and it wasn't going.

Took it to my regular machine shop- who is usually super busy, but they got right on it (said they took another 23 thousandths out of the tight side), got a new suspension bushing, and everything went together like it was supposed to. A 12 pound sledge slid it right in.

The first one suffered from us pushing on it.

 

[crane operator]

This is what the new bushing looks like before we got severe with it.



Taking down another christmas tree, and replacing a hvac system.

 

[crane operator]

Fuel tank, a leather slitter machine we skated out and replaced. I didn't get a picture of the machine that replaced it, the old one was around 8,000lbs, the new one was close to 20,000lbs. Said it would slice the hide off your hand and you wouldn't know it. Of course its meant to slice hides down shoe liner leather thickness if you want it.

Also some quarry work.

 

[crane operator]

Swivel can outer barrel has some bad grooves, its supposed to get tig up and be back by the end of next week.

 

[Welder Dave]

Hopefully their machining skills and measuring improve when they get the shop open. Good that the bushing could be further machined to work.
If the shop is welding the swivel they should preheat it a bit to lesson the stress from welding on a large chunk of steel. Especially if it's Tig welded because that is a very concentrated heat.

 

[crane operator]

Well- no swivel can back yet. The seals are those super stiff plastic type (they aren't actually plastic, there's a name for them) , and I can't ever get them on without damaging those, so the inner went to the hydraulic shop to get mated to the can when they are both done. Supposedly the outer is welded and not yet honed, so we could see those parts next week.

We've been battling some wet conditions and have more coming. I was looking at a job yesterday for next week, and I'm breaking out the mud boots. Its a lake.


Got a flatbed for making another straight truck for the 90 ton. Headache rack is coming off it and getting a home built one. Also got a couple air suspension axles. Going to put one on the rear of the 90, and another on the counterweight truck.

 

[Truck Shop]

For operation of lift axle remove any of the old Parker/Norgren and install a GT5040-311 full function valve.
It's the simplest easiest way to go. Very little trouble with them, only replaced one in 5 years.
Cross reference numbers in link.
https://tramecsloan.com/products/ai...es/lift-axle-control/hi-flow-lift-axle-valve/

 

[crane operator]

For operation of lift axle remove any of the old Parker/Norgren and install a GT5040-311 full function valve.
It's the simplest easiest way to go. Very little trouble with them, only replaced one in 5 years.
Cross reference numbers in link.

So is that one 12v signal for up/down, with only a supply air coming to the valve? There wasn't a air/electric diagram in the link. And then how do you set pressure? past the valve and before the bags?

 

[Truck Shop]

There's a diagram normally with the valve. You install a a parker lift axle regulator and gauge kit.
The switch is for down automatically raises when wired through back up light switch or in off
position.

 

[crane operator]

On the cranes I've run air up to the cab, but having just a 12v signal wire would be nice. Would save a bunch of nylon tubing, because that cab is about 35' away from this axle.

 

[Truck Shop]

It will still have a air toggle switch, the solenoid is for reverse to auto raise. The big difference with
this valve is it eliminates the need for other valves, it operates both functions up-down.

 

[Truck Shop]

http://cdn.norgren.com/pdf/LACM_5040_Series_IM_Sheet_5-13-15.pdf

 

[Manistar]

Hey Crane Operator,

First time posting here, I stumbled across this forum a few weeks ago and have been reading through years of old post ever since. My question for you is how bad is pulling the swivel? I have a tms300 that's leaking air into my hydraulic tank. I'm half tempted to just run an air line up through the center with its own little swivel and cap the ports through the main swivel, as we have an old pettibone and a manitex boomtruck that is done this way. But the wires coming out of the top look like a nightmare and I'm slightly afraid of disturbing them, plus for the life of me I cant seem to find one of the air swivels in all my google searches.

Another question for you as I see you have a tms500e, I know the counterweights aren't hydraulically removeable but are they modular in a way that you can remove the heavy counterweight package relatively easily with another crane/lift? I'm always looking at used cranes to try upgrade ours and would like to not have to get overweight permits. I've always thought I would probably replace the tms300 with a tms540 with the 90' main. Its one of the few 40 ton cranes with hydraulic removeable counterweights and it has pretty good jib chart for the construction work we do. But the other day I was reading the spec/load chart brochure on the tms500e and I see they talk about different counter weight set ups but they don't really say if the configuration can be changed after it comes from factory. I just see you have one so I thought you could give some insight on the counterweight set up. Thanks

 

[crane operator]

http://cdn.norgren.com/pdf/LACM_5040_Series_IM_Sheet_5-13-15.pdf

Thank you.

Hey Crane Operator,

First time posting here, I stumbled across this forum a few weeks ago and have been reading through years of old post ever since. My question for you is how bad is pulling the swivel? I have a tms300 that's leaking air into my hydraulic tank. I'm half tempted to just run an air line up through the center with its own little swivel and cap the ports through the main swivel, as we have an old pettibone and a manitex boomtruck that is done this way. But the wires coming out of the top look like a nightmare and I'm slightly afraid of disturbing them, plus for the life of me I cant seem to find one of the air swivels in all my google searches.

Another question for you as I see you have a tms500e, I know the counterweights aren't hydraulically removeable but are they modular in a way that you can remove the heavy counterweight package relatively easily with another crane/lift? I'm always looking at used cranes to try upgrade ours and would like to not have to get overweight permits. I've always thought I would probably replace the tms300 with a tms540 with the 90' main. Its one of the few 40 ton cranes with hydraulic removeable counterweights and it has pretty good jib chart for the construction work we do. But the other day I was reading the spec/load chart brochure on the tms500e and I see they talk about different counter weight set ups but they don't really say if the configuration can be changed after it comes from factory. I just see you have one so I thought you could give some insight on the counterweight set up. Thanks

Likely, pulling the swivel won't fix the air side. The air side gets moisture in them and they tend to rust and then they won't seal. You can have the swivel welded up and turned back down, but its a coin flip on weather it works.

You actually need two air lines running through the swivel, 1 supply and 1 to control the throttle. The old link belt 35 and 50 ton hydraulic truck cranes from the early 80's used a brass two line swivel set up that will go through the center with the wires, if the wires dont' have the hole totally full. And if you can find a link belt parts man that will get the part # for one for you. I fixed 2- tms 250's that way. They use a pipe within a pipe and a double swivel on the top and the lines on the bottom are just one over the other. Its easier than pulling swivel. Swivel comes out in less than a day. Then machine shop time. And a day to put it back in.

The counterweights in the upper rear box, are removable with a second crane or a telehandler on a tms 500e. There's two small square pieces inside the upper box that pull out the top, and the front bumper counterweight can come off also. You can pull the bumper weight off with the crane.

A tms 540 and a tms300 aren't anything close to the same crane, if you need heavy lift capacity. The tms540 is more like a old tms 250. We really like our tms500, but it isn't a tms 300 either. My link belt 8640hl is a lot more comparable to a tms300.

 

[farmerlund]

Hey CO, need any help this week? Geez I gotta get out of here.

 

[crane operator]

It was 68 here today. Sun shining, dead still, no wind. We were down to t shirts. Wife has daffodills with buds on them.