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Overload of the Day

Willie B

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2016
Messages
5,015
Location
Mount Tabor VT
Occupation
Electrician
Tomorrow afternoon at 2 I will give 16 CDL students information on {Air Disc & Drum brakes}
along with {Driver Etiquette} behind the wheel and away from it while on duty.
All volunteered time.
*
https://www.wwcc.edu/programs/commercial-truck-driving/
I don't see travel across the country in my future, but that is a bit of education I'd like a better understanding of. There is a rudimentary explanation of air brakes in the driver's manual, but not near as in depth as it could be. Compressor, air valve, foot valve wheel cans & the mechanical components at each wheel I have an understanding of. There are half dozen other air components I don't understand.
 

Northern mb

Active Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2020
Messages
36
Location
Manitoba
I got my CDL before the course was mandatory. I consider myself to be a decent mechanic but the air brake info in the book was quite confusing. I memorized what I needed to pass the test then started driving. After hauling logs in our climate for a couple winters I understood how the whole system worked quite well and I had fixed most parts of it at one time or another
 

Welder Dave

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2014
Messages
18,140
Location
Canada
How do you wear a pintle hitch that much? Had to be a lot of movement and rubbing or maybe ground down to fit a smaller latch/hook? Wonder what the latch/hook mechanism is like?
 

Coaldust

Senior Member
Joined
May 9, 2011
Messages
6,095
Location
Subarctic Backwoods Trailer Park
Occupation
Big trucks is what I know. HAZMAT is what I tow.
IDK.? The air compensated hitches do a great job of reducing pintle wear. Back in the old days, the worst pintle wear I witnessed was on pole trailers.

Back then, it was still common practice to weld over the worn part of the eye. Then, in the mid-90’s, maybe, FMCSA put a stop to that. Truck Shop will remember when that was.
 

Truck Shop

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2015
Messages
25,396
Location
WWW.
FMCSA put a stop to that.
IIRC 1993. Too many variables with welding effecting integrity in such a crucial area
for it's intended use. That one's life end was more that slightly overdue. High percentage
of trailer kingpins are also a out of service item. Umatilla Ore port of entry scale just loves
ot throw a emphasis inspection on eyes/pintle/kingpin & fifthwheel jaws. Typically they
scratch a line on the bottom of greasy trailer bolster after they have you back against pin
with trailer brakes set then pull ahead, then place it out of service, then hand out a ticket.
Then you call a mobile welding fabricator that specializes in replacing kingpins, then you
spread your cheeks, all taking place in that exact order.
 
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