From: Improper Loading: The Quickest Way to Ruin a Trailer
Skimping on Maintenance Helps Too
Even if you load a trailer properly, neglecting its maintenance can lead rapidly to its ruin. Every trailer manufacturer provides detailed maintenance recommendations, which owners and service managers ignore at the trailer’s peril.
“We see lots of trailers in the shop for lack of maintenance,” says Jason Thompson, shop foreman for Western Trailers Inc. in Boise, ID. “They’re not being greased, so components wear out. The hubs aren’t being oiled, so a wheel bearing burns out.”
The consequences of a burned-out bearing can be catastrophic. “If a seal is leaking and the lubricant comes out, the bearing seizes to the spindle on the axle and begins to smoke,” warns David de Poincy, president and chief executive officer of Transcraft Corp. in Anna, IL. “That can quickly result in a fire; then the entire tire, wheel, and hub assembly comes flying off the trailer and into the oncoming lane, where it may just kill somebody. Meanwhile, what’s left behind is burning, so your trailer and load catch fire.”
Hoses, Brakes, and Suspension
Air valves can fail, and hoses can be cut, Thompson notes. “Tubing that runs through the floor can be pinched so air doesn’t flow through it to stop the trailer,” he says. “The floor can become loose and slide around, and then somebody trying to repair his own trailer can run a floor bolt down through the tubing. The rubber hoses between the tractor and trailer also can crack and break, causing the trailer brakes to lock up or not apply.
“If the brakes lock up, they can put you in a skid situation in the middle of the road. Then to get the trailer off the road, you have to fix the hose right there, or back up with the trailer brakes off.
“If the brakes don’t apply and you have a heavy load, it won’t stop worth a damn. The trailer will push you straight forward, or sideways if you’re turning.”
Adjust Braking Sensors
Failure to adjust the anti-lock braking sensors periodically could cause the braking system to malfunction if wheel bearings become loose or are improperly adjusted, or if a wheel hits a chuck hole, Thompson says.
“When a sensor notices that the wheel toner ring has stopped spinning, it tells the system to release air pressure and take the brake out of operation,” he explains. “When the wheel speed sensor starts turning again, the system gradually restores brake operation. If the sensor doesn’t notice that the wheel is locking, you can get a flat spot on the tires or a blowout, or run off the road.”
Not checking the brake shoes for wear periodically is a good way to score or crack the brake drums. “The minimum shoe depth before it starts touching the rivets is three-eighths of an inch to a quarter-inch,” Thompson says. “Once you start to ruin the brake drums, they get extremely hot.”
Not maintaining the suspension system also can harm the trailer, Thompson says. Cracked or split bushings can cause an air-ride suspension to fail. Leaf springs can break, causing the entire trailer to shift down onto the tires and blow them out. Spring seats and torque arms can crack, and their bushings can wear out. Axle seats can crack or be beaten down on top, loosening the U-bolts, which allows an axle to shift and unbalance the trailer.
By not checking the kingpin’s go/no-go gauge periodically, an operator can fail to detect a worn kingpin until it detaches from the fifth wheel, letting the trailer roll free along the highway.
Hydraulics and Battery
Failing to maintain the electric and hydraulic power components of “kneeling” trailers can leave a user stranded with a trailer bed that won’t go up or down.
“A lever triggers a solenoid that operates an electric motor powered by a 12-volt battery. You push the lever forward to go down, and back to go up,” explains Christian Baillie, eastern region sales manager for Triple-L Trailers of Hagerstown, MD, a brand of JLG Industries Inc.
“The electric motor pumps hydraulic fluid from a reservoir through a cylinder. As long as you maintain the hydraulic fluid level, you’ll be fine, but if you let the water level in the battery go below 30% to 40% and don’t keep it charged, eventually it will die. We sell an optional trickle charger you can plug into a 110-volt outlet at the end of the day to recharge the battery.
“One of our major problems is people who don’t maintain or check their battery. They bring the trailer in and say the hydraulic system isn’t working. They think it’s the cylinder when in actuality it’s the battery.”
Tires and Welds
Low tire pressure can shorten the life of tires, leading to blowouts that can cause an accident, notes Gary A. Knudsen, a salesperson for Towmaster Trailers Inc. in Litchfield, MN. “A tire flapping around also can tear off lighting brackets, bend fenders and license plates, and wrap the wiring to the electric brakes around the hub,” he says. “All of these items are fixable, but expensive—just because of low air pressure.”
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Not checking the lug nuts on the wheels for looseness can do a lot of damage too. “If a lug nut comes loose, the wheel starts to flex; then other lugs will come loose until the studs break or the wheel falls off,” Knudsen says.
Failure to check a trailer’s welds and repair them as soon as cracks appear could eventually compromise the trailer’s structural integrity. “It’s important to look for cracks in the paint on top of the weld or on the weld itself, and get them fixed when they show up instead of letting them go,” Knudsen says.
January-Febraury 2006
From: Improper Loading: The Quickest Way to Ruin a Trailer
Skimping on Maintenance Helps Too
Even if you load a trailer properly, neglecting its maintenance can lead rapidly to its ruin. Every trailer manufacturer provides detailed maintenance recommendations, which owners and service managers ignore at the trailer’s peril.“We see lots of trailers in the shop for lack of maintenance,” says Jason Thompson, shop foreman for Western Trailers Inc. in Boise, ID. “They’re not being greased, so components wear out. The hubs aren’t being oiled, so a wheel bearing burns out.”
The consequences of a burned-out bearing can be catastrophic. “If a seal is leaking and the lubricant comes out, the bearing seizes to the spindle on the axle and begins to smoke,” warns David de Poincy, president and chief executive officer of Transcraft Corp. in Anna, IL. “That can quickly result in a fire; then the entire tire, wheel, and hub assembly comes flying off the trailer and into the oncoming lane, where it may just kill somebody. Meanwhile, what’s left behind is burning, so your trailer and load catch fire.”
Hoses, Brakes, and Suspension
Air valves can fail, and hoses can be cut, Thompson notes. “Tubing that runs through the floor can be pinched so air doesn’t flow through it to stop the trailer,” he says. “The floor can become loose and slide around, and then somebody trying to repair his own trailer can run a floor bolt down through the tubing. The rubber hoses between the tractor and trailer also can crack and break, causing the trailer brakes to lock up or not apply.
“If the brakes lock up, they can put you in a skid situation in the middle of the road. Then to get the trailer off the road, you have to fix the hose right there, or back up with the trailer brakes off.
“If the brakes don’t apply and you have a heavy load, it won’t stop worth a damn. The trailer will push you straight forward, or sideways if you’re turning.”
Adjust Braking Sensors
Failure to adjust the anti-lock braking sensors periodically could cause the braking system to malfunction if wheel bearings become loose or are improperly adjusted, or if a wheel hits a chuck hole, Thompson says.
“When a sensor notices that the wheel toner ring has stopped spinning, it tells the system to release air pressure and take the brake out of operation,” he explains. “When the wheel speed sensor starts turning again, the system gradually restores brake operation. If the sensor doesn’t notice that the wheel is locking, you can get a flat spot on the tires or a blowout, or run off the road.”
Not checking the brake shoes for wear periodically is a good way to score or crack the brake drums. “The minimum shoe depth before it starts touching the rivets is three-eighths of an inch to a quarter-inch,” Thompson says. “Once you start to ruin the brake drums, they get extremely hot.”
Not maintaining the suspension system also can harm the trailer, Thompson says. Cracked or split bushings can cause an air-ride suspension to fail. Leaf springs can break, causing the entire trailer to shift down onto the tires and blow them out. Spring seats and torque arms can crack, and their bushings can wear out. Axle seats can crack or be beaten down on top, loosening the U-bolts, which allows an axle to shift and unbalance the trailer.
By not checking the kingpin’s go/no-go gauge periodically, an operator can fail to detect a worn kingpin until it detaches from the fifth wheel, letting the trailer roll free along the highway.
Hydraulics and Battery
Failing to maintain the electric and hydraulic power components of “kneeling” trailers can leave a user stranded with a trailer bed that won’t go up or down.
“A lever triggers a solenoid that operates an electric motor powered by a 12-volt battery. You push the lever forward to go down, and back to go up,” explains Christian Baillie, eastern region sales manager for Triple-L Trailers of Hagerstown, MD, a brand of JLG Industries Inc.
“The electric motor pumps hydraulic fluid from a reservoir through a cylinder. As long as you maintain the hydraulic fluid level, you’ll be fine, but if you let the water level in the battery go below 30% to 40% and don’t keep it charged, eventually it will die. We sell an optional trickle charger you can plug into a 110-volt outlet at the end of the day to recharge the battery.
“One of our major problems is people who don’t maintain or check their battery. They bring the trailer in and say the hydraulic system isn’t working. They think it’s the cylinder when in actuality it’s the battery.”
Tires and Welds
Low tire pressure can shorten the life of tires, leading to blowouts that can cause an accident, notes Gary A. Knudsen, a salesperson for Towmaster Trailers Inc. in Litchfield, MN. “A tire flapping around also can tear off lighting brackets, bend fenders and license plates, and wrap the wiring to the electric brakes around the hub,” he says. “All of these items are fixable, but expensive—just because of low air pressure.”
Not checking the lug nuts on the wheels for looseness can do a lot of damage too. “If a lug nut comes loose, the wheel starts to flex; then other lugs will come loose until the studs break or the wheel falls off,” Knudsen says.
Failure to check a trailer’s welds and repair them as soon as cracks appear could eventually compromise the trailer’s structural integrity. “It’s important to look for cracks in the paint on top of the weld or on the weld itself, and get them fixed when they show up instead of letting them go,” Knudsen says.