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4GIVEN
Joined: 16 Aug 2007
Posts: 58
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| Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 2:34 pm Post subject: Dont know how to fix fifth wheel!! Help!! |
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| Today my fifth wheel locking jaws just snapped. Im not sure how it happened or what I did to break it, but I was wondering how hard it was to replace the locking jaws and if it was something that I should try to do myself? Is there some literature on how to do it and if so where do I find it? Its a fontaine fifth wheel so where should I get the locking jaw from? Thanks!! |
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allan5oh
Joined: 26 Aug 2005
Posts: 2233
Location: jackassville (winnipeg, mb)
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| Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 2:42 pm Post subject: |
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I wouldn't touch it. If you mess it up, and your trialer decouples while on the highway, you're liable.
Find a good shop to fix it. I know a lot of shops wont. |
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4GIVEN
Joined: 16 Aug 2007
Posts: 58
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| Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 3:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Where should I get a new Fifth wheel. Is it hard to replace the whole thing? |
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allan5oh
Joined: 26 Aug 2005
Posts: 2233
Location: jackassville (winnipeg, mb)
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| Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 3:06 pm Post subject: |
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Where are you located?
Here's some distributors:
http://www.fontaine.com/Content.aspx?PageID=10
Just call some shops around you and ask if they work on fontaines.
If you bring it in, they might look at it and tell you the whole thing needs to be replaced. They wear out just like everything else. |
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Maniac
Joined: 15 Sep 2004
Posts: 638
Location: Northeast
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| Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 3:11 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: Where should I get a new Fifth wheel. Is it hard to replace the whole thing?
From the truck dealer parts dept, easy to replace, just heavy and greasy to handle. |
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4GIVEN
Joined: 16 Aug 2007
Posts: 58
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| Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 7:56 pm Post subject: |
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| Thanks guys, I was going to try it myself but didnt know if I should. But I think I'll try it. |
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birdY
Joined: 19 Feb 2007
Posts: 8
Location: Western KY
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| Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 9:06 am Post subject: |
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4GIVEN wrote: Thanks guys, I was going to try it myself but didnt know if I should. But I think I'll try it.
Remember, just the plate and mechanism weigh between 230-250 lbs. And it has to be perfectly aligned before the bolts/pins will slide in, and at that point it won't be supported by the frame or rails.
Go out NOW, and apply breakfree or your favorite stuff, nobody has done anything but tighten those bolts since the truck was built. Even if the shop replaces the wheel, it will help.
I paid $1500 for a new Fontaine two years ago. I doubt the price has dropped. And not all truck dealers will stock, repair or install fifth wheels (license & insurance issues), so call and check first. Take the truck and have the wheel looked at. There is a spring underneath that pulls the retaining bar, and it may have broken, if so the repair is much cheaper than a new wheel.
The actual replacement took less than an hour. Getting the bolts loose to remove the old one, nearly three. Well worth the shop cost.
Birdy |
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Splitshifter
Joined: 19 Jun 2006
Posts: 716
Location: Right here
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| Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 9:51 am Post subject: |
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Quote: The actual replacement took less than an hour. Getting the bolts loose to remove the old one, nearly three.
Why didn't they just cut them off with a torch?
You don't reuse bolts in a safety sensitive application such as that anyway.
Oh, that's right, the customer was paying for all the wasted time. :shock: |
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ironeagle2006
Joined: 29 Sep 2006
Posts: 865
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| Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 10:51 am Post subject: |
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| Any and all times I replaced a Fifth wheel I Cut the bolts off and replaced them. Also make sure they are replaced with Grade 8 bolts and use both lock washers and nuts better yet use Huck Bolts if you can. |
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Part Time Dweller
Joined: 06 Jan 2007
Posts: 335
Location: Western Chicago Suburb, IL
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| Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 11:17 am Post subject: |
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Why all the talk of cutting bolts? If replacing the plate, you just need to pull the two pivot pins, lift the plate off, set the new one on and replace the pins. If you wish to replace the plate and slider, cut the slider stops off, slide the assembly off the back, slide the new one in and re weld the stops.
Also, why replace the whole thing? Get a kit and rebuild the thing. Unless the plate is actually worn, all that needs replaced is the jaws and hardware. This is realatively easy and inexpensive. |
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birdY
Joined: 19 Feb 2007
Posts: 8
Location: Western KY
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| Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 1:42 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="Splitshifter"] Quote: The actual replacement took less than an hour. Getting the bolts loose to remove the old one, nearly three.
Why didn't they just cut them off with a torch?
Against procedures, because it may damage the saddle. Fontaine is deadly serious about covering their asses. Volvo is worse. They wound up donating a new saddle and slideplate anyway.
Quote: You don't reuse bolts in a safety sensitive application such as that anyway.
Who said they did? (they didn't, see above)
Quote: Oh, that's right, the customer was paying for all the wasted time. :shock:
Book time is one hour, whether it takes one hour or two days. Shop time was $75. It didn't matter to me how long they took, as long as it wasn't much over a week.
It's one of the few times a company has honored the the "$1495.00 installed" quote, when things went bad. It's a 96 WIA Volvo which is the same collection of oddball parts as a White/GMC, and the service writer had never dealt with one before. (Or he would have known better) And he worked for Volvo... (':wink:')
At the very least somebody should have noticed it was a White fifthwheel and saddle in the shop, before they wasted any time trying to remove just the wheel.
Where do you get service that bills for actual hours and not "book" time? I've always used shops that charge "by the book". Both independent and dealer run shops. Most are happy enough to show you the book, too.
Birdy |
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merrick4
Joined: 08 Nov 2006
Posts: 881
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| Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 7:20 pm Post subject: |
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I'll tell you, I've had one hell of a time dealing with fifth wheel issues. Mine had too much slack and after paying to have it adjusted several times and told I need to replace it for like $1500 it was found to have a crack in the frame. You could actually see the discoloration from where it was moving on the frame.
Long story short they replaced the whole thing under warranty and I get it back and it's still moving (too much slack). As it was a brand new fifth wheel they thought I was crazy but I took it too another Freighliner dealer as I was out of town and sure enough he got in and felt the slack and said this wasn't right.
They found the spring to be broken and sent me on my way and 5 minutes later it started again. I just got it back out of the shop but haven't hooked it up to the trailer yet.
My trailer is brand new but I'm wondering if the kingpin was machined wrong or something is defective. It's been a real pain in the a** as I know nothing about mechanics and need to rely on these people at the shop. |
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