Fifth Wheel Lubrication
Warning: A standard fifth wheel plate must be kept lubricated to prevent binding between the tractor and trailer. A binding fifth wheel could cause erratic steering and loss of vehicle control, possibly resulting in personal injury or death.
The standard fifth wheel plate must be kept well lubricated with chassis grease to prevent friction and binding between the tractor fifth wheel plate and the trailer.
For lubrication instructions, see Group 31 of the M2 Plus Maintenance Manual .
For a low-lube fifth wheel plate, inspect the condition of the low-lube pads. There should be no damaged or missing pieces. Slight puckering at the outside edges is normal.
For no-lube fifth wheel plates, inspect the condition of the no-lube pads. If any of the following conditions are present, replace the lube plates.
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Plates severely chipped, cracked, gouged, or bent.
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More than 20% of the lube plate coating missing from one or both plates due to normal wear.
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A straight edge laid across the lube plate contacts parts of the surrounding fifth wheel as shown in Fig.No-Lube Plate Wear Inspection.
No-Lube Plate Wear Inspection
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Contact with the surrounding fifth-wheel when placing a straight edge across the lube plate indicates too much wear.