Fifth Wheels, General Information
Note: Do not use any fifth wheel that fails to operate properly. Doing so may cause loss of vehicle control, possibly resulting in severe personal injury or death.
Air Suspension Height Control Switch
Notice: Do not operate the vehicle over uneven ground such as ramps, speed bumps, curbs, etc. with the air springs deflated. Doing this may lead to air bag separation from the piston, preventing the suspension air springs from re-inflating.
The air suspension height control switch may be used to adjust the vehicle height to aid in coupling or uncoupling from a trailer. See Fig.. Setting the switch to DOWN deflates the air springs to lower the rear of the vehicle. In the UP position, the air springs inflate to raise the rear of the vehicle to normal ride height.
Fig. 1, Air Suspension Height Control Switch
Notice: Never exhaust air from the suspension while driving. When the air is exhausted, the suspension will not absorb road shocks, and components may be damaged.
A red LED in the switch is illuminated when the suspension is deflated.
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 vehicle fifth wheel plate and the trailer.
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 lubrication instructions, see Group 31 of the Western Star Maintenance Manual .