Manual Slide Operation
Use the following procedure to manually slide the fifth wheel. See Fig,.
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Locking Wedge
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Slide Release Pull Handle
Fig. 1, Manual Release Sliding Fifth Wheel, Fontaine
- Stop the tractor and trailer in a straight line on level ground. Pull the trailer air supply knob to set the trailer parking brakes.
- Set the tractor parking brake, then release the sliding
mechanism using the appropriate method for the fifth wheel manufacturer.
- Fontaine: Lift the slide release pull handle to disengage it from the guide plate. Then, pull out the handle until it is in the unlocked position and can be positioned against the guide plate to hold it out. The handle will stay in the unlocked position until it is manually disengaged from the guide plate. See Fig..
- Holland: Pull the operating rod out. Make sure both side plungers have released. See Fig..
Fig. 2, Sliding Fifth Wheel Manual Release, Fontaine
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Baseplate
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Bolted Stop
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Baseplate Rail
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Fifth Wheel Mount
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Slider Saddle Plate
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Safety Latch
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Operating Rod
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Operating Lever
Fig. 3, Sliding Fifth Wheel Manual Release, Holland Simplex
- Lower the trailer landing gear just enough to remove the weight from the tractor.
- Chock the front and rear trailer tires to prevent the trailer from moving.
- Release the tractor parking brake, then slowly move the tractor forward or backward until the fifth wheel is in the desilocation.
- Set the tractor parking brake, then lock the sliding member
in position using one of the following methods:
- Fontaine: Disengage the slide release pull handle from the guide plate. The slide release pull handle is spring-loaded in the locked position and will seek the locked position when disengaged from the guide plate. After the slide release pull handle returns to the fully locked position, visually and physically check the locking wedges to make sure they are fully inserted into the slots in the slide rails. Make sure the handle is locked in position against the guide plate.
- Holland: Raise the operating rod so that it is free to move inward. Make sure that the lock pins have seated in the base plate rail holes and the operating rod moves into the locked position.
Note: The fifth wheel may need to be moved slightly to enable the locking wedges to enter the fully locked position.
Notice: When moving the fifth wheel to the desiposition, be sure the trailer landing gear will not at any time come in contact with the tractor frame or other components. Make sure that the front of the trailer will not come in contact with the rear of the cab or with other components if they extend beyond the rear of the cab.
Warning: Check that the locking wedges have seated in the slots. Failure to achieve complete lockup may allow disengagement of the tractor from the trailer, possibly resulting in serious personal injury or death.