Manual sliding 5th wheel ?

Yup my rig is on its now 3rd since i got it. The factory 5th wheel broke off at the frame shortly after i bought it due to improper installation and so badly mangled it it was unsalvageable. So i had to get a salavged one that didnt quite work and modify the hell out of it TO work to limp me along a few months till i could afford a better remanned one.

Not unsusual to see older rigs with a diffrent 5th wheel then factory thats been modded to work if they cant find the correct parts.

 

this is the original Holland manual release wheel and slider plate on my ‘73 352. The older ones had a solid plate on them. The release lever was “borrowed” for another truck years ago. I have a pallet with the engine and stand sitting on it so the pic came out dark but this is the tab for the holding rod.

 

A friend of mine has an old manual slide Fontaine on his ‘75 White-Western Star. That thing is a pain. You have to pull each lock out from the side individually by a bolted on hook and tang. To release You pull out and turn to hold lock in place. Then do your slide circus act and hope it stops in center of tooth otherwise it wont lock. Get it close and rock it in place. Needless to say he hasn’t moved it in 46 years. Lol!

 

I pull a few antique deep kingpin trailers that have shallow landing gear so my 5 th’s are way back. Almost dead center above rear drive. If not i’m in the legs at hard turns. Had to actually move the whole slider plate back 6” and re bolt it down on my ‘67 to get the clearance I needed just for one flatbed I
have.