Hello, young guy new to working on trucks here, im having trouble identifying the air slide used here/ What needs to be done to it for it too work. air lines are solid but i believe the previous owner put the wrong piston on the mechanism. Cannot find any information on this air slide and kenworth support couldnt help me. The fifth wheel itself is a jost jsk37usb i believe. the piston that was on there was a 12 inch jost cylinder part number SK75015-03
see mechanism belowOther than the piston being at full extension when in the locked position, i believe something sheared off here from rust. Ive tried my best to locate a diagram or atleast a model number but have found nothing. See sheared off part below
Any help would be greatly appreciated
2005 Kenworth T800 Air Slide
Discussion in 'Heavy Duty Diesel Truck Mechanics Forum' started by wstinger, Mar 13, 2026.
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KW did not make the 5th wheel so they can't help. Jost is the place to go to. Fifth Wheels Parts Finder | JOST International The first few selections are easy with 37USB, after that if you don't know you will have to contact Jost. They should also be able to tell you where the model # is.
It looks like there was a vertical stop(post) there that broke off. Note the marks on the side of the plate.
Rideandrepair and wstinger Thank this. -
Appears to me that the air cylinder is missing ?
Rideandrepair, Speedy356 and Diesel Dave Thank this. -
i removed it because in the lock position the air cylinder is fully extended, therefore the cylinder cannot extend further to release the system.. the cylinder removed is a 12 inch jost air cylinder... as stated above,, been looking for a bit still cant find a air cylinder that would fit... might end up replacing the whole system if cannot findRideandrepair Thanks this.
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Here’s are a couple of pictures I found online. Seems @FLHT is correct, cylinder is missing.
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i removed the air cylinder as in the lock position, it would be fully extended, so it wouldnt be able to extend further to unlock the system,, also this doesnt look like my system, mine seems to be way more linear,, with a triangle shaped mounting point for the air cylinder instead of the rectangle bracket. posted below is the air cylinder fully extendedRideandrepair Thanks this.
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Well, my diagram has a part number for the cylinder. There known to get stuck, I use plenty of can lubricant on moving parts, and if stuck when there out, I use a mallet to tap them back in.Last edited: Mar 13, 2026
Rideandrepair and Speedy356 Thank this. -
I know precisely jack #### about 5th wheels and slides but it looks to me like the middle bracket that connects the air cylinder to the lock pins should have a pivot point otherwise how is it supposed to act as a lever when the cylinder pushed and pulls on it? As it sits now it looks like it just pushes the whole thing to the driver's side when the cylinder extends and then back to the passenger side when it retracts.
Rideandrepair and wstinger Thank this. -
Had these 5 th wheels on every truck in the fleet.
Winter was tuff on them salt and road film made them so that they would not slide. oil the deck and oil the cylinder ram.
Sure beat pulling the dam things in fowl weather.
Some people take the handle off it so ya don't have someone pull your fifth wheel
Junk yard may have used ones ..........Rideandrepair and wstinger Thank this. -
i have no clue, thats why i think its broken, theres only one air line so i believe the piston is supposed to extend using air and retract using the natural movement of the springs.. the item i circled i believe to be a pivot point before it sheared off
I made the decision just to replace the whole fifth wheel rather than waste my time with poking and proding and trying to weld whatever onto it to make it workRideandrepair Thanks this.
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