Last week I had a bad hook. It pass the tug test, the handle was all the way in, but it was a bad hook.
If you look at the very right edge of the locking jaws, you'll see a little sliver of bright metal. That's an indication that your jaws are not all the way locked. The only way you'll notice this is by going underneath with a flashlight. As you can kinda of tell from the pictures, it was bright daylight, but without the flashlight I would not have seen the problem.
Odds are the trailer would have stayed hooked, but every right hand turn the kingpin is going to try and force the jaws open. At some point, the trailer would have dropped.
In this case I just had a little bit of grease build up on the locking jaws. I tripped them manually by using my pry bar.
Then I scraped off the grease that had accumulated on the top of the jaws before pouring diesel fuel over the jaws and the locking mechanism while working the release handle in and out. No more problems.
This is what a proper hook should look like:
Notice there is no difference in the handle position
As the weather starts to get colder, grease on the locking jaws/mechanism will slow the throw of the jaws, preventing a good hook. Most of the times this happens it's pretty obvious, but not always. Make sure you're paying attention and taking care of your equipment.
Bad Hook - or why you always use a flashlight to look at the jaws
Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by gentleroger, Oct 18, 2020.
Page 1 of 2
-
Attached Files:
Last edited: Oct 18, 2020
Flankenfurter, Brettj3876, Bud A. and 10 others Thank this. -
-
Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds
Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.
-
-
-
-
Blocked out here too, good catch though
way to practice what ya preach
-
@gentleroger hates us Michigan drivers
mitrucker Thanks this. -
-
-
-
Pics in reverse ordermagoo68 Thanks this.
Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds
Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.
Page 1 of 2