Where is everyone #5

The grain pushes the tractor ahead....every time a different operator climbs into the cab they grab the steering wheel and steer it a different direction. It's a learning curve let's just say.

 

Think he was running on borrowed time….

 

So, I did a thing. Back on the 5th of August a friend called with a broken down truck with a failed ECM while under load. I was empty that morning and headed home so I'm told him I would come get his trailer and go deliver it for him.

This was my regularly scheduled day to disconnect from my step deck and grease the 5th wheel. When I got unhooked I noticed some shiny metal on the edges of the 5th wheel on the truck. I took a gander underneath the trailer at the 5th wheel plate and it had collapsed inwards and upward. I knew this trailer had some rust from spending its first 14 years of service in Canada. It's a 2006 Great Dane and it's 18 years old now and I've had it for the last 3 years.

I took my friends trailer and delivered his load and came back home to do a thorough inspection on my step and what I found was scary. I have never had the top deck panels off but when I pulled them I found the back side of the 5th wheel box to be in such a poor state of disrepair that all I could do was to cut it out from I-beam to I-beam and start fresh. The right side supports for the 5th wheel box had rusted through and completely separated from the right side I-beam. I found a crack in the bottom 5th wheel plate that sits on the 5th wheel on the truck. Oddly enough that bottom plate is only made of 3/16" steel and a lot of the inner supports were made from 1/8" steel. I thought I may have been able to save the kingpin at least but after further inspection there was so much rust it would have been impossible to clean up and get a good, penetrating weld to stick so it went in the scrap pile too.

I picked up a piece of cold rolled 3/8" steel plate in 48" x 48" from Eagle Steel in Hutchins, TX. I had plenty of other steel for fabrication at the shop. I was able to score a deal on a Miller 252 Millermatic welder and I used it for all of my fabrication needs. The new kingpin came from a local Napa Auto and Truck Parts in Coppell, TX and I picked it up on a Sunday morning.

I cut the new kingpin depth at 19" which gave me a little extra clearance from the cab and the trailer from the mud flaps.
I used 4 pieces of 1/2" x 4" flat cold rolled steel for my lateral supports to tie the I-beams together and provide support to the new 5th wheel plate.

All together it turned out really nice and I can feel a difference in the stability of the trailer now that the 5th wheel plate is not flexing and moving. Here are some pics of the old...

 

More old...

 

Some drivers can’t make money anywhere and others can make money everywhere.

remember that.

 

Here are the pics of the new 5th wheel setup on the trailer...

 

More of the finished product...

 

It's a good thing you found this and repaired it at home , and not found at some inspection station in BFE. Looks like you did a really nice job on the repair, sadly you forgot to melt the air lines and wires like most welding shops do. Lol.

 

That was my first thought. He thought the had a buyer at 20k. It is in very nice condition. I personally would put new tires on it. But another farmer is buying it, so you know those tires are good. Look at all the tread. Lol

 

Customer called and wants me to dispose of a lathe for them, have to drain the gearboxes needless to say if it goes to scrap. Said it weighs about 20,000 pounds…..