Hook n ladder 1 Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 There's not really a category for fifth wheel questions so I picked suspension. Anyway I have a Holland FW35. It's about 12 years old. I run local semi-dump around Chicago with a quarter frame trailer. The problem im having all of a sudden is after i dump, there is a gap between the fifth wheel plate and the trailer. So I'll pull the locking bar and slide the trailer back and get it to sit flat. I don't have this problem loaded as I think the weight keeps it set. I haven't tried adjusting the jaws yet but when hooked up there's about 1/4 inch gap between the bushing on the adjusting rod and the plate. My holland manual says tighten counter clockwise until the bushing can rotate. But my bushing rotates already. Also, the jaws have been adjusted maybe once in 12 years but I never had the trailer not sit flat on the plate. So my questions are these 1) is adjusting the jaws the answer? I't doesnt seem like it to me but if it is do I adjust with the jaws locked or unlocked. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prowrench Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 24 minutes ago, Hook n ladder 1 said: There's not really a category for fifth wheel questions so I picked suspension. Anyway I have a Holland FW35. It's about 12 years old. I run local semi-dump around Chicago with a quarter frame trailer. The problem im having all of a sudden is after i dump, there is a gap between the fifth wheel plate and the trailer. So I'll pull the locking bar and slide the trailer back and get it to sit flat. I don't have this problem loaded as I think the weight keeps it set. I haven't tried adjusting the jaws yet but when hooked up there's about 1/4 inch gap between the bushing on the adjusting rod and the plate. My holland manual says tighten counter clockwise until the bushing can rotate. But my bushing rotates already. Also, the jaws have been adjusted maybe once in 12 years but I never had the trailer not sit flat on the plate. So my questions are these 1) is adjusting the jaws the answer? I't doesnt seem like it to me but if it is do I adjust with the jaws locked or unlocked. Thanks. there should be a gap between upper coupler(trailer) and fifth wheel. adjusting the jaws will take up forward and backward slack. it would be wise to inspect king pin and upper coupler for wear and damage along with the fifth wheel and after 12 years it would be wise to remove the fifth wheel flip it over and inspect for wear on the underside also Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeH Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 7 hours ago, Prowrench said: there should be a gap between upper coupler(trailer) and fifth wheel. adjusting the jaws will take up forward and backward slack. it would be wise to inspect king pin and upper coupler for wear and damage along with the fifth wheel and after 12 years it would be wise to remove the fifth wheel flip it over and inspect for wear on the underside also You mean shouldn't? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maddog13407 Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 in this day and age and for peace of mind and with them being so reasonable I wouldn't even take a chance. throw it away and out a new one on the legs. unless its vintage, fifth wheels are disposable . been a few incidents in recent years up here in Ny with all the scrap and garbage haulers,,, they use a big hoe to push the load down, ended up cracking the fifth wheel down the middle and trailer came unhooked and took out a family van and killed them.not worth it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilbur Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 The gap you are talking about is when the box is all the way up.? If so thats normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
70mackMB Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 HnL, lf you find it's the 5th wheel just replace it like Maddog said. The company l drive for deals with three different repair shops. lf there is a problem with a 5th wheel none of them will repair it. They just replace it due to liability and cost, so l was told. .....Hippy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hook n ladder 1 Posted September 22, 2019 Author Share Posted September 22, 2019 Ive never had the gap before. I think whats happening is during a dump cycle the trailer is pulling up on the fifth wheel and pulling the king pin up. And the more i think about it the gap is more of about an inch and not 1/4 inch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prowrench Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 3 hours ago, JoeH said: You mean shouldn't? No I mean that it is necessary to have up and down movement between fifth wheel and upper coupler, you will see a gap if you are not on flat level ground. More than likely with a quarter frame he does not have crank legs but with a trailer that has crank legs you should be able to raise the trailer as much as a half inch above the fifth wheel while coupled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prowrench Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 2 hours ago, 70mackMB said: HnL, lf you find it's the 5th wheel just replace it like Maddog said. The company l drive for deals with three different repair shops. lf there is a problem with a 5th wheel none of them will repair it. They just replace it due to liability and cost, so l was told. .....Hippy Well I can tell you if a repair shop is properly insured their insurance company prohibits repair of fifth wheels. My insurance company prohibited me from anything related to the fifth wheel because they said it could come uncoupled and a trailer would go careening all over and kill everyone in it's path, I then asked that underwriter if i could replace king pins on a trailer and his reply was yes why not. The underwriters don't have a complete understanding of what it is that they are dealing with. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxidyne Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 An inch of daylight between 5th wheel and trailer ain't normal, and for the price of a new 5th wheel it ain't worth the risk of a bad repair causing a multi-million $$$ accident. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeH Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 I'd look at the kingpin too, make sure the disk on the underside of the pin isn't bent/failing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody454 Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 i could see daylight between the fifth wheel and the trailer king pin plate with the quarter frame hilbilt all the way up after dumping. i think it takes all the weight off the fifth wheel when its up. an inch? probably not. might be worn out on the plate or the fifth wheel, or both. trailer was a 97 or 98, tractor was an 01. both were well used Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hook n ladder 1 Posted September 25, 2019 Author Share Posted September 25, 2019 So after running my trailer through a few dump cycles and watching it from the side i was able to figure it out. The front left draft arm pin that lets the king pin plate on the trailer pivot during dumping had frozen up. It was actually prying up on the fifth wheel, as it would not sit flat on it. Usually after unhooking the tractor the plate on the trailer would pivot just by touching it. I tried to pivot it with my front end loader but to no avail. A big torch loosened it but not enough so its being replaced. Thanks for everyone's input. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody454 Posted September 26, 2019 Share Posted September 26, 2019 At least you figured it out before you had a real problem, like it breaking out of the draft arm while you're dumping leaning that way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hook n ladder 1 Posted September 26, 2019 Author Share Posted September 26, 2019 That's what i was afraid of. Turns out there was no way to grease the section of pin that froze up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breakdowninc Posted December 4, 2019 Share Posted December 4, 2019 (edited) Need Any Repair for your jaws locked or unlocked and want any truck repair shops in your near location then there is many websites and apps which help you to find nearest wheel repair service providers. Edited December 4, 2019 by breakdowninc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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