#KINGPIN LOCKING JAWS FULL#
#KINGPIN LOCKING JAWS FREE#

If the king pin is damaged or worn beyond the manufacturer’s specifications, replace the king pin. If there is a king pin that is thought to be too worn, use a king pin gauge to check the kingpin for excessive wear limits. The king pin should be replaced to ensure there are no issues when connecting. It is not recommended to repair damaged or worn king pins. The king pin of the trailer needs to be inspected for damage or too much wear before every hook-up.

#KINGPIN LOCKING JAWS FREE#

This king pin will wear down with time, creating more free play with your top plate. The trailer’s king pin is what locks into the fifth wheel top plate’s lockjaws to securely couple the trailer to your truck. By loosening the adjustment screw, the lock jaws will add free play between the top plate and king pin, but most manufacturers don’t recommend having less than 0.040” of free play. Although it is less common, sometimes your lock jaws can become too tight and loosening the adjustment screw is needed. By tightening your adjustment screw, the lock jaws of your fifth wheel top plate will remove any excess free play between the fifth wheel top plate and the king pin on the trailer. Most manufacturers recommend free play of 0.080” but check your manufacturer specifications before tightening or loosening the adjustment screw. To prevent your trailer from disconnecting, most importantly you need to routinely inspect the top plate locking mechanism for proper play. This happens all too often and can be easily prevented.

If your lockjaws are too loose, your trailer could completely disconnect while you’re driving down the road. Over time, your lockjaws will wear down and loosen from the pulling weight and jerking motion of your trailer. The adjustment screw plays a silent but important role on your fifth wheel top plate and could mean the difference between getting to your destination with your trailer or losing it while driving down the road. Inspect All Components Top Plate Free Play

#KINGPIN LOCKING JAWS FULL#

The following 3 factors will help you get the full longevity of your fifth wheel top plate. A top plate that has not been inspected and maintained can cause serious issues while on the road. Proper maintenance of your fifth wheel top plate is essential to you and the cargo you haul. Proper Maintenance of Fifth Wheel Top Plates

That is why proper maintenance of your fifth wheel plate is essential. If the internal components are not working properly, the truck may not be able to connect or disconnect from the trailer or worse yet, the trailer could disconnect while driving down the road causing thousands of dollars in damage or even worse yet! Excessive movement between semi and trailer can affect the semi’s handling and could result in loss of control. The purpose of the fifth wheel top plate is to provide trailers and cargo a secure connection for heavy loads, if coupled correctly. They consist of many internal components, such as lockjaws, springs, bushings, and a release handle, that must all work together smoothly for operation. The fifth wheel top plate is the horseshoe shaped plate that is attached to the main frame of the vehicle. But what exactly is a fifth wheel top plate? You probably see them while you’re driving down the road, and don’t even realize it.

Wheelco’s Fifth Wheel Top Plate Recommendationįrom RVs to heavy duty class 8 tractor trailers, a towing job may not be possible without the use of a fifth wheel top plate.

Proper Maintenance of Fifth Wheel Top Plates.

In this article, we will discuss the proper maintenance of your fifth wheel top plate to ensure its longevity. Proper maintenance of your fifth wheel top plate will ensure the longevity of your plate and equipment, keeping you safe when over the road. If not properly maintained throughout its lifespan, the stress that is put on fifth wheel top plates can cause damage to the plate and break down the internal components. When fifth wheel failure occurs it can be very expensive and possibly very dangerous.

Kingpin locking jaws