Freightliner Trucks Business Class Truck FL80

DANGER: Do not loosen or remove the parking brake clamp ring for any purpose at any time. Serious injury or death may result from sudden release of the power spring.

WARNING: Do not operate the vehicle with the front brakes backed off or disconnected. This may lead to loss of vehicle control resulting in property damage or personal injury.

NOTE: Vehicles operating under severe or adverse conditions should be checked more frequently.

With the slack adjuster properly adjusted, is the angle formed by the centerline of the piston rod and slack adjuster greater than 90 degrees in the released position and approach 90 degrees in the applied position?

Is each brake chamber correctly installed?

Is each mounting stud for the presence of prevailing torque locknuts and hardened flatwashers?

Are the hardened flatwashers installed between the mounting bracket and the locknuts?

If the locknuts are loose, have they been tightened?

Is the piston rod engagement with the clevis at least 7 threads?

Warning: Do not replace individual leaves of a damaged leaf spring assembly; replace the complete spring assembly.

Inspect the front and rear suspension spring assemblies for pitted, cracked, broken, or abnormally bent leaves and extreme rust.

On front spring assemblies if cracks or breaks exist in the two top leaves, a loss of vehicle control could occur.

On multi-leaf suspensions, closely inspect each component of the leaf spring assemblies, including the brackets, U-bolts, and related parts.

Warning: Failure to replace the forward spring brackets, equalizer brackets, or rear spring brackets if they are worn, cracked, or otherwise damaged could result in progressive damage to and eventual breakage of the bracket.

Inspect the forward and rear spring brackets, equalizer brackets, and the wear pads, for wear, cracks, and other damage.

Inspect the tandem-axle frame crossmember and gussets for wear, cracks, and other damage.

Caution: Failure to replace the suspension crossmember or gussets if they are cracked, worn, or otherwise damaged could result in damage to the vehicle chassis.

Make sure that the shock absorber brackets are tight, and that the shock absorber is not striking or rubbing on the frame or some other part of the chassis.

WARNING: All fifth wheel maintenance, adjustment, and rebuilding must be done only by a qualified mechanic. Improper or incomplete procedures could result in possible disengagement of the trailer from the tractor, causing serious damage or injury.

Wear safety goggles during removal, installation, and rebuilding. Failure to do so can result in personal injury, due to parts ejecting under spring compression.

Disconnect the tractor from the trailer. For instructions, see Chapter 10 of the Business Class® Trucks Driver’s Manual. Thoroughly steam clean the fifth wheel, then make the following checks:

1. Look for cracks in the fifth wheel assembly, mounting brackets, and mounting parts.

2. Check moving parts for wear or damage.

3. Test the safety lock latch for operation.

4. Check for loose nuts and bolts in the fifth wheel and in the mounting.

5. Check that all springs are securely fastened and not deformed.

Warning: This check requires trained personnel with PPE!

Control rod ends move up, down, in, and out without disconnecting

Control rods show signs of wear or damage

Rubber bushings show cracks or cuts

Shifting of the barpin observed

Cracks in the metal components and welds found

Note: The control rod on the 46,000-pound-rated suspension is larger, and is fastened differently than on other applications; see Group 32of the Business Class® Trucks Service Manual for removal and installation information.

Sign off on the Freightliner AirLiner Control Rod Check

Fontaine: Use a multipurpose extreme pressure (EP) chassis grease, and lubricate all moving parts on the fifth wheel. When lubricating the top plate at the grease fittings for the bracket bearing area, tilt the top plate forward and backward to evenly distribute the grease. Using a pry tool, separate the jaw and wedge and lubricate the serrations using a brush to distribute the grease. On slide-mount applications, lubricate the slide rail and tapered wedges for smooth operation.

Once the fifth wheel’s moving parts are lubricated, apply a liberal coating of grease to the top plate and the trailer kingpin plate.

Holland: Lubricate all moving parts with oil or a light grease. Lubricate the fifth wheel top plate with a waterproof or multipurpose chassis grease.

Once the moving parts of the fifth wheel are lubricated, apply a heavy coat of grease to the top plate by direct application. On slide-mount applications, lubricate the baseplate rails and the plungers for smooth operation.;