Semi slider extension and ramps 1

[Steve]

As promised more pictures of yet another project at work. This one adds 2 feet to a 5th wheel slider, reforms the rear end, and adds a ramp for our new(old)lowboy trailer. Project time 7 days including the "I gotta have now side projects". There were a lot of those.

[Steve]

Semi slider Extension and ramps 2

Here are the remaining pictures of the truck adjustment. Used a Miller MP65E welder, S60 wire feeder, Esab mig-6 .045, Some Lincoln 7018 for the unreachable places, Pac Master 35 for the thin stuff, and a Victor torch with #2 cutting, #8 heating, and #2 gouging tips, 9 in and 4 1/2 in grinding wheels. .

[SkidSteerSteve]

When you built up the plate for your pintle hook, did you brace it off of anything other than the end of the frame rails? I couldn't really tell from the pics. I'm going to be building up a very similar project. Similar to your truck, I have air bags right at the end of the frame, so there is not a whole lot to reinforce off of.

SSS

[Steve]

We didn't have much room either after Mr. Victor took care of our extra length. I stayed 4in from the bags. The original frame height was 4 inches in the rear. I cut back 4 in from the bags giving me 7 inches of frame height. The back plate is 3/4 steel. there is 1/2x4 in flat behind the plate on the bottom and acrost. The top plate is 3/8x 7 in flat. The frame to plate was double beveled, welded on one side, then ground through to weld on the outside, welded, and ground flat. I'll get a pic of the inside behind the plate tomorrow, but it's all painted black so don't know how that'll work. As it sits now the 15T pintle will give up its 1/2 bolts before the 3/4 plate decides to leave. Scary huh?

[fun4now]

are the teeth so you can run it back and forth ?? and is it powered or moved from inside the cab or do you have to move it by hand from outside??
thats quite a project.

[HMW]

Looks cool, did that to one along time ago and worked out just fine. Pictures are kinda hard to see on my pc but it looks nice

[SkidSteerSteve]

are the teeth so you can run it back and forth ?? and is it powered or moved from inside the cab or do you have to move it by hand from outside??
thats quite a project.

There are two types of commercial use fifth wheel set ups. Fixed and adjustable. Steve's project is a one off deal, but the idea is still the same. (Steve, feel free to chime in if I leave something out) The typical way to move the plate is to spend thirty minutes with a big screw driver chipping all the mud and road grim out of the entire mechanism because it hasn't been moved in six months. Then, while you are holding up traffic on the scales, lock your trailer brakes (hoping you have a trailer that they are in good condition and will lock..or somebody didn't load all the weight in the nose and the trailer tandems just slides), unlock the pins on the plate rail with the air switch in the cab, go back with the pry bar/large screw driver and hammer to bang on the pins that are froze in place and the little air cylinder doesn't have a chance to move. All the while doing this at arms length because you are squezing between the bottom of the trailer and the top of the drive axles. Once that is finally freed up, simply pull forward or back up and the plate will slide to a new position. Then reset the locking pins and go back out to verify that they actually seated into place and are not stuck in the released position. If they are stuck in release, then you basically have a 40 ton slide hammer the first time you have to really use the brakes and the plate slides to one end or the other. By this time, you can go ahead and put that new shirt on because the other one is covered in grease and road grime.

Oh, and the main purpose for this is redistribute the weight of the load properly over your axles.

SSS

[fun4now]

well that sounds like great fun.
i can see the advantages, and understand all the possible problems in getting it done. but it sounds like the key stone cop's the way you explain it.
thanks for the explain & the giggle.

[HMW]

SSS Sounds like you've done that a time or two, nice commentary

[dabar39]

Pretty close

SkidSteerSteve, Sounds like you've watched me a time or two in the past.

Your description sounds just about the exact method used by most any one who has had the experience with the slide plates. Dave

Oh, by the way, Nice job Steve.

[Steve]

Yep that just about covers the use of it. If you have one and don't keep it clean and oiled, slide it regularly they do get to be a headache. This one will be used a lot. Once it gets limbered up and broke in (hopefully before it gets broke out) it will be fine. She's pretty tight now. But a few haul of 110k lbs will take care of the stiffness. Attached is a pic of the inside bracing for Skid. Next time I take pictures before painting black. Thanks guys!

[Black Wolf]

Now your talking my language.

Not quite sure why you extended the ramps and attached to the frame the way you did, but as long as it fits your application that is all that matters. We tend to do that a little differently up here.

I'll post a few pictures of my 2002 Kenworth T-800B winch tractor. I also have custom lowbed ramps. I also have a HD Ft. Smith style air slider with Teflon inserts, and a Braden MS50T 50Ton mechanical winch that pins on. With the ramps, I can back under 120K machines at an idle, and the teflon slider, I can move the wheel with same machine loaded just above idle. I positioned my wheel & ramps so I only needed to slide wheel to remove the mechanical detach neck on my lowbed. My lowbed ramps are QT-100 steel and bolted to the outside of the frame rails. Everything is removable. My way is no better than yours, just different. Enjoy.

[Steve]

Now that is really SWEET. Yours is lots better and nicer to the eye than what I had to do. Really good looking unit. More news. Just today our truck was backed under the blue now painted red lowboy and the fun began. Seems the slider plate has a hump in the middle and is bowed like an hour glass in the middle. Needless to say it is a LITTLE jammy through that part. The section I added works great. Such is life when in the make do mode we want this but no cash an be spent. When I first went to measure the height of the front of the trailer, I told them to put it where they were going to load it. 29 inches I came up with. later after all the mods they said it wouldn't go underneath. Well they had the third ax on truck down and the trailer bags inflated. New measurement is 26 inches, 2 less than I gave them. So now I'm thinking this is the rig from you know where and more cut fit weld will be required. Ya Ya Ya Ya Ya, your rig is looking REALLY good from here. NICE unit you have there Black Wolf, truly.

[Black Wolf]

Much appreciated

Thank you very much for the compliments. That truck, by far, was the nicest rig I ever drove. I sold it off in 2004, when I came off the road for good. There are days I still miss the truck, but I have never missed the lifestyle, working around the clock just trying to pay the bills. I have some really nice pictures of the Kenworth, and the brand new 50T double drop tridem lowbed w/ mechanical detach neck. When I run across them, I'll post them up here for you.

Thanks again,
Jason