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What's this lever on column do?

B

buccaneer

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1953 5 ton bridge truck body. There's a lever opposite the flasher lever, on the right side of the upper steering column.

There's air lines to it and it says not to use for parking brake.

It is currently froze and won't move, or else I'd actuate it...


Is this the front axle engagement??? Both my deuces have air front axles and have the air switch under the instrument panel. I haven't found a front actuator on the 5 ton yet...

Pics tomorrow if nobody knows by just my description.
 
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scooter01922

scooter01922

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Um...well...i know what that should do on a tractor, but no idea what its for on the bridge truck. That is to actuate the trailer brakes on a semi tractor
 
mbarber84

mbarber84

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Not too familiar with the 5 ton trucks, however, my friend just bought an M818......

I believe what you are describing is the "air hand brake" which allows you to apply and hold the service brakes on hills and such, rather than having to hold the foot pedal down. Its a handy device for starting out on hills with a load on, some over the road trucks have these, the International dumps we have at work have them, pretty nice feature....

As for the front axle engagement, again, im no expert here, but I believe the 5 tons are sprag type engagement and will only be activated when the rear wheels out run or over turn the front ( I think), when you put the truck in reverse, you should be able to hear a "air sound" followed by a "metal thud" which is the sprag going out (I think)

I might be all wet, but thats the best I can do, Im sure the 5 ton guys will jump all over this in a minute or two......

My 2 cents
 
Last edited:
B

buccaneer

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westfolk said:
The name of it is...........spike brake. It is to apply the brakes to the trailer only. Tractors have them. Bridge truck? got me there. But it's a spike brake.
Click to expand...

This answer makes sense... I call it a bridge truck because it has the 10 foot or so wide bed with the lockable side panels on a flat bed... and the plate on the front driver side of the bed says Bridge Body or something like that...
 
F

FreightTrain

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That is a Johnson bar.used to activate trailer brakes manually on a tractor.No clue why it is on a bridge truck unless they set them up to activate a tag trailer brake which would make some sense because of weight.Bridge sections ain't light!
 
m139h2otruck

m139h2otruck

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Both M139 gasser bridge trucks that we have had the trailer/trolley brake levers on the side of the steering column. The M812 does not.
 
m16ty

m16ty

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FreightTrain said:
That is a Johnson bar.used to activate trailer brakes manually on a tractor.No clue why it is on a bridge truck unless they set them up to activate a tag trailer brake which would make some sense because of weight.Bridge sections ain't light!
Click to expand...
That's what old truckers around here call them. I have no idea why. Maybe Johnson was the company that made them or something.

I have seen Mack dumptrucks that had them. It applied the truck brakes.
 
BEASTMASTER

BEASTMASTER

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that lever is and forever has been called the trolley brake. it's used to hold the trailer brakes, then if you have to move ,a little at a time you still can work the gas and clutch with you 're feet. real handy when you're against a paverbox or spreading stone. fun to make you're trailer go sideways in the snow too.:-D
 
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