knight2:
WD40 or similar lubricant can help.
WD40 shifts fifth wheel grease well also.
nyk473l:
war1974:
why on some trucks is the yellow airline pressurised and others not ( sure scanias never used to be vs others).Some tractors pressurise the yellow airline, so that the trailer brakes are applied when the vehicle handbrake is applied. I have an XF and this only has spring brake chambers on the drive axle, so it pressurises the yellow airline to ensure adequate park brake.
They all do including the swedes now.
I cannot guarantee this 100% but I’ve got a vague idea originally it was something to do with not liking the idea of depleting trailer air tank reserves in Sweden.
Not sure either 100% why it’s easier to do yellow then red as I can’t convince myself of a good technical reason on a modern trailer obviously not saying it isn’t the case.
Thanks folks dumping the air helps a lot. 6th trailer today!?
Nother question. In the old days trailer park brake was manual. If the trailer lost its air it might start moving when you tried to get under it and you would go and wind it on. What happens now? Is there a spring brake on trailers. I once moved a trailer off a busy junction by taking off the red line and dumping the air. Would that still work?
Eric Rambler:
Thanks folks dumping the air helps a lot. 6th trailer today!?Nother question. In the old days trailer park brake was manual. If the trailer lost its air it might start moving when you tried to get under it and you would go and wind it on. What happens now? Is there a spring brake on trailers. I once moved a trailer off a busy junction by taking off the red line and dumping the air. Would that still work?
Nearly everything you come across now should be spring brakes, which will lock on as soon as you disconnect the red line or should the air drop.
You can move a trailer without a tractor connected by pressing the shunt button, providing it’s got enough air in the tanks to move the brakes away.
I dislike using the shunt button as i’ve had a case where some clot ‘helped’ me change trailers one night (i do wish people wouldn’t help but you can hardly tell 'em to bugger off) and unbeknown to me he’d pressed the shunt button in which stuck in and when i went to drive away all the dash lights were flashing and i had no trailer brakes…he does that regularly apparently to save all that time putting the red line on… 
nyk473l:
war1974:
why on some trucks is the yellow airline pressurised and others not ( sure scanias never used to be vs others).Some tractors pressurise the yellow airline, so that the trailer brakes are applied when the vehicle handbrake is applied. I have an XF and this only has spring brake chambers on the drive axle, so it pressurises the yellow airline to ensure adequate park brake.
fair enough just always recalled the scannies despite being pigs and having stupid offset steering wheels etc being much nicer to couple up with.
bring back taps I reckon.
Use your knee to help push you hand, or get a job on tankers!
Wd40 if connection is weathered, & find some sort of a bracing position, & in variable forms depending on what trailer you are connecting to. Ours are nearly all different, so I have to used a variety of different braceing positions ! 
Dipper_Dave:
Nothing says agency to me (apart from wearing a hi viz vest whilst driving, and in hot weather nothing but a hi viz vest) than a unit ticking over whilst the driver is messing about with the suzies.
Well we’ve got to keep our hi-viz on for when we have to limp about the industrial estates looking for some ■■■■ to take their delivery.
Though this might just be my experience being given multi-drop. “I’ve got a pallet of stationary” “Oh it’s on a pallet?” Yes love of course it’s on a pallet, what do you expect when you order 40 packs of paper and a chair?
■■■■ me.
Eric Rambler:
Is it just me? I can’t connect the airlines! I get them nearly home but not quite locked in. I think I’m quite strong but the only way I can do it is to stand right in the centre of the cat walk and use all of my strength. This often means risking getting black grease all over my trousers and I don’t like it.Is there a simple trick to it which I should know? There was more room on the catwalk when trailers were 40 foot so it wasn’t a problem.
you should be squeezing the brake pedal? the pressure is obviously too high so it needs lowered?
Own Account Driver:
nyk473l:
war1974:
why on some trucks is the yellow airline pressurised and others not ( sure scanias never used to be vs others).Some tractors pressurise the yellow airline, so that the trailer brakes are applied when the vehicle handbrake is applied. I have an XF and this only has spring brake chambers on the drive axle, so it pressurises the yellow airline to ensure adequate park brake.
They all do including the swedes now.
I cannot guarantee this 100% but I’ve got a vague idea originally it was something to do with not liking the idea of depleting trailer air tank reserves in Sweden.
Not sure either 100% why it’s easier to do yellow then red as I can’t convince myself of a good technical reason on a modern trailer obviously not saying it isn’t the case.
You could have fooled me,I’ve had four new Fh’s over the last 5 years, none of those pressurized the yellow line, including my latest FH4!
captain62:
Own Account Driver:
nyk473l:
war1974:
why on some trucks is the yellow airline pressurised and others not ( sure scanias never used to be vs others).Some tractors pressurise the yellow airline, so that the trailer brakes are applied when the vehicle handbrake is applied. I have an XF and this only has spring brake chambers on the drive axle, so it pressurises the yellow airline to ensure adequate park brake.
They all do including the swedes now.
I cannot guarantee this 100% but I’ve got a vague idea originally it was something to do with not liking the idea of depleting trailer air tank reserves in Sweden.
Not sure either 100% why it’s easier to do yellow then red as I can’t convince myself of a good technical reason on a modern trailer obviously not saying it isn’t the case.
You could have fooled me,I’ve had four new Fh’s over the last 5 years, none of those pressurized the yellow line, including my latest FH4!
Maybe they haven’t then but do seem to think I’ve come across newer Scania and Volvo that pressure the yellow but perhaps I imagined it. I’II pay more attention next time I hook one up.
seth 70:
Get your arse against the back of the cab and ram it in like a propper man,if its dry spit on the end ,it will go in the harder you push and shove
Arse…spit…go in…have you been listening to Katie price?
Switch engine off and a squirting of wd40 now and again helps.
I do six trailer changes a day and these two things realy help.
You could have fooled me,I’ve had four new Fh’s over the last 5 years, none of those pressurized the yellow line, including my latest FH4!
[/quote]
Your bang on there mate, doesn’t make any difference on a Volvo FH4. I had to fit one of those suzzie locks the other day, proper chew on trying to connect the red line up again with a close coupled fridge on.
dont bother with the air lines if there to tight for you just use the shunt button on the trailer and sort of make it look like the air lines are in place, works all the time
dont bother with the air lines if there to tight for you just use the shunt button on the trailer and sort of make it look like the air lines are in place, works all the time
desypete:
dont bother with the air lines if there to tight for you just use the shunt button on the trailer and sort of make it look like the air lines are in place, works all the time
Did that a few week ago ,got talking bolloxs to one of the lads when i was coupling up,went an hour down the road with just the electrics and abs leads in,i only realised when i pulled of the mway and the chuffin thing dint want to stop ,should never stop to talk half way thru coupling up 
seth 70:
desypete:
dont bother with the air lines if there to tight for you just use the shunt button on the trailer and sort of make it look like the air lines are in place, works all the timeDid that a few week ago ,got talking bolloxs to one of the lads when i was coupling up,went an hour down the road with just the electrics and abs leads in,i only realised when i pulled of the mway and the chuffin thing dint want to stop
If you get interrupted during your procedure, you should always start all over again - just to make sure 
Toddy2:
seth 70:
desypete:
dont bother with the air lines if there to tight for you just use the shunt button on the trailer and sort of make it look like the air lines are in place, works all the timeDid that a few week ago ,got talking bolloxs to one of the lads when i was coupling up,went an hour down the road with just the electrics and abs leads in,i only realised when i pulled of the mway and the chuffin thing dint want to stop
If you get interrupted during your procedure, you should always start all over again - just to make sure
Its the first time in 23yrs so im going to let myself off with a bollocking to myself,nobodys knows apart from your lot on here
carryfast-yeti:
m1cks:
Can you not split couple. With the extra room between the unit and trailer it saves you trying to work at an angle.if you do this…make sure you’re not breaking any ‘site rules’
Dont do it at Tesco, for instance… 