fifth wheel semitrailer couplings

[harrisj]

I have come across many different configurations that exist for fifth wheel couplings on semi-trailers (articulated trucks to us Brits). I have also found jargon words which are not self-explanatory and are ambiguous.

Is there a good reference website out there which covers 5th wheels? This is a new area for me and I am confused by this extraordinarily commonplace and simple technology!

 

[mloew]

Harrisj,

You may want to look at information on Holland Group's website:

http://www.hollandusa.com.

Also, there are Commercial Item Descriptions (US MIL-Specifications) for the Kingpin (A-A-52478) and Fifth Wheel (A-A-52544); you should be able to find these for free by searching on Google.com.
SAE (

http://www.sae.org)

publishes SAE J 700 Upper Coupler Kingpin-Commercial Trailers and Semitrailers and SAE J 133 Fifth Wheel Kingpin Performance-Commercial Ttrailers and Semitrailers as well.

Hope this helps! Best regards,

Matthew Ian Loew

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