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Since I have at least one person's attention I'll continue to ramble about air brakes. Let me play Murphy, I am uniquely qualified. Scenario - someone less fortunate than the OP picked up 2 trucks and connected them via the appropriate towbars and chains and lights. He's driving back on I-10...

A couple of things come to mind about the difference in towing our 5tons vs what the big wrecker guys are doing. First off, they're towing a dead truck. Frequently we're towing a fully operational truck. Our goal is to get 2 trucks moved with one driver. Secondly, they're towing lifted. We're...

I presume he made them shorter for ease of handling. Or to differentiate them from his cage bolts that aren't welded

James, I realize you think I have no idea what I'm talking about. To the point that you've ignored what I've posted. I'm going to post this for the benefit of people reading this who are not familiar with air brake systems. When the pressure in an airbrake system falls below a set minimum...

I don't claim to have any special bonds, insurance, or licenses. I make this explicitly clear. If I've given misinformation please be specific. I'm willing to learn. I have in the past held a class A cdl with hazmat. I didn't suddenly forget everything when my license changed.

I'll be interested to see how this recovery ends up. OP, don't leave us hanging, be sure to post an AAR.

James, the main area where you and I aren't in agreement is the degree of certainty as to whether there's a problem with that chamber. Your position as I understand it is "there's a cage bolt on it, therefor it's bad, leave it there." My position is "pull the bolt out and assess/test the brake...

When air brake systems fail, the vehicle stops because the spring brakes apply. When the brakes are caged and the air brake system fails, you have no brakes because the spring brakes do not apply. Caging bolts only disable the spring brakes. Caging the brakes has no effect on the service brakes.

Let me be completely clear. When flat towing one fully functional m939 series truck with another fully functional m939 series truck, there is no reason to use caging bolts. Connect towbars, connect safety chains, connect air lines, open the appropriate valves. You now have full brake...

am I to understand that you advocate routinely caging the brakes when flat towing with a vehicle capable of supplying air?

with proper airlines hooked up the towed trucks brakes are applied when you mash the brake pedal. With proper airlines applied and cage bolts removed the towed truck's spring brakes apply if your air system fails. with proper airlines applied and cage bolts removed the towed truck's spring...

If you supply air to the emergency circuit, it is very likely that the cage bolt will wiggle out anyway - the 120 psi is likely to compress the springs more than the cage bolt, allowing the cage bolt to rattle out. I won't tell you to go to school to learn this stuff, but you really really...

Don't do it that way, seriously. Take that cage bolt out. See why it was in there in the first place. If your brakes are funtional, tow it with the service brakes live and the emergency spring brakes enabled. You're playing with tremendous forces here; there's no good reason to disable a safety...

While towing one truck with the other THERE IS NO REASON TO CAGE THE BRAKES! Hook up service brake air, and emergency brake air, AND LEAVE THE BRAKES UNCAGED. This way if something goes wrong, you still have your spring brakes applied . Otherwise if something goes wrong the towed vehicle has no...