From: Dave Sofio (david.sofio@nfesc.com)
Date: Wed Jan 19 2005 - 21:53:27 PST
Here's another still-waiting-for-manual, dumb-guy question:
Seems like a no-brainer, but...I can't quite figure out what the normal
procedure would be to operate the dump tailgate on my M51! The
lever-operated gate locks (they clamp around the lower gate
hinge-pins)are configured so they cannot open far enough to let the gate
pivot on the upper pins during dumping, as I'd originally assumed was
the whole intent of that lever system. (I spent about an hour trying to
lengthen the control rods to get the lock to open enough to allow the
gate pins to clear so the gate could swing freely about the upper pins,
but even at the end of the lock-jaw adjustment, it's not even close to
letting the gate swing clear of the jaws...and at that length, the lever
can't re-close them anywhere near the locked position.) So, clearly
either I am ignorant of some details here, or the gate was not designed
to swing from the top pins.
From this trial-and-error, I should conclude that the lower jaws are
only to be opened to allow the complete removal of the tailgate, but it
seems silly that the design would provide a convenient lever for this
(quite rare) gate-removal requirement, yet provide no simple means to
open the gate for normal use.
Tried letting it swing down under chain restriction, which
works--clumsily (remove pins, fumble with chain to set to reasonable
drop length) but just about popped an acorn getting the gate closed
again by myself...THAT can't be right, can it? Plus the gate drags in
dumped material, and could get damaged during vehicle movement while
embedded in the pile of dumped stuff (damage almost certain if driver
were to roll backwards during dumping).
Next load, I tried using the swinging side-gates, which lock the gate at
about 45 degrees from horizontal. This method worked worst of all,
since the load hung up on the part-closed gate (I ended up getting the
remaining sticky-mud load out with the best tool I had on hand: a claw
hammer...don't want to repeat THAT).
I thought this was supposed to be easy and obvious, but it ain't. Or is
it? Anyone?
It's got me thinking about air cylinders and other major modifications
to get the gate to swing up and out of the way without such intimate
involvement by the driver (me.)
--Dave
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