Thread: Omg
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john70t john70t is online now
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Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: midwest
Posts: 40,493
Quote:
Originally Posted by Laneco View Post
I used to do serious/fatal traffic accident investigations when large trucks were involved. The sheer violence is horrific.

Bluntly put, you absolutely positively do not want to **** up around a large truck...
angela
Angela, in a former lifetime I was an apprentice mechanic for a major shipping company in Northern California.
I liked my job and was good at it.

I was doing a brake job on a dolly (a 5th-wheeled gear which connects two 28ft trailers), and was told to use a different type of brake drum(Webb to Centerline I think) as part of a fleet-conversion process.

I put the new drum on, but noticed the lugnut didn't even cover the end of the stud(only 3/4in of thread).
The problem was the new drum had a thicker flang.

I went back to my journeyman and suggested we call the manufacturer...longer studs might be needed.
He told me to put it together and ship it out.
I said no. It didn't look right.
The Assistant Head of North California division came out of the office and together with the Union shop steward got right in my face.
I said no again and suggested I call the manufacturer.
They yelled in my face:"There's a right way and the [company] way. Get this f'n thing out of here"
I said no again.
Another mechanic called the manufacturer and found out it required different studs.

Having a 80-90ft vehicle lose a wheel in it's center of roll on a turn then flip over onto a line of cars is crazy.

Last edited by john70t; 03-05-2012 at 10:01 AM..
Old 03-05-2012, 09:58 AM
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