5th wheel for an AA

[smilebigtt]

Has anyone seen a 5th wheel or a drawing of a 5th wheel used on an AA?

[Chris Haynes]

I have seen photos of AA tractor trailers. My question is what did they do for trailer brakes?

[bert]

One of mt "A" clum members(passed resently) had an unrestored 29 with a flat bed behind it. To tell the truth I never looked at the brakes on it. But then, I never saw any yhing like brake rod going down the chassis. His passing keep me from bothering the family but I will keep that on mind for the future to go and look. Curious.----bert, fl.

[SHELBY MESSER]

I haven't saw a 5th wheel for an AA but I have a 1925 TT log truck with trailer, it's in sad-sad shape but what you call a 5th wheel was a steel plate about 1/2" bolted to the frame with a hole through it, I don't know the size of the hole for it was worn out egg shaped. For the trailer it is a Nabors axle cast iron spokes molded with bearings, but no brake drums and no kind of brakes just a straight axle. Hope this may help, keep on trucking

[Rosenkranswa]

I've seen an AA 5th wheel semi-trailer tanker and flatbed. Neither had trailer brakes. Also a TT 5th wheel flatbed at Richmond last year with no trailer brakes.

Not sure how you would work a mechanical brake setup on an articulated trailer - interesting engineering question.

[tandemAA]

I am interested also in using a 5th wheel setup with a trailer for my AA.

One of the national magazines from years ago had a picture of Model AA truck and stake bed trailer setup and asked the question: "What do you see that is unusual?"

You had to go to a page towards the rear to find out, that if you look closely, you can see mechanical linkage brake rods going from the trailer axle towards the 5th wheel. The rods are clearly visible under the trailer. There must be linkage that remains nuetral about the 5th wheel pin, so the brakes don't activate when turning or over bumps.

I was thinking of ways to try to converting an AA axle to mount on the trailer and use electric brakes or getting more involved converting it to use an air brake setup.

Still trying to gather more information yet.

Al

[smilebigtt]

How about a hard brake rod like on the A's extend from the trucks brake actuator pivot to almost the rear of the truck through guides. From there run a healthy wire cable between two pulleys side by side so as the trailer turns left or right the cable will roll on one of the pulleys. On the front of the trailer (under side) you have the same pulley/cable setup and again a hard rod going back to an axle with brakes. An A front axle. Do this through the trucks braking system or a seperate pull handle like the emergence brake to assist in slowing the vehicle. If any part of the "trailer brakes" fail, you still have full truck brake.

[Bob C]

I think vacuum brakes would have been used in that time period and possibly up into the 40's.
The picture is of a hand control valve for vacuum trailer brakes.

[Mike in Maine]

May be interesting to you?
http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/t/trailmo ... mobile.htm

Also click on the web sight below and scroll down until you see a 1930
AA with box trailer attached. click on picture.
http://diecastduck.com/advertising01.htm
Mike