The IMPORTANCE of BREAKAWAY CABLES.

The Importance of BREAKAWAY CABLES.

Recently, I attended an agricultural auction. Many bidders had taken trailers of all shapes and sizes in anticipation of a successful purchase!

A quick survey in the car park revealed that almost 50% of the braked trailers (CategoryO2) had either no breakaway cable installed or, it was incorrectly fitted.

Why is that so important?

Failures of the towball to coupling are relatively rare but they do happen! (it’s almost invariably user error).

A correctly fitted breakaway cable will snatch on the trailer’s handbrake, locking the brakes and safely parking the trailer after detachment, before the cable itself parts company.

1. The breakaway cable must be securely attached to the lower most point of the trailer handbrake.

2. The breakaway cable must be fed through a guide, at the forward end of the trailer chassis or coupling. This is because a runaway trailer will almost certainly try running off at a tangent to the towing vehicle. To operate the handbrake correctly, the last 300mm or so of the breakaway cable has to be able to pull in the proper axis, that is in a fore and aft direction, relative to the trailer. All modern couplings will have some sort of guide fitted as standard but, for older couplings without an integral guide, aftermarket guides are available that simply bolt on.

3 . Depending on the style of breakaway clip fitted, the forward end of the cable should be either attached directly to the towbar (carabiner type fitting) or wrapped around and clipped back on itself. (spring clip style fitting).

For some reason, there seems to be a culture amongst a number of inertia braked A-Frame users to not have the breakaway cable through the guide when the a-frame isn’t in use. This is completely unnecessary and, if left in place, it’s one less thing to remember when next used!

4 photos I’ve seen in the last week on 1 FB group all had the breakaway cable incorrectly fed.

To the user who told me to F*** O**, before deleting his post then blocking me, and his mate who called me ‘clueless’, I make no apology for highlighting your shortcomings. It could be me or mine that get hit next time…..

You may care to Google #TowSafe4Freddie.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/road-safety-campaign-urges-drivers-to-towsafe4freddie

and

https://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/content/articles/2009/01/30/east_midlands_trailers_s15_w3_video_feature.shtml

Freddie Hussey, pictured shortly before

his death in 2014.

Copyright: Donna Hussey.

This image can be reproduced to promote

this road safety campaign.

The Weakest Link…

For all the naysayers, just to prove i campaign on towing issues in general and not just target a-frames,

Question? Following an issue with wheels/tyres on a colleagues new car transporter trailer, I was prompted to have a closer look at my own 12 month old, 2tonne platform trailer. I’ve discovered that while the tyres are rated at 500kg each, the rims are only rated at 345kg each at 58mph. (That information is not readily available to the end-user, it’s only on the wheel rim manufacturer’s website). My questions now are 1. how does a trailer with under-spec’d rims obtain type approval and, more importantly, 2. what will be the consequences and who will take the responsibility if I have an issue? I’ve no doubt my supplier has bought rims/tyres in as an assembly in good faith but who is supplying the industry with underspec’d wheel rims? I have written to the trailer manufacturer and await their response … #TowLegal #TowSafe #TowSafe4Freddie

NOTE: If you have issues of a similar nature, the place to report is the DVSA Market Surveillance Unit. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-someone-making-or-selling-unsafe-or-illegal-vehicles-or-parts

UPDATE: The wheel supplier has liaised with the Italian Manufacturer (after intervention by the DVSA) and a new Certificate of Compliance has been issued. This has not yet reflected in the manufacturers webpage.

How do I measure a Wheel Rim?

The 'pcd' (pitch circle diameter) is the measurement you will always be asked for when enquiring about a wheel rim.

Number of Rim Studs

3 Stud Rim

Measure C, this is the distance from the centre of a stud to the edge of the hub The 'pcd' (pitch circle diameter) is the measurement you will always be asked for when enquiring about a wheel rim.

Number of Rim Studs

3 Stud Rim Measure C, this is the distance from the centre of a stud to the edge of the hub centre. Measure D, this is the hub centre diameter. pcd = (C x 2) + D

4 Stud Rim Measure across the centre hub from the centre of one stud to another, this is the 'pcd'

5 Stud Rim Measure C, this is the distance from the centre of a stud to the edge of the hub centre. Measure D, this is the hub centre diameter. pcd = (C x 2) +D

The other measurements needed will be:-

1) The wheel rim diameter, this can be obtained from the information on the tyre eg. 520x 10, 175x13, 650x16, etc...

2) The wheel section, this is normally stamped in the rim. This a number followed by a letter eg. 4½ J, 5 J, 5½ J etc....

3) The 'offset' is then another factor to consider, if A is equal to B, it is a centre web rim, if A is greater than B, the rim has an offset.centre. Measure D, this is the hub centre diameter. pcd = (C x 2) + D

4 Stud Rim Measure across the centre hub from the centre of one stud to another, this is the 'pcd'

5 Stud Rim Measure C, this is the distance from the centre of a stud to the edge of the hub centre. Measure D, this is the hub centre diameter. pcd = (C x 2) +D

The other measurements needed will be:-

1) The wheel rim diameter, this can be obtained from the information on the tyre

eg. 520x 10, 175x13, 650x16, etc...

2) The wheel section, this is normally stamped in the rim. This a number followed by a letter eg. 4½ J, 5 J, 5½ J etc....

3) The 'offset' is then another factor to consider, if A is equal to B, it is a centre web rim, if A is greater than B, the rim has an offset.