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6.2.5 – Hose Couplers (Glad Hands)
"Glad hands" are coupling devices used to connect the service and emergency air lines from the truck or tractor to the trailer. The couplers have a rubber seal that prevents air from escaping. Clean the couplers and rubber seals before a connection is made. When connecting the glad hands, press the two seals together with the couplers at a 90-degree angle to each other. A turn of the glad hand attached to the hose will join and lock the couplers.
When coupling, make sure to couple the proper glad hands together. To help avoid mistakes, colors are sometimes used. Blue is used for the service lines and red for the emergency (supply) lines. Sometimes, metal tags are attached to the lines with the words “service” and “emergency” stamped on them.
If you do cross the air lines, supply air will be sent to the service line instead of going to charge the trailer air tanks. Air will not be available to release the trailer spring brakes (parking brakes). If the spring brakes do not release when you push the trailer air supply control, check the air line connections.
Older trailers do not have spring brakes. If the air supply in the trailer air tank has leaked away, there will be no emergency brakes and the trailer wheels will turn freely. If you crossed the air lines, you could drive away but you would not have trailer brakes. This would be very dangerous. Always test the trailer brakes before driving with the hand valve or by pulling the air supply (tractor parking valve) control. Pull gently against them in a low gear to make sure the brakes work.
Some vehicles have "dead end" or dummy couplers to which the hoses may be attached when they are not in use. This will prevent water and dirt from getting into the coupler and the air lines. Use the dummy couplers when the air lines are not connected to a trailer. If there are no dummy couplers, the glad hands can sometimes be locked together (depending on the couplings). It is important to keep the air supply clean.
Multiple-Choice Questions:
What are Glad Hands?
- Black seals used to prevent air leakage when connecting the tire stem to the rim
- Rubber seals that prevent oil leakage from the oil filter
- Connections on the mounts used to secure the fuel tanks to the frame
- Coupling devices used to connect the service and emergency air lines from the truck or tractor to the trailer
If you accidentally cross the air lines going to the trailer by mounting the blue line to the red line and vice versa, what will happen?
- The trailer brakes will not work at all and you will hear a loud hissing sound as air escapes from the system
- Supply air will be sent to the service line instead of going to charge the trailer air tanks. Air will not be available to release the trailer spring brakes (parking brakes)
- The primary air tank will lose air pressure and the parking brake will apply automatically
- Supply air will be sent to the emergency line instead of the service line and the emergency brakes will release. The lack of air going to the supply side will cause the trailer brakes to stop working.
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