Fifth Wheel Won’t Unlock

It would help people to answer it they knew what 5th wheel you have. Are they adjusted to tight?

 

First ensure its not an incab air release. Obvious i know but yoh would be suprised how often someone with a new rig doesnt know.....next spray the ever living hell out of the jaws with WD-40 to begin with and let that soak a bit like 5 minutes then do it again and then a 3rd time. If its just lack of lubrication that may do it in which case use brake cleaner. Let the 5th wheel dry then apply enough grease that people might thing your prepping for an X rated show.

That doesnt work, block 2 or 3 of your trucks wheels....ON LEVEL GROUND and leave the brake off then try to yoink the handle, sometimes that will take enough pressure off they may release even if stiff.

Again BLOCK YOUR #### TIRES i have seen guys do that without blocking and the truck rolls away. Next if you can get a 5th wheel puller, the extra leverage may be enough to break it free....if that fails i got nothing.

 

Last time that happened to me I soaked the jaws, release handle, and everything else with PB Blaster, waited about 5 minutes, then sprayed it all down again with more PB Blaster and waited another 5 minutes.

It released after that, so then I sprayed it with 2 cans of carburetor cleaner, waited a few minutes for that to dry, then sprayed everything but the jaws with WD-40 and re-greased the jaws.

 

I use this stuff for 5th wheel jaws.

Lucas Oil Products Marine Grease 14 oz - Ace Hardware

Doesnt wash off in rain easily. Does a decent job of protecting from salt or grit buildup doesnt melt off in high temps or turn to glue in low temps. Other oils or solvents thst get into it dont break it down too fast, it doesnt care much about other 5th wheel grease. And it also makes a decent 5th wheel grease in and of its self if you run out of the red goop

 

I use a piece of strap with the hook on the end sometimes.Put the hook in the pin release handle and pull with the strap.I think I can get more leverage that way.Clean it up and grease it once you get disconnected.

 

What brand of fith wheel? Some of them you can get a probably in and pry the jaws apart as someone else pulls the handle out.

 

The handle is moving but is it actually pulling the squareish block out from between the back of the jaws (the side closest to the cab)?

 

I had a 5th wheel that was hard to release and sometimes hard to hook up

Pulled it off and underneath there was grease and dirt build up
Cleaned all that bunk out and worked just fine

Couldn’t see it until we flipped the plate over