Had a main hoist brake fail on a tower crane in Dallas yesterday.

It happened during a slow swing with a 2-ton load, so I just set it down gently and radioed for maintenance. Anyone dealt with a sudden brake failure on a Liebherr 125 EC-B before?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_miles1mo ago

Damn, glad you kept it cool. Had a brake go on an older 250 HC-L once. Exact same move, slow swing with a light load. Key thing is you didn't panic and just set it down. After that, we found the solenoid valve on the brake circuit was sticking. Swapped it out and tested the hell out of it before putting any real weight on the hook. Always check the electrical side before you start tearing into the brake pack itself.

julia_carter611mo ago

That solenoid fix works maybe half the time.

phoenix_singh256d ago

Four times out of ten for me on the solenoid trick. I have to ask, is a sticking solenoid really the kind of thing that needs a full "tested the hell out of it" plan like @the_miles is saying? I mean, it's just a valve that sticks, not a cracked frame. I get being careful, but half the time a good tap with a wrench or a quick clean gets it moving again. It's not like you're rebuilding the whole brake pack for a sticky solenoid. Seems like overkill to do a whole checklist for something that's usually just a cheap part swap. You really think every sticky solenoid needs that much attention?

the_oliver1mo ago

Keeping cool is a skill I learned after my first brake failure looked like a bad dance move. Your solenoid tip is gold, saved me hours of pointless wrench turning. Electrical gremlins love to hide in plain sight.