PSA: I ran a 50 ton crawler with the swing brake on for 6 months

Was working a job in Tulsa last spring and kept wondering why my swing felt sluggish. Foreman walked by, heard the motor whining, and asked when I last checked the brake release. I didn't even know there was a manual release valve on that model. Felt like an idiot when he showed me the lever was still engaged from the transport lock. Has anyone else missed something simple like that for way too long?

3 comments

3 Comments

wendy_henderson2114d ago

Ran a forklift for three months once before realizing the parking brake was stuck halfway.

spencer_gonzalez114d ago

Used to think that was impossible but now I get it completely.

emma_baker6114d ago

Wait, so was the brake actually working at all during that time or was it just dragging the whole time? Did you notice any weird smells or sounds that just got ignored? Three months is a long time to have something like that going on without putting two and two together. Also how much extra wear did that put on the tires or the brake system itself? Bet the mechanic who finally figured it out had a good laugh at that one.