truck air to military air convertors...does anyone do such a thing...

[paulob1]

I have standard air attachments on the truck and want to use it to tow a brockhouse trailer...which has military air fittings...any idea if there is a converter or similar

[radiomike7]

I have standard air attachments on the truck and want to use it to tow a brockhouse trailer...which has military air fittings...any idea if there is a converter or similar

 

You can make adaptors by screwing palm couplings directly onto modern type couplings, check if you need self sealing types (the ones used without air taps). The only downside is that the adaptor can rotate and the weight of the airline can cause the palm coupling to come apart.

 

Safest way would be to fit modern couplings to the trailer airlines.

[antarmike]

There is no "standard Military Air fitting". Civilian trucks as well as Military vehicles were both using standard Palm coulplings, and in the late forties, fifties and sixties any civilian truck would have the same fittings as the military vehicles and trailers. It is only in the last thirty years or so that Civilian trucks have more or less completly moved over to C and CA fittings.

 

You just need a couple of Hexagonal barrel nipples (1/2" BSP), and screw a standard Palm coupling (not to be confused with a European or self sealing Palm Coupling) onto one end and either a male or Female "C" coupling to the other end.

 

If you civvy fittings on the truck have also got self sealing valves you will need to fit a valve lifter between the Hex Barrel and the female C coupling. The male C coupling will open the self sealing valve and does not need a valve lifter.

Edited August 16, 2010 by antarmike

[cosrec]

Some of the lads who haul off the docks put a self sealing female on the red line and a palm on the yellow line. then they have a male coupling fastened to a palm. that way depending on which air line its fitted it can couple to either sort of cou[plings Palm couplings are available from any of the comnercial fleet factors and are very cheap

[paulob1]

what if I get a short length of hose and fit a coupling to the red and one to the yellow...then fix the palm type fitting to the back of the truck...I guess that would work, what do you mean by a self sealing release valve....

[antarmike]

Often the Male C coupling has a self sealing valve behind it( SSVC22 in the link below, this valve is fitted in the Service or Yellow line fitting, on the tractor) A plastic stem (sometimes white, but yellow in the picture in the link below) extends from the valve through the male C fitting and is visible if you look into the male probe. A valve lifter fits behind the mating female coupling( see item OV22). It is a steel cross bar that protrudes into the female coupling, and when the male is pushed into the female, this bar acts on the end of the protruding plastic spigot to lift the valve of its seating allowing air to pass through. If there are self sealing valves on the towing tractor modern C type couplings, the female C on the adaptor has to have a valve lifter.

http://www.erentek.co.uk/p0125.jpg

The Emergency or red line on the tractor will feed to a Female C coupling, and may be fitted with a different self sealing Valve (SSVCA 22) but the small end male C from the Trailer converter pushes this valve open when the Male is inseted . No lifter is needed, the C coupling itself opens the valve.

Edited August 17, 2010 by antarmike