My crane's main hoist brake started slipping on a lift in Phoenix.

It was a Tuesday morning, about two hours into moving steel beams for a new warehouse. I felt the load drift a tiny bit when I stopped, which is never good. I set it down right away and called my mechanic, who told me to check the adjustment first. Turns out the linkage had worked itself loose over a few weeks of heavy use. Has anyone else had this happen with a Link-Belt HTC-3140? What's your usual check routine for those brakes?

2 comments

2 Comments

jamesfox17h ago

I used to just check the pads for wear, but a loose linkage like yours taught me to look at the whole system. Now I give all the rods and clevises a good wiggle test during my pre-op. Saved me from a real headache last month.

lane.cameron14h ago

Oh sure, now you tell us. Where was this wisdom last year when my whole rig decided to take a nap on the runway because of a wobbly bolt? Guess we all have to learn the hard way that the obvious part isn't always the one that fails. It's always something you didn't think to check twice. That wiggle test is now the most important part of my walk-around, no joke. Saved my butt more than once already.