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what to use beside glad hands?

17K views 25 replies 15 participants last post by  yhmark63 
#1 ·
i run a dump truck and pup trailer. Can i use qick connect couplers instead of glad hands? if so what type or brand do you recommend. the reason is that both glad hand that connect to each other are loose and are hard *** hell to connect to each other by my self. i seen a truck the other day on the road with couplers but wonder if its dot legal. please advice
 
#2 ·
Don't have the answer but I have see a lot of show quality trucks with quick connects, maybe call a custom shop ,

The glad hand is an out of date contraption and are a real pain hose to hose
quick couplers would make your trailer harder to steal also.
There must be DOT couplers out there some where,Vaccuum over hydraulic uses quick couplers, they must be DOT??
 
#25 ·
Don't have the answer but I have see a lot of show quality trucks with quick connects, maybe call a custom shop ,

The glad hand is an out of date contraption and are a real pain hose to hose
quick couplers would make your trailer harder to steal also.
There must be DOT couplers out there some where,Vaccuum over hydraulic uses quick couplers, they must be DOT??
Glad hands separate from other if you forget to unhook them, that's why they are how they are. Do that with quick connects and you'll be replacing them if you ever forget. If you ever do.
 
#3 ·
A lowboy (RGN) uses quick couplers between the neck and the deck...I don't see how your situation would be any different really. I'll agree with the gladhands are out of date comment too...the quick connects last much longer and with some WD40 once in a while are much easier...no rubbers to wear out.

Just make sure you paint 'em red and blue so as not to confuse them.
 
#16 ·
All we use out here in Australia are quick couplers.

They work great, and when you hook up, trailer starts charging right away to fill the bags and tank.

We use this style on all our equipment.



We stopped using glad hands maybe 20-30 years ago.

We use Duo-matics on our dump trucks.

 
#17 ·
I looked in my inspection manual, and it says glad hands, but I do not see a problem, using a set of air line couplers, one quarter inch, Seem a little small but three eight`s would be plenty. You would want to have a set of adapters, just in case you had to use or move someone else's trailer. You also would need to have a set on you trailer just in case someone had to move your unit. I would ask the next time you get stopped and inspected by the MOT.
 
#19 ·
As we dont have snow at all, salt may be an issue, We use them in all conditions, and we have red dust issues, but a good tap knocks all the dirt out before you couple.
 
#22 ·
Absolutely! Poly hold up very well. Need to get the correct style though. One is better than the other.

This is the style you want with the narrow lip-



The usual wide lip seals tear that lip off and damage the rest of the face quicker.
 
#23 ·
And where do you get yours from?
 
#24 ·
The Iowa80 truckstop www.iowa80.com is in my backyard, of sorts. ;) But, most any big truck parts store should have them.
 
#26 ·
way less air flow through a quick coupler than a glad hand.

Try this. build air till compressor shuts off then shut the truck off, push red button in with no trailer and time till button pops out. install quick coupler and put the male end into that you are going to use. Then build air and time how long it takes to bleed down, it will be longer.

Another is freezing through the coupler even in above freezing temperature. Any gas flowing from a high pressure to a low pressure will freeze at the choke point. Think about when you drain your shop compressor in the middle of summer the drain will freeze. It is possible that when charging a trailer freezing could occur at the quick coupler because of the restriction.
 
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