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TIL a cracked sheave can cause a real bad day
Last week on a site in Phoenix, I was lifting a 5-ton concrete panel and heard a grinding noise from the boom. The inspection three months ago missed a hairline crack in the main hoist sheave, which finally gave way under load. Has anyone else had a sheave fail, and how often do you guys check yours now?
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skylerrobinson1mo ago
Man, that grinding sound is the worst. Had a similar scare with a cable guide sheave on a smaller rig. What saved our butts was adding a bright paint pen mark across the sheave and hub during checks. If the mark cracks or misaligns, you know it's moving when it shouldn't. We look for that every single Friday now, no excuses. It's a stupid simple trick but it catches problems before they turn into a real show.
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the_eric1mo ago
Oh man, that paint trick is genius! I read about a crew that does the same thing with a chalk line on big drum brakes. It's one of those cheap visual checks that just works, no fancy tools needed. More people should know about simple fixes like that.
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fiona_murphy28d ago
That chalk line on drum brakes is a solid idea too. It got me thinking, do you guys mark anything else that spins or slides? Like on a boom lift pivot point or even trailer hitch pins? I've seen a loose latch on a equipment box get caught because someone drew a line across it with a sharpie. It's wild how a two second check can save a full day of downtime.
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benclark28d ago
Remember those old school bus door hinges? My buddy's shop had a whole thing where the pins would walk out over time. They started drawing a fat line with a grease pencil across the pin head and the hinge plate. One morning the driver saw the line was totally broken, and sure enough, that pin was halfway out. Probably saved them from a door falling off with a bus full of kids.
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