ASE Truck Equipment Installation & Repair 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When welding a bracket onto a heat-treated truck frame, why is welding often discouraged by manufacturers?
- Welding heat can weaken the heat-treated steel and create stress risers (Correct answer)
- Welding adds too much weight
- It changes the truck's color
- It improves frame strength too much
Correct answer: Welding heat can weaken the heat-treated steel and create stress risers
Localized heat alters the frame's metallurgy, creating stress risers that can lead to cracks.
Question 2: A technician installs a fifth wheel. What adjustment ensures proper kingpin engagement?
- Setting the locking jaw clearance per the manufacturer's spec (Correct answer)
- Inflating the cab air bags
- Adjusting the steering wheel height
- Painting the trailer
Correct answer: Setting the locking jaw clearance per the manufacturer's spec
Correct jaw-to-kingpin clearance ensures a secure lock without excessive play.
Question 3: What is the correct grade of bolt typically required for frame-mounted equipment on heavy trucks?
- Grade 8 (high-tensile) bolts (Correct answer)
- Grade 2 hardware-store bolts
- Plastic anchors
- Drywall screws
Correct answer: Grade 8 (high-tensile) bolts
Grade 8 bolts provide the tensile strength needed to handle frame-mounting loads.
Question 4: When routing hydraulic hoses for a dump body, hoses should be:
- Secured and protected from chafing against sharp edges and moving parts (Correct answer)
- Left loose to flap freely
- Wrapped around the driveshaft
- Routed through the exhaust pipe
Correct answer: Secured and protected from chafing against sharp edges and moving parts
Securing hoses prevents chafing failures that cause leaks and loss of system pressure.
Question 5: A service body's compartment doors won't stay closed on rough roads. The most likely fix is:
- Adjusting or replacing the rotary latches and strikers (Correct answer)
- Adding more fuel
- Rotating the tires
- Replacing the windshield wipers
Correct answer: Adjusting or replacing the rotary latches and strikers
Worn or misaligned rotary latches fail to hold doors closed under vibration.
Question 6: Why is it important to verify GVWR and axle weight ratings before adding equipment to a truck?
- Exceeding ratings is unsafe and illegal and can cause component failure (Correct answer)
- Heavier trucks always corner better
- It changes the paint warranty
- It improves the stereo sound
Correct answer: Exceeding ratings is unsafe and illegal and can cause component failure
Installed equipment adds weight that must stay within legal and safe rating limits.
Question 7: What is the function of an air-shift PTO control compared to a cable-shift control?
- It uses vehicle air pressure to engage the PTO instead of a mechanical cable (Correct answer)
- It plays music when engaged
- It locks the steering wheel
- It charges the phone
Correct answer: It uses vehicle air pressure to engage the PTO instead of a mechanical cable
Air-shift PTOs engage via an air cylinder rather than a manually pulled cable.
ASE Truck Equipment Installation & Repair 3
When welding a bracket onto a heat-treated truck frame, why is welding often discouraged by manufacturers?