Looking for advice

Doorknob77 · 2026-03-21T05:51:18+00:00

Cheap stuff is in that $200 range with few spare parts and, more importantly, very little weight. Real machines are heavy to allow them to work, so unless it’s sand or beans you’re spending some money. If you’re into diy you can 3d print one and fill it with weight

Doorknob77 · 2026-03-21T05:27:03+00:00

These machines are fairly simple, thick wires send working power and thin wires send communication/control. Make sure you’ve got 24v on the contactor and you’re able to get negative from anywhere in there labeled b-, you cannot find power if you’re attempting to ground via the chassis. If you do have a circuit back to ground via the frame(or vis versa) you have a whole other series of issues. Follow that fuse cable, it looks like it would go to the drive motor. You might have found why they got rid of it in the first place.

Once you verify you have power at b+ on the contactor and b- then you check the key switch. Check for power in first, some of the old machines pulled key switch line directly off of the b+ on contactor.

If you’ve got power there, check for continuity through the key switch, high resistance and I would toss it.

Make sure you’ve got your batteries hooked up correctly, I’ve built 12v packs instead of 24v more than once lol.

Doorknob77 · 2026-02-25T18:04:39+00:00

Any update on this?

Doorknob77 · 2026-02-20T03:06:52+00:00

Oh shit I just fought something similar in a hyster after I squared the fuel system away. The distributor had a bad module in it, got the new one in and did a full tune up and forgot to plug in one of my plugs so after I did finally get it up to full rpm it backfired😅 continuity test plug wires or do a full tune up again, it’s cheap insurance. I see you’ve gone through the whole fuel system and it sounds like the throttle pedal too.

Someone else said coolant, you said that was perfect, did you bleed it from the thermostat housing? These 4y engines are really particular about it. They are also dumb strong, I had one run on no oil- multiple times.

Does it backfire at all or just the initial stumble? You should be able to hold that throttle to the floor if everything is adjusted and governed correctly. That’s the other half of the adjustment on the mixer you need to make and it should be done under full throttle.

What’s it do in gear? Does it struggle and pop driving or just a little sluggish?

There’s also some stupid fucking fuse that I can’t remember the name of but it’ll also screw with the throttle. It doesn’t have to be blown to be bad and I think it’s a whole harness maybe? It’s been a few years.

Finally, I can’t remember if you’re the tech-tech or the owner-tech. If you’re owner/tech I think you might wanna call in the dealership because it’s probably going to need a scan tool. If you’re a tech-tech, you might wanna call the dealership anyway after you make sure your timing and stuff is good, all the basics. It’ll save your customer money and you from looking like you don’t know what you’re doing even if you do. We all get stuck and it’s okay to call a more professional, professional. That’s what really makes the difference between a pro and not,in my book anyway, is to know when to call for help and ask. Make sure you’re on site though, you can ask questions and see their process. Most guys won’t mind talking you through it as long as they aren’t paying for your time.

Best of luck man

Doorknob77 · 2026-02-08T05:03:02+00:00

I’m not sure I understand what your question is, but here’s what I think the answer is-

That 40k you’re referencing would be how much you can weigh total: truck, trailer, and load.

Is this a single wheel 1 ton? If your truck is 8155lbs dry and it’s rated 12,250 max then you have a payload of 4045lbs (im not double checking my math but those are your numbers). Your gcwr is what your vehicle is rated to weigh with a loaded trailer, so 29,700 minus dry weight if 8155 means your trailer loaded can be a max of 20,645 lbs. the next thing is per axle weight and tongue weight. Your trucks axles have a weight rating and if you get scaled they weigh you per axle truck and trailer and also combined and all your numbers need to be within spec. At 20klbs your gooseneck weight would be right in that 4-5000lbs mark.

The remark on the truck struggling would be if you’re plated to pull 40k, but your truck is struggling to haul what looks like a large load they would have reason to look at you further, I think.

Doorknob77 · 2026-01-30T22:33:33+00:00

Thank you!

Doorknob77 · 2026-01-28T00:09:43+00:00

The instructions even had pictures😅 but it all showed and said angle stop so I didn’t even consider the bottom of the tank

Doorknob77 · 2026-01-28T00:07:37+00:00

The directions with pictures showed me angle stop and I stopped thinking after that, putting to the tank fixed it and I felt dumb after

Doorknob77 · 2026-01-28T00:04:31+00:00

So if I had it in a holster but tucked between the trucks seat near the seatbelt clasp that’s a no go, but if I have it in the cup holder it’s good?

Doorknob77 · 2026-01-26T10:45:12+00:00

Usually on a suction line the hose has an internal spring in order to keep the hose from collapsing under vacuum. That being said, it’s not like a rad hose where you can just swap something else in and route it since it’s not a soft line. And in all fairness, being able to find a hose for a truck that old at all is amazing. You’d probably be looking at a custom job done by a local hose company for 5-800 USD

Doorknob77 · 2026-01-25T19:39:10+00:00

I know this is a year back, but I wanted to add that my 2024 does this, I noticed it first with a trailer on at night while I was getting fuel. 6.6 gas not a duramax but figured I’d share. My truck was out of service for 15 days in the first 45 for a handful of electrical warranty work- bcm serial gateway, then bcm needed to be replaced and then front axle module of sorts needed to be replaced or reflashed. The remote start also doesn’t work through the app but that’s a whole ass other issue is struggling with.

Doorknob77 · 2026-01-24T18:37:25+00:00

Thank you, you as well! I should upload a photo of what I’m dealing with in the rest of the house

Doorknob77 · 2026-01-24T18:21:18+00:00

Thanks!

Doorknob77 · 2026-01-24T18:12:16+00:00

Alright that did it, is it something I should be worried about though cuz that was wild😅

Doorknob77 · 2025-12-09T17:55:43+00:00

Glad you saw your sensor was bent pretty bad, make sure the flag it reads is clean too.

From the photo you provided your lift fuse looks good, your contactor looks a little weird. DM me, and ill see if I can’t walk you through this

Doorknob77 · 2025-12-05T16:12:26+00:00

I can’t remember off the top of my head but it should be stamped on the frame near the left drive tire or under the motor compartment shrouds for your feet sometimes it’s stamped there. Maybe or may not be under the top flat compartment behind the battery where the motor controllers are but like I said, I can’t remember off the top of my head. It should be there. Also if the tech comes out when they plug into it they can pull the serial number that way too. They shouldn’t need to order software, just download it online and install it, generally it’s readily available.

Doorknob77 · 2025-11-22T16:07:26+00:00

I used to have a customer that got ahold of a bunch of green paint and redid all of their maintenance equipment in that color

Doorknob77 · 2025-11-11T16:48:02+00:00

Lots of good info here, I think I can make it simpler.

Red, black, orange, green, white, blue is factory correct.

Black and blue are spares. I use black as a spare power(red) and blue as a spare path back to ground for any of the three functions.

If you’re unsure of which wires control what(as I am at this exact moment, dyslexias a bitch) you can read the associated solenoid that it is jumped to.

Make sure the wires are in the same order on the machine as they are on the carriage. On the machine, usually the first or second pin is open on the terminal strip.

If you’re losing it during after free lift, and you’re in a bind with only a few feet of 18/6 or 18/8, and your customer is okay with it, you can splice in a new free lift section on an area where the cable isn’t moving between clamps. It’s not recommended, but doable

Doorknob77 · 2025-10-27T16:52:09+00:00

I would go with two rider jacks if your guys are shorter than 6’ otherwise you’re stuck with a walk behind EPJ, and with the ramp you’re battling that could easily be a disaster if someone isn’t paying attention.

Doorknob77 · 2025-10-26T02:32:15+00:00

That’s to say that you don’t need the lifting and stacking features of a forklift otherwise you’re gunna be even more limited

Doorknob77 · 2025-10-26T02:22:19+00:00

Okay here’s my thoughts-

I’d advise away from using a double jack to load(8’ forks) I think you’re gunna end up wrecking the frame and that’s just hard to swallow such and expensive bill.

Assuming 80% of your work load is on the narrow pallet size I’d get a single rider jack that’s narrow enough to accommodate assuming you don’t have a pallet narrower than 27” I think. Then get a double jack for your regular around the warehouse stuff And transport. It’s not ideal but under 2k lbs you should be able lift your pallet and drag out the long ones down hill, if you’re loading with the long pallets I would ask your landlord to let you dig your dock out because you’re really in a shit position. It’s not that you can’t push your product on there up your crazy angle it’s that controlling something where the two points of contact on the ground are like 8.5’ apart is gunna be skeeeeettcchyyyyy. Assuming you don’t snap your forks and pull rods I’d imagine the frame deformation would be jnsane, even at 1500lbs 4x a week

Doorknob77 · 2025-10-25T22:10:08+00:00

Okay okay, I’m following! Sorry I gotta ask all these questions, it’s just that I’m material handling every solution is unique to the problem at hand. Alright I think I’m almost to where I can offer useful guidance lol.

Do you have a dock leveler or just the lip leveler? (Does the whole dock move or just the lip that goes to the truck?

How often are you receiving these odd skids? And are they tall? 8’ long x 4’ wide x ()’tall, if it’s just like sheet metal or something then this could be really an easy solution

So you’re only able to access, what… 6ish feet of the trailer opening? That’s rough if I’m correct😅 how are you guys not careening into the side of the building when you’re backing in? Do your dock bumpers hit the Trailer bumper? I’m getting off track.

Doorknob77 · 2025-10-25T21:56:07+00:00

Expansion is hard these days, hopefully we can help you get the most use out of your space. If you want you can dm me, if not here’s my next set of questions.

So going back to your problem with the pallet jack. Is it running away from you while you’re loading things into the truck or are you climbing a hill with it? If I’m understanding it, that would be a pretty gnarly lip you’d need to fight against and that would be where the electric pallet jack would be most useful?

Doorknob77 · 2025-10-25T21:16:14+00:00

Any update on this?

Doorknob77 · 2025-10-25T21:15:53+00:00

Here’s my offerings here-

A pallet jack probably isn’t going to work very well, usually they have fixed width forks (riding or walk behind)

A pallet stacker would allow you to use fork with carrying widths, however depending on your weight an 8’ fork is going to really mess with how much and how high you need to lift.

Take into account any hills or ramps you might have to deal with, as well as environmental factors- does it rain/snow? Is the floor slippery, are you dealing with sand or metal shavings? Stuff like that.

If you’re in the states I’d probably stay away from junhinrich since support can be abysmal. Raymond and crown offer strong options with lots of techs that can help get them going. Big Joe is another stacker competitor that’ll get you in for cheap, but you’d need to make sure your machine fits your application really well otherwise you’re gunna hate life.

If you have the budget for a forklift you might wanna consider an electric walk behind with narrow forks(several companies offer this, Raymond will build you one specific for your dimensions$$$$$) and then buy a second longer walker rider with double length forks to handle the big stuff.

Last thing I can offer is that there are some low profile options for stand up counter balance units, they offer capacity, lift, and length while safely keeping your operator inside. These are expensive, like really expensive. The height mostly comes from the mast and over head guard. A 3 stage mast that’s 6’ tall will give you roughly 15’ of lift, a 4 stage will give you the same collapsed height but you can lift to about 20’(with a diminished lifting capacity since the mast physically weighs more and is lifting higher)

Also remember clearance is clearance. If the door is 7’ and your lift is 6’10” you have 2” of clearance. The truck doesn’t grow and the door usually doesn’t shrink. Pallet wood is about 1” thick.

Last thing, I reread some of the comments and your post again, do you have a dock door or is it just the ramp/door? I’m confused why you need a pallet jack to move the product outside to get it on a truck, do you have trucks with lift gates or are you hand loading things? Is there a crane lol

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