TM 9-2350-238-10OPERATING CRANE–CONTINUEDOPERATION PRECAUTIONS–CONTINUED234567Any kinks, crushed sections, orbroken strands are potentialweak points and can cause wirerope failure. Frayed, kinked,worn, or corroded ropes mustbe replaced. Rope is unsafe ifthree broken wires are found inone strand of 6 x 7 rope, sixbroken wires in one strand of 6x 19 rope, or nine broken wiresin one strand of 6 x 37 rope.Observe wire ropes when winding ontowinches for proper winding; avoid kink-ing wire ropes. Inspect wire ropes forfrayed, damaged, or broken strands, Uselevel wind on tow winch wire rope forproper Iayup.Observe boom cylinders for smoothnessand ease of operation.Observe boom drop rate (distance boomdrops when loaded and boom cylindercontrol valve lever is in center position).Boom will gradually drop if left elevatedwith a hanging load. When hydraulic oilis hot from recovery operations, theboom drop rate should not exceed 1/2in. (1.3 cm) per minute with a 10,000lb. (4,536 kg) load; 1 in. (2.5 cm) perminute with a 20,000 lb (9,080 kg) load;or 2 in. (5.1 cm) per minute with a30,000 lb (13,620 kg) load.Observe boom winch, tow winch, andtraversing brakes for smooth and effi-cient operation. They should not chatteror slip.Observe all hydraulic lines, hoses, andconnections for oil leaks. Tighten allloose connections after relieving allhydraulic pressure.Listen for any unusual noises or indica-tions of malfunctions in winches, slipring, hydraulic valves, and traversing unit89101112Release and apply tow winch and boomwinch control handles slowly. Controlhandle IS spring-loaded and will return toneutral position when released, auto-matically applying winch brake whichwill stop unit with a jerk.Make sure that spade is firmly emplacedand suspension is locked when lifting orrecovering heavy loads.Refer to FM 20-22 for vehicle recoverytechniques.Apply and release pressure on load slow-ly to decrease possibility of damage toload or equipment,Wire rope life will be increased by lubricatingwire rope at regular intervals (appx G) andwinding wire rope tightly and evenly on winchdrum.HOISTING AND TOW WINCHING LOADRATING CAPACITIES INSTRUCTION PLATEHoisting and tow winching load ratingcapacities instruction plate (view C, page2-75) indicates safe operating capacities ofboom in relation to weight of load beinglifted, necessary boom elevation, areas whereboom may be located while supporting load,and whether spade is emplaced or retracted.For maximum capacity, vehicle must be onlevel ground, suspension locked, and loaddirectly under boom tip. White areas on in-struction plate show where boom must bepositioned with different load conditions, Inall cases, boom placement must be keptwithin white areas when hoisting a loadweighing between 15,000 and 30,000 lb(6,810 and 13,620 kg). When hoisting a loadup to 15,000 lb (6,810 kg), operation inshaded area is permissible. Information cover-ing maximum tow winching and hoistingcapacities with spade emplaced (view A,page 2-74) is shown on left hand side ofplate. Information covering maximumcapacities with spade retracted (view B, page2-74) are shown on right hand side of plate.Information concerning center of load andvehicle clearance is presented in center circle.Change 32-73
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