Fontaine Coupling Solutions has introduced the Armor fifth wheel, designed specifically for yard tractors. The Armor fifth wheel is desigend to be stronger and simpler to maintain and is protected from kingpin damage. 

It can be ordered on new tractors or fitted to existing competitor brackets in the aftermarket. 

It was designed from the ground up to meet the unique needs of the market after thorough lifecycle testing at the Fontaine Research and Development Center and in the field.

To rebuild other yard tractor fifth wheels, technicians must remove the wheel from the truck, and then turn it over to work from the bottom. The total rebuild process can take up to three hours, according to Fontaine. The Armor fifth wheel’s lock design simplifies maintenance because critical locking components can be replaced from the top side, reducing rebuild time.

The Fontaine Armor fifth wheel is built with all components tucked away from the edges of the top plate to help shield against kingpin damage. For longer life, the device features replaceable wear pads and a composite air cylinder. Its locking mechanism includes a proprietary anti-high-hitch feature to help prevent dropped trailers due to false coupling.

The Fontaine Armor fifth wheel is rated to 80,000 pounds vertical load and 200,000 pounds drawbar pull. It comes with a one-year warranty.

 “The Fontaine Armor fifth wheel addresses all of the yard truck customer pain points,” said Steven Alldredge, product manager. “It cuts rebuild times, reduces maintenance and provides an overall lower total cost of ownership for customers in virtually any yard truck application.”