Is your float safe?

With Jon Hall
Managing Director

FloatSafe

If you think you'd struggle to find one thing more loyal than your horse then look no further than your horse's float.

Faithfully, the float is there to hitch behind the vehicle; it follows faithfully down the road, there is no need to worry if it will start or not, there's no need to change gear and the paint work seems to hold despite its years. From the outside it looks in great shape.

But Is It?

Although horse floats do not have engines or gear-boxes or need oil changes, they are never-the-less a vehicle with mechanical parts and structural stresses and strains.

Many of the mechanical and structural components that come together to build a float cannot be seen at a glance or sometimes even on casual inspection. If some of these components fail to do the job they were designed to do - due to lack of maintenance – then it is time to expect that faithful float to experience some kind of hiccup. Your float has mechanical parts that are subject to wear and tear in a manner no different to the parts of your car such as braking systems and wheel bearings. These parts need regular inspections and servicing and in some cases replacing to keep your 'Float Safe' and in good working legal order.

In this article I outline some of the mechanical and structural parts of your float, their uses and recommended maintenance scheduling. As a horse float owner this may help increase your awareness of the responsibility of keeping your float safe and therefore its valuable cargo.

Safe Floating

1. Braking Systems

There are three types of braking systems on a float:

· Electric;
· Hydraulic; and
· Cable

The most common type is hydraulic. This system comprises a master cylinder mounted at the front of the float on the towing hitch. The master cylinder supplies brake fluid to the slave cylinders located within the brake drums on the wheels of the float when the brakes are applied. This is an effective braking system but does require regular maintenance. Brake fluid is Hygroscopic (which means it is able to absorb moisture). If the fluid is laden with too much moisture, its boiling point can be lowered when moisture-tainted brake fluid is subjected to the high heat of a modern braking system.

The water molecules then turn to gas, forming bubbles and loss of pressure within the hydraulic braking system. This can damage the braking system and lead to brake failure.

Due to the hydraulic system being exposed to all weather and road conditions, it's recommended that the braking system and master cylinder be serviced and purged of all old brake fluid and filled with new fluid every 12 months.

The brake drums and shoes need to be inspected and serviced regularly. The brake drums need to be checked for corrected size (distortion occurs from the heat generated within the braking system) and for any ridging or glazing. The brake shoes should be checked for signs of wear and replaced where necessary. The whole assembly needs to be cleaned and free of brake dust which, when mixes with water, can act like a lubricant between the shoes and the drums friction surface. This can result in water-induced brake fade.

Brake lines and hoses are located underneath the float. Due to there location they are subjected to vibration, corrosion and road debris damage, metal brake lines can become crimped, dented, bent and develop rust spots, leading to leaks. Brake hoses are subject to cracking blistering and softening due to their rubber composition. Regular inspections and servicing is a must as these conditions can lead to brake failure

2. Wheel Bearings and Tyres

Each wheel is made up of a hub on the axle, which spins on two sets of bearings. An inner cone bearing and outer cone bearing is again a regular maintenance item on your float.

The bearings need to be inspected for worn rollers, cracks or heat damage and the bearing races for damage and wear if these are present the bearings need to be replaced.

If the bearings are in good condition they can be cleaned and repacked with high temperature grease reassembled and the hub assembly put back together and the bearings adjusted to the correct torque settings.

3. Tyres

Tyres should be checked for wear and correct tyre pressure in all four wheels and the spare. Rims need to be inspected for signs of corrosion.

4. Axles and Springs

Axles are connected to the springes by U bolts and the springs connected to the chassis.

The U bolts again are underneath the float. They are subject to rust and under body damage a broken or damaged one could cause serious damage to your float. They should be inspected regularly and replaced when and signs of corrosion are evident.

Springs should be checked for sagging connection bolts and bushes for signs of wear and replaced wear necessary spring hangers checked for cracks in welds where connected to chassis.

5. Floors

Floors in floats come in a variety of materials, including

· Timber

· Ply wood

· Steel

· Aluminium

The rule of thumb is that no floor is maintenance-free although some do the job better than others. Floors need regular inspection. They are constantly subjected to corrosive elements from inside and outside, including water, urine and droppings - all fairly harsh agents.

Due to these elements many floors stay wet for extended periods, which causes rotting in timber and ply and rust and thinning of steel floors, so therefore regular inspection of floors is a must. The consequences of a poorly maintained floor may have very bad consequences for your horse.

6. Chassis and Body Structure

Chassis and structural frame-work are usually fully welded structures manufactures from R.H.S. and S.H.S or angle iron. Most are manufactured from black steel, which without corrosive protection is at high risk of corroding (rust being the worst problem).

Newer floats are being manufactured from dura gal steel (galvanized coated), which offers better protection from rust and corrosion. However, most dura gal sections are only galvanized on the outside which leaves the inside of the steel section prone to corrosion and rust. Wherever two sections are welded together the galvanized protection is burnt away leaving the metal open to corrosion.

Frequent inspection of chassis structural frame work and body panels will help to identify corrosion of rust early. If treated at this stage can help prevent more serious and expensive damage repairs, thus keeping your float in a safe and sound condition.