Major mistake today, got lucky.

[mark18mwm]

Ok, let me preface this by saying for 30 years I have driven semi truck and run heavy equipment, the vast majority of that time driving "lo-boy" hauling off road heavy equipment. In that 30 years I never had issues like this, today hauling my Bobcat 600 on a car trailer behind my pick up truck the unthinkable happened to me. It fell off the trailer, never in my career with several million miles hauling equipment has that came close to happening, and to do it with my personal vehicle. I know in hind sight what happened and why a strap came loose and un hooked allowing it to roll back off the trailer, my fault and I accept responsibility. It fell off at about 40 mph. rolled along on all 4 wheels right behind me and gradually drifted into the other lane and went in that ditch. It came to a gentle stop with no apparent damage, thank god no one hit the thing. I do have a question for you guys, the 600/610's freewheel and roll easily with out running,do you think they can be damaged by high speed? If you think the drive chains are noisy in your driveway, you should hear them at 40 mph. There doesn't seem to be any damage that I see yet. However I am concerned about the speed it went "over speeding" things in the drive system and the shock of it hitting the pavement off the trailer, although the drop is only about a foot or so. Has any one else ever done anything like this and if you did, what happened, especially was there any hidden damage that showed up later. I am going to keep a eye on everything like wheel seals, any new noise from drive chains & clutches etc. but hoping somebody might have some experience in having one roll that fast. Even if I wrecked the old girl, I feel so incredibly lucky nobody was hurt or property damaged! I just cant believe it was me, I do this for a living with out any issued, maybe over confidence and complacency. Take me as a lesson, it can happen to any one.

 

[6brnorma]

Wow Mark…….you are lucky. Keep in mind, I've been in this business for 42 years and most of that time I've had 4 to 6 trucks on the road every night and most days with a M-610 on an equipment trailer strapped to the back. We've had 4 incidents……three of the four were failures of the trailer and the bobcat did not come off the trailer (but rough rides) with no damage. Once however, I hit a caved in culvert at about 50 MPH and it broke binders and threw the bobcat clear off the trailer. Danged if it didn't start right up but had bent the frame at a front axel, bent the crap out of the cage and almost all wheel seals leaked. I don't remember any broken chains or anything else. One of the main reasons I use the 600 series is that it is 'freewheeling'…….there was a time when I pulled them on a regular basis (low speed) with no apparent problems.

 

[Tazza]

Wow Mark…….you are lucky. Keep in mind, I've been in this business for 42 years and most of that time I've had 4 to 6 trucks on the road every night and most days with a M-610 on an equipment trailer strapped to the back. We've had 4 incidents……three of the four were failures of the trailer and the bobcat did not come off the trailer (but rough rides) with no damage. Once however, I hit a caved in culvert at about 50 MPH and it broke binders and threw the bobcat clear off the trailer. Danged if it didn't start right up but had bent the frame at a front axel, bent the crap out of the cage and almost all wheel seals leaked. I don't remember any broken chains or anything else. One of the main reasons I use the 600 series is that it is 'freewheeling'…….there was a time when I pulled them on a regular basis (low speed) with no apparent problems.

You are very lucky indeed.
Hopefully no permenant damage happened to the bearings. The bearings are made to handle far higher speeds than the are used for as axle bearings.
That would have been something to see, a skid steer doing 40mph!
I bought a machine that fell off a truck, so it does happen, it had 2 bent axle tubes but it still worked just fine. It does happen, thankfully not too often.
My S150 was on a truck that rolled, the cab was nicely smooshed.

 

[mark18mwm]

You are very lucky indeed.
Hopefully no permenant damage happened to the bearings. The bearings are made to handle far higher speeds than the are used for as axle bearings.
That would have been something to see, a skid steer doing 40mph!
I bought a machine that fell off a truck, so it does happen, it had 2 bent axle tubes but it still worked just fine. It does happen, thankfully not too often.
My S150 was on a truck that rolled, the cab was nicely smooshed.

Thanks for the replies guys. I took her out today gave it a little work out and didn't seem to notice anything abnormal. That old thing must be built like a tank to survive that. The only casualty is I have a trailer hitch welded on the back and that hit the pavement first and bent up a little. That hitch may have even helped cushion the landing coming off the trailer. I was truly amazed when I climbed in and drove it out of the ditch and then back onto the trailer, and more amazed today looking it over finding no damage to speak of. I'll never forget the sound of those drives at 40 mph though, high pitch whine, sounded like a fire siren. lol

 

[farmshop]

Thanks for the replies guys. I took her out today gave it a little work out and didn't seem to notice anything abnormal. That old thing must be built like a tank to survive that. The only casualty is I have a trailer hitch welded on the back and that hit the pavement first and bent up a little. That hitch may have even helped cushion the landing coming off the trailer. I was truly amazed when I climbed in and drove it out of the ditch and then back onto the trailer, and more amazed today looking it over finding no damage to speak of. I'll never forget the sound of those drives at 40 mph though, high pitch whine, sounded like a fire siren. lol

we lost a 753 of a trailer when the park brake failed and the driver didn't chain it down thats why you shouldn't rely on the park brake it rolled end over end in the ditch spaded the bucket in the ground and popped the bucket off came to rest on the wheels it started right up and drove back on the trailer. We lost a 763 when the hitch broke on the trailer and the trailer and skid went into the ditch. When it hit the ditch the skid shot off the front of the trailer. When these things happen you count your blessings that no one gets hurt and you can get out of there before the police or dot shows up

 

[Atilathehun99]

we lost a 753 of a trailer when the park brake failed and the driver didn't chain it down thats why you shouldn't rely on the park brake it rolled end over end in the ditch spaded the bucket in the ground and popped the bucket off came to rest on the wheels it started right up and drove back on the trailer. We lost a 763 when the hitch broke on the trailer and the trailer and skid went into the ditch. When it hit the ditch the skid shot off the front of the trailer. When these things happen you count your blessings that no one gets hurt and you can get out of there before the police or dot shows up

Many times I wished there was a way that I could get (easily) my 722 to freewheel. That would make it much easier to move when dead in the water.