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Virginia Administrative Code
Title 19. Public Safety
Agency 30. Department of State Police
Chapter 70. Motor Vehicle Safety Inspection Regulations
11/5/2024

19VAC30-70-490. Frame, engine mounts, coupling devices and emergency chains.

Inspect for and reject if:

1. Frame of any bus, truck, tractor truck is cracked, loose, broken or sagging. Frame of any trailer or semi-trailer has any broken cracked, loose, or sagging top or bottom frame rails or frame is cracked or broken.

2. Engine, transmission or cab mounts, to include all hardware, bolts, and bushings used to connect the mount to the vehicle, frame, engine, or transmission are broken or missing. Any engine or transmission mount shall be rejected if it allows the power train to come in contact with the firewall or other body parts. Cab mounts should be rejected if they do not properly secure the body to the frame.

3. Trailer hitch or pintle hook is not securely attached. Reject if the pintle eye or trailer drawbar has any cracks or if any welding repairs have been made to the pintle eye.

4. Chains, cables, etc., used to attach a towed vehicle are not securely attached, or are broken, worn or abraded.

5. Fifth wheel does not lock in position or have a locking mechanism that is in proper working order.

NOTE: Reject if horizontal movement exceeds 1/2 inch between upper and lower fifth wheel halves.

6. Fifth wheel assembly system has any leak of fluid or air.

7. Fifth wheel has any broken, missing, or damaged parts; or is not securely attached to the frame. This includes fore and aft stops.

8. Trailer king pin is not secure, or is broken, or worn so as to prevent secure fit in fifth wheel. The upper coupler device is not securely attached.

9. Any cracks, breaks or damaged parts in the stress or load bearing areas of a coupling device.

10. Trailer is not equipped with emergency chains or steel cables.

NOTE: Fifth wheel assembly does not require emergency chain or steel cable. A fifth wheel is defined as a device that interfaces with and couples to the upper coupler assembly of a semitrailer. The upper coupler assembly is a structure consisting of an upper coupler plate, king pin and supporting framework which interfaces with and couples to a fifth wheel. Ball and socket connections also referred to as hitch and coupling connections are not fifth wheel assemblies and do require an emergency chain or steel cable.

11. Sliding trailer tandem or multi-axle assemblies do not lock in place or have worn, broken or missing parts.

12. Any play is detected in the drive shaft u-joints, CV joints, or center load bearing.

Statutory Authority

§ 46.2-1165 of the Code of Virginia.Historical NotesDerived from VR545-01-07 § 49, eff. May 1, 1990; amended, Virginia Register Volume 10, Issue 8, eff. February 9, 1994; Volume 12, Issue 21, eff. August 7, 1996; Volume 15, Issue 2, eff. November 11, 1998; Volume 21, Issue 4, eff. September 22, 2004; Volume 24, Issue 8, eff. March 1, 2008; Volume 28, Issue 24, eff. August 1, 2012; Errata, 28:25 VA.R. 2077 August 13, 2012; amended, Virginia Register Volume 32, Issue 24, eff. October 3, 2016; Volume 35, Issue 25, eff. September 1, 2019.

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