Recovery; Recovery, General - Mercedes-Benz 963 2022 Series Manual

General safety information
Note
When recovering the vehicle with a gear engaged
and the ignition switched on, there is a danger that
the engine could start and the vehicle could drive off
out of control. Before recovering, make sure that the
ignition in the vehicle is switched off.
Disconnect the batteries if the ignition cannot be
switched off or if the batteries are deeply discharged
or the cab is inaccessible.
Force application points
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The force application points referred to below do not
have an infinite load capacity. They should only be
regarded as suitable points for the application of
external forces and are intended for experienced
recovery experts. Application of these instructions is
left to the discretion of the recovery experts. The
steering may be damaged if the vehicle is towed with
recovery tools which are fastened to the wheels/
hubs on steering axles.
In order to minimize bending stress and frame load, the
areas of the connections between the longitudinal frame
member and crossmember are most suitable. Use
lashing straps that are as wide as possible for this and
ensure that no detachable frame parts, lines, cables or
hoses are damaged.
Use as many force application points as possible.
One-sided pulling will cause distortion or cracking of the
frame.
The towing straps should form an isosceles triangle with
the smallest possible angle.
Use load-compensating rollers to ensure that the pulling
force is equal on both sides.
Avoid towing at an angle wherever possible. A towing
angle of max. 15° to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle
must not be exceeded.
The utmost care is to be exercised when applying
external forces to the axles and axle connecting
components.
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Safety components
When recovering a vehicle, pay attention to the following
safety components:
Frame
• Longitudinal members and crossmembers.
Cab
• Cab mounting including lock.
Actros, Antos and Arocs | Towing and recovery
When pulling in the longitudinal direction, always use a
towing crossmember and a 2nd towing eye if possible.
Before recovering
• If possible, unload the vehicle first, especially
vehicles with box bodies. This reduces the towing
forces required. Further damage to the vehicle can
be reduced to a minimum.
• If it is not possible to unload the vehicle, choose as
many force application points as possible.
Straightening the vehicle
• Apply parking brake.
• Select as many points of load application as possible
or apply forces in area of crossmembers; use tension
flanges.
• If possible, assist the procedure using inflatable
jacks.
• The forces can be distributed evenly by using towing
crossmembers, guide pulleys or load compensation
rollers.
• Tractor/semitrailer combinations should be
straightened at the front and rear simultaneously.
• Absorb the straightening forces. Do not drop the
vehicle in its suspension.
After straightening
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Do not start engine. Accumulations of engine oil in
the exhaust system, in the charge air cooler, in the
engine intake area, in the cylinder head or in the
cylinders themselves could cause the engine to
overrev and/or suffer an oil hammer during a start
attempt. This could result in engine damage. Have
the engine, the cooling system and the exhaust
system checked at a qualified workshop before
restarting the engine for the first time.
After recovering
Check all safety components after recovery.
Vehicles with air suspension: Check air bellows for
damage, whether they operate correctly and whether
they are in the guide. To do this, set highest and lowest
setting on operating unit and check roll behavior of air
bellows. The air bellows must roll up and down evenly.
Steering
• Steering shaft, steering wheel, steering gear, pitman
arm, steering arm, steering knuckle arm, steering
cylinder, drag links, tie rods and joints. Mounting of
the steering gear on the frame.
Front axle(s)

Recovery, general

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