Axle weight
- Thread starter layoutshooter
- Start date
Nope, wish it was that easy. I am heavy when empty. I need to find out why there is no door sticker with the 13,200lb axle upgrade. Both the build sheet and Freightliner say there is the 13,200 not a 12,000 like the sticker says. I can get this legal for now by running with the lift axle down but only if I can prove the front axle weight. Layoutshooter
Tennesseahawk
Veteran Expediter
Are you thinking AB pulled a switcheroo?
I don't know. I was not the first owner of the truck. It was sold as a "C" unit. The lift axle was put on after it was delivered. The build sheet said the wheelbase was "300. It is now "324. All you rookies need to check out used trucks better than I did. Measure the wheel base, have it weighed with full tanks and everything you think you will take with you. I had a weight slip but I did not have full tanks etc. Things are not right with my truck. I am sooo far over-weight there is no way I can have that much gear and fuel. I still did not do all the homework I should have. Please don't be like so many like and before me, learn from my mistakes. That will be $20 for that lesson. Layoutshooter
Has anyone in here had thier axles moved? I sure that there has been. I need a good ball park on the cost. Would love a couple of names of places that are good at this kind of work as well. Layoutshooter
Jefferson3000
Expert Expediter
Go somewhere where they have an engineer who can get the truck balanced right. That way you aren't just guessing on what to move. If you're going to pay for an axle move, try and make the most of it.
I am talking with a shop down in Chatanooga, TN He has done work for my former owner and did right by him. He streched a tractor for him. He has done some rough calculations on the computer and says that it looks like the original "300 wheel base will do the job. He will get back to me soon with more info. Layoutshooter
Not a stupid question. The truck was a repo. I bought it from the bank. Alumi-Bunk handled the paper work. They have a call into the first owner but who know if he will return the call or not. Layoutshooter
Did they possibly let the truck get repossessed when once they bought the truck and then figured out they could also not use the truck to haul much freight? First time truck buyer not much capital bankruptcy just waiting to happen, and dreams totally smashed. Sad situation and another case of buyer beware.
I don't know why it was repoed. I checked with the carrier and the truck had been making good money, more than enough to pay for itself. I don't know why the guy quit making payments. Funny, I can do better on axle weights with freight on. The biggest problem is when I am empty. I am not too concerned about getting this resloved. I will make it happen. I will run with the lift axle down until I can get the axles moved. I only have to find out why the sticker on the door frame does not reflect the heavier axle. Will be working on that today. Layoutshooter
We found the sticker on the truck that shows a 13,200lb steer axle. SOOOOOOOO, with the lift axle down I am at 12860 on the steers, LEGAL!!! This will buy me time to reseach this further so I don't screw this up even more. If nothing else I can just put a set of full size tires on the lift and run tandum. Layoutshooter
When I purchased my truck which is a Century Class Freightliner, it was a single drive axle truck with reefer and APU and 22 ft. box and lift gate. The truck was much too heavy to be able to carry loads much larger than 5,000 lbs. (By the way, a lesson for newbies you need to know how much your payload is BEFORE you buy).
Anyway, to make a long story short, I actually had my wheelbase shortened and added a tag axle BEHIND the drives. Worked out well.
The part of the job that was to change the wheelbase cost one thousand dollars and was performed by Jones Truck and Spring Repair in Columbus, OH. Actually, they had made a price on supplying and installing the tag axle and when we decided to move the drive axle it added one thousand dollars to the cost.
Their number is 614-443-4619... The man who helped me is J.D. and this was about four years ago but I would imagine he is still there.
The reason I chose this place is that they service a pretty good number of their own trucks, they had many tag axles in stock and seemed to know what they were doing.
My truck turned out great.. When you think about it, when the lift axle is up it actually takes weight OFF of the steering axle because the drive axle acts as a fulcrum.
Hope some of this will help.
Anyway, to make a long story short, I actually had my wheelbase shortened and added a tag axle BEHIND the drives. Worked out well.
The part of the job that was to change the wheelbase cost one thousand dollars and was performed by Jones Truck and Spring Repair in Columbus, OH. Actually, they had made a price on supplying and installing the tag axle and when we decided to move the drive axle it added one thousand dollars to the cost.
Their number is 614-443-4619... The man who helped me is J.D. and this was about four years ago but I would imagine he is still there.
The reason I chose this place is that they service a pretty good number of their own trucks, they had many tag axles in stock and seemed to know what they were doing.
My truck turned out great.. When you think about it, when the lift axle is up it actually takes weight OFF of the steering axle because the drive axle acts as a fulcrum.
Hope some of this will help.
Thanks Cliff, I will give them a shout. layoutshooter
moose
Veteran Expediter
Anyway, to make a long story short, I actually had my wheelbase shortened and added a tag axle BEHIND the drives. Worked out well.
Hope some of this will help.
If you have a tag axle BEHIND the drive ,
do you still need a landing gear ?
Moose.
(A moose don't have a landing gear as it will take too long to crank it down...)
The truck origianally had a landing gear and I was able to retain it (there was enough room) and I do use it most of the time. It does make the truck much more stable when driving a fork lift into it.
In reality, I could probably get by without one but it is a better setup having it, I think.
In reality, I could probably get by without one but it is a better setup having it, I think.
mjolnir131
Veteran Expediter
hi the new guy agian
my sojourn started the first week of last decmber,so i'm just at 6 months.so what i thought was true might be wrong.
however i thought in the lift axle world pusher axles are in front of the drive axle and tag are behind them
and cliff marvalous idea to use a tag that is exactally what should happen. i love the simple solutions to the complex problems. it's very buetiful and a great design note ty
my sojourn started the first week of last decmber,so i'm just at 6 months.so what i thought was true might be wrong.
however i thought in the lift axle world pusher axles are in front of the drive axle and tag are behind them
and cliff marvalous idea to use a tag that is exactally what should happen. i love the simple solutions to the complex problems. it's very buetiful and a great design note ty
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Tennesseahawk
Veteran Expediter
Mjolnir... awesome name! How's Thor treating you?
If your carrier requires straight trucks to have landing gear (a/k/a dolly legs), the answer is yes, you must have it, even if you have a lift axle (tag or pusher) or two drive axles.
Our truck has landing gear but it is rarely used. To protect our truck from damage, forklifts are prohibited from entering the truck. Operators place the freight on the dock floor or just inside the truck and we load it from there with our pallet jack.
On rare occasions, because of the freight shape or weight, we may allow a forklift to enter the truck. Landing gear is then used. Even with two drive axles and eight tires on the ground, the truck is far more stable with landing gear deployed; in fact, rock solid. The landing gear keeps the truck from dipping when the forklift enters. It also provides the ability, at many docks, to align the truck floor surface with the dock surface, giving the forklift driver level surfaces on which to operate. The risks of losing control of the forklift or freight are thus reduced.
Sure, you can say, "I've had forklifts enter my truck without landing gear deployed hundreds of times and have never had a problem." But how often do you want a forklift driver to lose control in your truck, one time in 400, one time in 1,200? And it may not be a matter of losing control. A sharp dip of the truck may result in a deep gouge in your floor when a corner of the freight hits it as the forklift moves in.
Yes, landing gear takes time to deploy, but it is done with safety in mind; the forklift driver's, the freight, and the truck. While our landing gear is rarely used, we would not want to be without it. I would think this would be even more true for D-units, which carry bigger loads that often require a forklift to load them.
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