Iron Horse
Senior Member
Put a lazy axle on the back of the tractor and build a tray body for it to take the machine . Less rego , easier to park at shows and just easier all round than pulling the trailer .
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5th wheel weight problem:no traction
- Thread starter Dirtmaster
- Start date
daugherty102
Well-Known Member
dirtmaster, if you have a movable fifth wheel maybe try sliding it back so it is between the axles and see if that helps it seems to help a lot with the short dumps we pull.
Dirtmaster
Well-Known Member
Huh? Lazy axle? I'm pretty new to trucking. Not sure what you said, there.
On moving the 5th wheel, it's currently positioned slightly forward of the middle point of the truck's tandem duals. Isn't that where it's supposed to be? I can move it backwards a little but not much forward.
Thanks.
On moving the 5th wheel, it's currently positioned slightly forward of the middle point of the truck's tandem duals. Isn't that where it's supposed to be? I can move it backwards a little but not much forward.
Thanks.
Iron Horse
Senior Member
Sorry mate , it's just the addition of a non driven (lazy) axle to give more carrying capacity and a longer chassis .
I was meaning , if you did this you could get rid of the trailer and carry the machine on the back of the tractor/truck . All you would need is a tray body to carry it on . The body could be removable if you still needed to pull a trailer .
In Australia , we get 20 tonne/ton on the tri and 6 on the steer =26 tonne . Deduct the 9 tonne/ton the truck would then weigh , leaves you with 17 tonne payload .
I was meaning , if you did this you could get rid of the trailer and carry the machine on the back of the tractor/truck . All you would need is a tray body to carry it on . The body could be removable if you still needed to pull a trailer .
In Australia , we get 20 tonne/ton on the tri and 6 on the steer =26 tonne . Deduct the 9 tonne/ton the truck would then weigh , leaves you with 17 tonne payload .
Attachments
Dirtmaster
Well-Known Member
Ah, ok. That makes sense. I'd feel a little nervous tearing down the road with a tank only a couple of feet behind my head. Not sure it would make much difference in a wreck but with a lowboy, my life expectancy would increase by several milliseconds, at least...... 
I did some calculations on weight distribution and found that if I extend the lower frame of the trailer by 10 feet and get the tank forward by that much, the percentage of my truck/trailer/tank lashup that is on the truck's tandem duals only goes up to 31%. I found a US Military manual on how to distribute loads on truck/trailers and they spec it to be 40%. 40% on the rear of the trailer, 40% on the truck tandem duals, and 20% on the truck front tires.
I need a different trailer, I think. Mine would work fine for someone with a heavy front, like a dozer with a big blade that could rest up on the gooseneck. It is really nice to tow around, being so short. Only 16 feet from the 5th wheel to the center of the trailer tires. U-turns are a piece of cake.
I did some calculations on weight distribution and found that if I extend the lower frame of the trailer by 10 feet and get the tank forward by that much, the percentage of my truck/trailer/tank lashup that is on the truck's tandem duals only goes up to 31%. I found a US Military manual on how to distribute loads on truck/trailers and they spec it to be 40%. 40% on the rear of the trailer, 40% on the truck tandem duals, and 20% on the truck front tires.
I need a different trailer, I think. Mine would work fine for someone with a heavy front, like a dozer with a big blade that could rest up on the gooseneck. It is really nice to tow around, being so short. Only 16 feet from the 5th wheel to the center of the trailer tires. U-turns are a piece of cake.
Drilling
New Member
Hi,
Do you still have this trailer? I might be interested in buying it.
Thanks
Gabe
Do you still have this trailer? I might be interested in buying it.
Thanks
Gabe
Drilling
New Member
Hi,
I hope you recieve this message - i'm interested in your trailer, but i dont think you are receiving my post. I just became a member and note sure if i'm posting correctly.
Gabe
I hope you recieve this message - i'm interested in your trailer, but i dont think you are receiving my post. I just became a member and note sure if i'm posting correctly.
Gabe
Dirtmaster
Well-Known Member
Hi, Gabe. You're doing the posting fine. I just don't check in here very often right now. You can get a hold of me on email
reallyrainyweather at hotmail.com
I still have the trailer and it needs a good home. Thanks. Awaiting your email.
reallyrainyweather at hotmail.com
I still have the trailer and it needs a good home. Thanks. Awaiting your email.
ke6gwf
Well-Known Member
I know I am a little late in this conversation, but that never stopped me before!
Load+Trailer= ~ 50,000
Maximum Legal weight on Tandem Set = 34,000
Minimum tongue weight for trailer to be legal = 16,000
From looking at the picture, I am guessing the load was almost exactly centered over the trailer tandems, meaning there was no weight added to the truck and that you have close to 50,000 on the rear axles (which is likely exceeding the tire sidewall ratings as well).
Any doubts would be removed by weighing the trailer axles, and then finding out how much weight needed to be transfered forward to reach 34,000.
I am an "expert" on this subject and the math involved because I just went through it with a 47,000# paver on a tag-trailer (~50,000 combined) behind a 10-wheeler with a walking beam rear tandem axle.
For years they hauled it with the weight mostly on the trailer axles (42,000), exceeding the ~40,000 tire rating as well as the 34,000 axle limits.
The math said I might be able to pull it forward enough to put 16,000 on the hitch (rated at 18,000...) and be legal. Went to the nearby quarry scales and moved it. The walking beam pivot point was so far from the hitch, it transfered about 5,000 off the front axle onto the rear making the rear truck tandems overweight! Maybe if it wasn't a Mack and had air-bags or something it would have worked. Also it removed steer weight so when I was turning on gravel and gave it some go-pedal, the front end picked up and went straight... In any case, something bigger will have to haul it, or they need to get me a 3-axle tag. (haven't told the boss yet, waiting for him to be in a good mood so I can kill it...) :drinkup
Load+Trailer= ~ 50,000
Maximum Legal weight on Tandem Set = 34,000
Minimum tongue weight for trailer to be legal = 16,000
From looking at the picture, I am guessing the load was almost exactly centered over the trailer tandems, meaning there was no weight added to the truck and that you have close to 50,000 on the rear axles (which is likely exceeding the tire sidewall ratings as well).
Any doubts would be removed by weighing the trailer axles, and then finding out how much weight needed to be transfered forward to reach 34,000.
I am an "expert" on this subject and the math involved because I just went through it with a 47,000# paver on a tag-trailer (~50,000 combined) behind a 10-wheeler with a walking beam rear tandem axle.
For years they hauled it with the weight mostly on the trailer axles (42,000), exceeding the ~40,000 tire rating as well as the 34,000 axle limits.
The math said I might be able to pull it forward enough to put 16,000 on the hitch (rated at 18,000...) and be legal. Went to the nearby quarry scales and moved it. The walking beam pivot point was so far from the hitch, it transfered about 5,000 off the front axle onto the rear making the rear truck tandems overweight! Maybe if it wasn't a Mack and had air-bags or something it would have worked. Also it removed steer weight so when I was turning on gravel and gave it some go-pedal, the front end picked up and went straight... In any case, something bigger will have to haul it, or they need to get me a 3-axle tag. (haven't told the boss yet, waiting for him to be in a good mood so I can kill it...) :drinkup