tandem sliding

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by kevinjones03, Jan 20, 2011.

  1. Freebird135

    Freebird135 Road Train Member

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    some slides are so poorly designed....alot of our trailers dont have a groove or anything for when you pull the pin release handle out, so you have to get another driver to hold it out while you back the truck up/pull it foward to slide the axles

    i hate when engineers design things they never have to use
     
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  3. Jfaulk99

    Jfaulk99 Road Train Member

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    You should go back to a tandem, don't you feel guilty not wasting time and money paying to weigh?:biggrin_2559:
     
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  4. Allow Me.

    Allow Me. Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    Air assist is nice when it works.....Years ago, UPS trailers had air assist landing gear, not sure if they still do.
     
  5. PurpleKW

    PurpleKW Medium Load Member

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    Since y'all are discussing tandem slides, I'll give you a good tip for sliding in winter weather... this tip is for trucks equipped with a trolley valve. Let's say you just got loaded and you need to slide your tandems, whether the shipper has a scale or you know from experience that the tandems need to be slid. Many private lots are not plowed: having freed the pins, you attempt to slide, only to discover that the trailer tires are merely sliding in either direction, due to the ice or snow in the lot. No big deal if you have a trolley valve... simply roll in the necessary direction at low speed and hit your trolley valve to work the slider. Obviously, you'll need a little room in whichever direction you are traveling, and remember to go slowly so you don't slam the stops at either end of your tandem slide... another valuable tip from my pal "The Railsplitter." He taught me that one back in the day, after learning it from an old hand at a funky chicken plant down in Mt. Pleasant, TX. :biggrin_25523:
     
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  6. bbqguy

    bbqguy Light Load Member

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    That's what vice grips are for :biggrin_255:
     
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  7. Sequoia

    Sequoia Road Train Member

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    I swear I saw a US Express truck slide their tandems without getting out of the truck.

    Another trick if your rail is being stubborn (meaning people have abused it), back up against a low concrete wall or some rocks.

    I agree, the air slide push button is great when it works! For those levers that won't stay in the retracted position, may I suggest a pair of vice grips. Pull the lever out as far as you can and then clamp that sucker down.
     
  8. Gears

    Gears Trucker Forum STAFF - Gone, But Not Forgotten.

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    Well, no...not really. Although I did weigh empty last week just to see what the heck my numbers were.
     
  9. Gears

    Gears Trucker Forum STAFF - Gone, But Not Forgotten.

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    When in CDL school, our truck had air slide tandems. Hit a switch, the pins retreated, apply trailer brake...slide and hit the switch. Move up or back to hear the pins enter the holes. Worked pretty slick but you really have to maintain the rails so they're clean and such.
     
  10. Injun

    Injun Road Train Member

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    I never had trouble with those air-actuated pin pullers. If they didn't pop right out, I just bumped the trailer in reverse and they would pop right out. One good thing about rolling your window down while you're doing this. You can hear them pop out.

    For manual pin handles, sometimes they can be a pain because the pin is jammed against the hole on the front or back. Remember the slide rail is attached to the box, the pins to the axles. If the pins are jammed against the backs of the holes, set your trailer break and bump your trailer in reverse, but not too hard or you will jam the pins against the fronts of the holes and you still won't be able to pull the pins.

    Once you have your pins centered, sometimes you get an old trailer that's all rusty. I talked one of our mechanics out of a can of spray oil like WD-40. Spray down the joints and moving parts and let it sit for a minute or two and try it again. If all else fails or you just feel like getting some frustration out, a 4-pound hammer works wonders on stubborn pins.
     
  11. Jfaulk99

    Jfaulk99 Road Train Member

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    Just think that most drivers have no idea why so many oo's buy spreads.
     
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