landing gear

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by T-Mac, Nov 18, 2012.

  1. T-Mac

    T-Mac Bobtail Member

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    Oct 7, 2012
    belvidere Illinois
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    I have been spotting trailers for five years now, and I still can't figure out why alot of truck drivers will crank the landing gear so much so that daylight shines between the trailer and the fifth wheel. Still there are drivers that will leave the landing gear one to two inches off the ground. Why?
     
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  3. snowwy

    snowwy Road Train Member

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    why guys that jack up so much to let line shine though the 5th wheel is beyond me. dumb i guess.

    you can also get yourself into trouble if you unwind that gear that much. a lot of times when they are that far extended out. they won't roll back up. if they trailer is empty. if the trailer is loaded. you might have to grunt to get the trailer back down so the fifth wheel can hook up.

    the other drivers that don't go that far though are probably the smart ones. not as much work winding and unwinding the gear. when they drop the suspension the trailer hits the ground then they disconnect. and when reconnecting. they drop the suspension. hook up. the inflate the suspension. lifts the gears off the ground and they don't spend so much time and energy winding up the gears.

    i pull a flat and if extend the gears that far out. depending on the ground being flat or curved or graded. sometimes i have to fight the gears to roll back up. so i try to unwind as little as possible.
     
  4. Powder Joints

    Powder Joints Subjective Prognosticator

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    Rosamond, SoCal
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    I leave mine about a 1 inch drop is when I dump my air and pull out its a smooth rop. When I back under air down I stop half under air up picking up the trailer then back under.
     
    heyns57 Thanks this.
  5. T-Mac

    T-Mac Bobtail Member

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    Oct 7, 2012
    belvidere Illinois
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    Thanks for the reply, it's interesting to watch different truck drivers unhook, back up to a door and/or park in a parking spot
     
  6. Pmracing

    Pmracing Road Train Member

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    Arlington Heights, IL
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    Not all fifth wheel heights are consistent between truck manufacturers. When I was doing drop and hooks and was driving a cascadia, the volvos always left the trailers too high for me.

    Mikeeee
     
  7. sdaniel

    sdaniel Road Train Member

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    Pelham N.C.
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    Let the truck pick up the trailer! It's far stronger than I am ! Tried of seeing trucks bob tailing with the fifth wheel tilted forward! They cranked so far the truck had to fall away from the pin! You going to change tires? 9 out of ten times I will pick it up once loaded. Now I can make my truck kneel , but have not figured out to get it to jump ! Roll them down to they touch , back off one turn, unhook , drop the bags, nd gently pull out. The truck will pick it up , never any shock to the landing gear, and never any weight on the legs when rolling it back up. Save everyone's back !
    Came across one today a foot to high! Loaded with 45000 ! Thanks coworker !
     
  8. Quickfarms

    Quickfarms Heavy Load Member

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    May 29, 2012
    Los Angeles, Ca
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    I was thought to lower the gear to about an inch off of the ground and then dump the bags and drive out. This way you usually do bit have to crank with weight on the gear. Thus does not work with spring suspension and you can have issues with different trucks due to rude height.
     
  9. sdaniel

    sdaniel Road Train Member

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    Yes the Volvo is taller . We have 80 Volvo and 800 freightliner . I can not be following a Volvo every where I go ? Still a foot , be 14'4 going down the road ! Again he was planing to rotate the drives ?
     
  10. ladywrongway03

    ladywrongway03 Heavy Load Member

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    trotwood oh
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    on the other hand there spotters at interanational paper that crank the landing gear down just low enough to drop it,then I try to get under it with 45000 pounds in the box.Makes it really hard to crank to get under it.why they dont invest in regular yd trucks is beyond me.
     
  11. STexan

    STexan Road Train Member

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    Oct 3, 2011
    Longview, TX
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    The drivers who have air dump assume all do and this creates all sorts of problems. If everyone would NOT dump suspension air, and would crank down until they hear air being let out of bags and stop (if loaded) or to the ground plus one more turn for good measure (if empty) it would make everyone's job easier. But also consider during the winter, what an inch or two of ice pack before (or after) the drop can have on trailer height. (ice melting and lowering the trailer, or ice accumulating and raising the tractor)
     
    CAXPT and Lady K Thank this.
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