Weight on Steer Axles

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by AgPilot1, Sep 23, 2022.

  1. AgPilot1

    AgPilot1 Light Load Member

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    I need some advice on getting weight off my steers.
    Tractor Empty Steer Axle 11,220
    Drive Axle 7,660
    Total 18,880
    w/Empty Trailer Steer 12,520
    Drive 10,980
    Trailer 8,240
    Total 31,740
    Loaded Steer 13,560
    Drive 26,480
    Trailer 33,000
    Total 73,040

    King Pin is exactly centered in the drives but the slide is all the way back. My first thought was I needed to slide it back. The rails are mounted all the way forward so I can move the whole unit back if needed.
    Suspension load gauges is 50%. Front differential runs 10-15 degrees hotter than the rear. But that is the case bobtail, empty or loaded so I don't think that is anything.
    Scale ticket shows the load weight at 41,300 but I have a load ticket from the shipper showing 46,700. Is it possible I weighed wrong? Load was centered on the trailer.
    I'm supposed to load 47,000 on Monday and be on the road for awhile. I'm hesitant to load and go if I'm always going to be 300 lbs on the steer.



    truckload.jpg
     
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  3. skallagrime

    skallagrime Road Train Member

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    When you scale, was that a cat scale or shipper scale? Also if not a full platform scale it needs to be perfectly flat

    When scaling, get in position, no movement or rocking, then let off on your brake pedal, then set tractor brakes only, do not set trailer brakes (though doing that wrong usuallyy results in it looking heavier, not lighter)

    Thats wood, wood products shippers are mostly useless for knowing what their product weighs, usually the other way "it only weighs 46k" vs it actually being 52k


    Depends on your steer axle setup, personally i would like a bit less weight up front, but you may be rated for it (depending on tires) so yeah id move the rails back to get just rear of center a bit of the drives, move it far enough that you have 1 or 2 holes extra behind your normal pin location though
     
  4. Studebaker Hawk

    Studebaker Hawk Road Train Member

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    You have answered your own question correctly.
    to permanently solve this problem you need to unbolt the slides and move them back 6" or so. 1 or 2 holes depending on the spacing.

    Find out what the actual front axle rating is.
    Frequently trucks will have g rated tires which on a front axle are only good for 12350 (6175 lbs x 2)
    You can get H rated tires which ups that to 13,220. See Bridgestone link:
    https://az184419.vo.msecnd.net/schneider-trucks/PDF/maintenance/TireLoadRangeGvsH.pdf

    In all cases you must stay below the rating of the axle, or tires, whichever is lower.
     
    Last edited: Sep 23, 2022
    Bean Jr. and blairandgretchen Thank this.
  5. AgPilot1

    AgPilot1 Light Load Member

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    This reminds me what happened. I was using the weigh my truck app and it took several minutes for the app to do its thing so without thinking of the results I set the brakes. I dumped the air out of the trailer suspension so this weigh ticket is probably useless.

    13,200 is my max. Will they usually catch a few hundred pounds on the steer at weigh stations?
     
  6. Studebaker Hawk

    Studebaker Hawk Road Train Member

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    Depends on whether or not the scale guy had an argument with his wife that morning.
    You get the picture.
    The authorities are more sensitive to overweight on the steer than anywhere else because in the event of a failure, you will have immediate control issues.
     
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  7. skallagrime

    skallagrime Road Train Member

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    Depends on the cop?

    Others can speak to it better than me, but i somewhat anecdotally think scales just assume 12500 (depending on state) is too high, so they may look at you more often)

    Running 12 32 36 steer drive trailer (spread) usually gets me no second look
     
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  8. skallagrime

    skallagrime Road Train Member

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    A thought, do you have a chain and tarp storage headache rack on the truck (yet?)

    If not, thats going to add some weight in the future, if you do, that might be part of the problem, truck set up for vans, but you added a rack...
     
  9. Hammer166

    Hammer166 Crusty Information Officer

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    If the kingpin is centered over the drives, the change in steer weight should only be scale variation, not 1000's of pounds. It is it centered on the front drive?
     
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  10. AgPilot1

    AgPilot1 Light Load Member

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    10 chains and binders, 20 4" winch straps, 6 2" ratchet straps, 36 edge protectors of various sizes, 150 bungees, 10 6"x48" coil pads, 4 coil racks.

    4' and 6' tarps are in the trailer tool box.



    PB003.jpg
     
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  11. AgPilot1

    AgPilot1 Light Load Member

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    The king ping is centered between the drives. The difference between bobtail weight and empty trailer weight is 1300 lbs. That makes sense because I added a full vault in-between the two weights.
     
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