Kingpin depth

I don’t get it. A shallower pin setting would allow you to get more weight up front because you can slide the fifth wheel farther forward before getting into your landing gear. Most modern things trucks have so much emissions stuff up front steer axle weight in not an issue. I Usually run my fifth wheel centered over the rear axle, this load I slid forward about a foot because I knew the load would be heavy.

I rolled over the scale with a full tank of fuel and only the front 16k pound lift on, just under 13k. I should have left it back.

 

I don't think you read my post entirely. With a the fifth wheel back over the rear drive you won't transfer weight to the steer. Weight doesn't transfer forward until you get past center of the group. If you have a tag and need to load the steer heavy 15-16k you won't transfer weight til your past center of the lead drive. Doesn't matter how you do it, you have to get past center of any group before you transfer weight forward.

And furthermore, if your pulling a spread and sliding a fifth wheel, your loading your equipment wrong. I actually took my sliding wheel off, I know the exact location and year I last slide my fifth wheel and it's been 12 years.

 

Tag axles are behind the drives, I believe you’re referring to a pusher axle. If you need a deep kingpin to load the front axle why do rgns have very shallow kingpins?

I know how to load my equipment just fine. I pull all different types of trailers, that’s why I have 4’ of slide that starts at the rear of the frame. Try pulling a 16’ wide trailer with your 5th wheel centered over your drives. It gets ugly quick.

Edit to add: I reread your post, it’s obvious you didn’t read mine. I’m 12,900 on the steer bobtail. I don’t need to transfer weight forward.

 

When I was ordering my 53’ drop deck, I went with 30” king pin setting, which is better for sliding rear axle. If you are planning to be CA/CT legal, it will give you more weight capacity in the back in the tandem setting. Otherwise, if it’s a fixed spread or you don’t care about CA/CT, 18” gives more space behind the truck, especially if you have a head rack installed behind the cab. 24” is in the middle, those 3 are the most popular for drop decks.

 

I'm with Kyle. Shallow kingpin setting and run the 5th wheel forward to load up the steer axle. Especially on a long hood truck. A lot of guys with that setup run the 5th wheel well ahead of centre of the drives.

 

Pretty sure this had an 18” pin. I ran the 5th wheel centered on the front drive, which put me right at 12k on the steer with the lift axle down. I had room to slide farther ahead to get more weight on the steer but then it cut my 7 axle inner bridge down and it want worth it. As it sat with the 5th wheel centered on the front drive I would bridge out at 105k everywhere, except 102k in OR. When I’d run to Canada I had to slide back to 3” ahead of center one my drives.

Personally I wouldn’t want a deep pin on a flatbed. Shallow pin makes it easier to stretch out and load a bunch off the front when you have to.