Getting axles to scale

Once it was arched, replumbed and designed by TTR trailer specialists.

K.I.S.S. Is my goal. KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID!

I'm in no way calling you or anyone stupid. Its just a handy term I have to remind myself some days. KISS it.

 

My meaningless thoughts….leveling valve on the rear axle, have the bags on the front axle been checked to make sure they’re not stretched out? Maybe the valve has been messed with to get the trailer sitting level and now the front bags need shimmed. Have you checked the axle weights with a load that takes the arch out of the trailer? If the arch is out and the axles are closer to being equal then that would tell me the front bags are stretched out with beams that don’t take the arch out.

 

I blew up the photo so you can see what I see, and have marked what I see. The blue pen 'V' is where the fulcrum is, the yellow highlight with red box, is about where I would put the fulcrum, provided the adjustment slots allow it to stop with that range of being right over that area:



That aside, you can weigh at a CAT scale, the separate axles. Some of the scales when I was out were getting upgraded to allow that separate axle weighing, provided the personnel inside knew how to do it. They were upgrading by adding two separate scales plates back there. If you had a tandem, it doesn't use the one, but if you had a spread axle, it would show the weight for each axle in the back. Don't know if they continued the upgrading of the entire CAT system, but you could get separate axle weights without the extra plates, as long as the personnel inside knew how to do it...otherwise you were screwed. I also used that separate axle weighing on a company scale and added/subtracted each axle as it went on and off of the company scale..that way you were able to at least see if they were some what even and legal.

 

500 pounds difference between trailer axles is much better.
Were the replacement bags both the same part number? If so you might consider changing the other 2. It is possible that some of the bags are old and stretched and not able to carry the same load at a certain air pressure (I have seen this once in 45 years on the road but it does happen)
When sliding your fifth wheel you will need a minimum of 63 inches from the fifth wheel center (36" squared plus 51" squared= 63"squared) from anything above frame height.

 

Well like I said. Centered over the front drive airbag is were you start with a Airliner, Hendrickson/IH/Volvo/Mack suspension. Its all same principle. I assumed he had a 36" kingpin, but I couldn't tell for certain. I have a slight understanding on underslung air ride.

My first load today. FLD 120 set forward steer, 30" kingpin trl. 11100, 42600, 52500. Tandem, tandem. Sure could take it 2-3 notches forward. But would need to move back for my spread. Do I care, Zero.

I stand by putting pivot over front drive air bag to start. You guys wanna replace the main beams, and poor guy just needs to know how to load a truck.

Load needs moved forward , fifthwheel needs moved forward . Than we can talk specifics.

 

Line those up! If it dont improve,Breakfast and coffee are on me.

That is were you start. Expect to move 4-6" ahead of that with your kin pin.

Learn how the truck rides and scales, then you know how to load it. Once you get this, you will hardly use a scale.

 

Not even close. Has to be centered on front air bag.

 

Why are you moving the 5th wheel when the original issue was a 5k difference in weight between the trailer axles?