5th Wheel position

Different trucks, different positions.

 

Generally, Having the fifth wheel center between the two drives is a decent position for a ride comfort. I’d say most guys position their fifth wheel for function.

 

In general I’ve found that the further back the smoother the ride

 

"Stretch 'er out, boy" was the cry. More weight on the steer will give a rougher ride, and if no scales, everybody put the 5th wheel as far back as it would go. I'd look elsewhere for a better ride, I suggest a KWhopper. They are called "Freightshakers" for a reason. Being a newer truck, you can rule out anything worn, and perhaps a rear suspension adjustment is needed. Freightliners generally ride pretty nice. What kind of wagon?

 

You didn't say what you are pulling. Does it ride rough bobtailing? The wagon may be the culprit. I've found, generally, the shocks do little if anything.

 

Shocks are probably original. Change them and see what happens. My Truck rides great when the air ride height is set properly, and with new shocks. Bad shocks and height slightly off, especially if it’s low, and it rides like crap. It’s an old FLD. The difference is night and day. Start there and see what you got. Moving the fifth wheel back a bit might help. Not much. Hardly worth it. As long as you don’t currently have trouble scaling loads. I run my slider at about the same position as yours. That’s 1 notch forward of dead center on the slider itself. Each notch shifts about 500 lbs of weight. Works best for 99.9% of loads with my Truck. Helps mpg’s to keep the gap closed up between cab and trailer. Get familiar with load distributions. Weighing the heavy loads. Learn what works best, use the trailers sliding axles to your advantage. Too heavy on fifth wheel, or too heavy on trailer tandems, either way will cause bucking. The latter being dangerous in slick conditions. Usually if it axles out evenly, that’s about as good a ride you’re going to get when heavy. Use that as a reference for comparison. See how it rides. The culprit is probably the spring ride trailer. Shorter wb Trucks by design buck more. Not much you can do about that. The air bags have gotten bigger in the last 20 years. Seems to be the key to a better ride. They run softer, and If shocks are bad, bounce more, causing it to buck. Bad shocks are useless. Like having none at all. You could literally run without them and not notice any difference. More importantly they slow down the movement of the suspension, lessening the bucking. Considering the larger air bags, good shocks are key to a better ride. Too much movement also wreaks havoc on the whole suspension. Wearing out bushings, height valve, tires, driveline faster. They’re worth every penny. That’s my been my experience anyways.