Heavy Loads and Horse Power

Do any of the people that haul heavy have any issues with the drive axles over heating? When I run through the mountains and then run back through the mountains I have issues on most of the truck with the axles over heating so much so that we rigged up axle coolers. Put a hose with a check valve on the differential, ran that to a pump, and then through a B&M transmission air to fluid cooler that had an electric fan mounted to it. Before we put those on we would peg the gauges for the diff temps. After we might see 200F.

 

I never saw that truck again. I don't even want to imagine the accumulated damage on that poor mack. Viva Le Mack... eh? They live forever. I literally never saw that thing again after I parked it that night. I was not to be around that outfit either not long after.. but I tell this story over and over because it was really a bone headed move loading it the way it was loaded. I think I had two months on the road total after school then and it was my first live load anything. Boss man comes and says how do you want that loaded?

Don't ask ok? I would have it loaded much better these days using what I know now.

That truck probably got totaled and sent to the scrapper.

 

We only do short local moves with super loads so we don't have axle heat problems.

I do know planetary rears can heat up running hwy speeds. Most of these super big and heavy loads run at a max of around 25mph so that helps on the axle heat. The speed of the gears is a much bigger heat contibuter than the load is.

 

Depending on the load I've really got to watch my temps pulling the hills up here. Summer time I have to pull over and let the truck cool down about halfway up one mountain pass.

 

I did that running i5 one summer in Or. My rears would peg out. Stop at the top of the pass, let them cool down and go for the next pass. Vancouver Wa to Talent Or. 8 hours lded. On that run. But my trk held together. One guy blew his rears out going up a pass. Yea they are hot, I'll be ok were his last famous words

 

So two questions.

How much weight is put on a push truck? I guessing it has to do with the size of the load he's pushing.

When getting ready to climb a big hill or grade with a heavy load maybe 150k or more would you start the hill with as much momentum as possible and down shift? Or would you get into the gear you think you're going to be able to climb all the way without downshifting before you start the climb?

 

You usually weight the push truck with as much as it can legally haul. Usually around 40k or so.

Multiple trucks works better with auto trans, at lease it requires less experience.

On these big loads, you don't go fast enough to build any usable momentum. Best to stay in the gear you start with going up hills.

 

Chewy, having to go from 2nd to 1st with 150K or more on a 6% grade is not a pleasant experience. It means that you screwed up big time by not getting it into the right hole "before" it got steep.

 

That's what I was figuring. When you're that heavy and that expensive equipment it's not worth the few extra minutes. Just lock her in the right gear and crawl.

 

Uh, it means there is a wrecker in you future or so I have been told or heard or seen or something....