Need help anyone running 6x2??

Have two 2015 Volvo's 6X2. PITA. Bobtail in a ice covered yard? Throw chains. One day they will be gone and hope to never see another one.

 

I think @Misesian has that setup.

 

I drove a 6x2 company truck for 340,000 miles. The company is now switching back to 6x4 trucks. Truck also had super single tires. They mainly got them for the weight saving. With dry vans we pulled we could legal scale 48,500 even 49,000 probably. We only had one 130 gallon tank. The shippers never used the weight we could carry.

The truck was bad in the rain and snow. We could not pull from a stop light in the rain without spinning a tires when empty. Sliding trailer tandems was pain and it was normal to spin tire even when loaded. We had that automatic air bag dump and we could put more weight on drive axle with the power. Even with that the tires would still spin. We had to work on not spinning the tires when sliding trailer tandems. All the power going to one wheel was just to much power. With super single tires and it would spin the tire. My company got a little screwed because Freightliner said the trucks had locking drive axle. When the truck really only had electric/abs locking. Basically the computers would apply the brakes to tire that would spin in the snow or rain. It was useless when sliding tandems. They wanted locking axle. Freightliner even had sticker on dash that said truck had locking axle but it was not. We had automatic transmission, so it was hard to control the power going to drive axle also

 

Dump em. First bad weather they roll over and screw anyone in them.

It would not be the first time I tossed a chain onto one to straighten him out on ice.

 

If it has the weight transfer it will be fine. I would confirm it has it via the build sheet. It will be a separate line item. I have a tag axle 6x2 myself, with super singles. Do not run a typical low rolling resistance tire on the drive axle, get an Xone Grip D or a Yokohama 902L and it will wear better and get great traction, on the tag, run a trailer tire, the tag will beat up a drive tire in no time. I have an axle lock on mine and a mud/snow switch. When sliding tandems on anything other than a hard surface, I engage both, and if it’s really loose gravel or rock, engage the weight transfer as well and it works fine. Going forward, I’d like to get a liftable pusher setup. Those have the added benefit of air transfer during a wheel slip at highway speed, fully lifted when empty or light, and better tire wear on the dead axle. Additionally, the pusher 6x2 will out perform a 6x4 in snow and ice. A 6x2 is not recommended if you’re in off road conditions a lot, like driving around in fields or a logging truck. You’ve only got one powered axle and if one side is up in the air and the only one wheel is on the ground, you’re stuck. I was in MN, WI, IA, IN, OH, and IL with it last winter with lots of snow and ice and it did fine. There was only one time I had an issue leaving a light from a stop, on ice, empty, and Indidnt have my air transfer on the truck yet, and I still got going. I have since added the air transfer feature, I did not realize you had to specifically select that during the build process. I suggest having an air bag dump as well. It’s much easier hooking to your trailer. The tag axle will cause the truck to squat and if you can’t dump your bags, it will lift the front axle up a hair and make it hard to connect. The weight savings is nice and the fuel mileage benefit is real. I don’t regret buying it.

 

I’ve driven 6x4 trucks on ice bobtail and had the same problem. The problem isn’t the 6x2, it’s that your bobtail with no weight on your wheels trying to drive on ice. Weight and the proper tire is more important than whether it’s a 6x2 or 6x4.

 

You can watch this as well.

 

What brand?
Tires?
......
We need some extra info.

 

40+ years of multiple trucks and only a handful of times that we had to have one towed in a parking lot. These two get towed multiple times during the winter. And they have had different drivers in them. No better or worse MPG than the 6X4's. I prefer not to get those kind of calls during the winter.