A few more dump truck questions

you may not have to repack the ram a lot of times you can tighten the packing rings on the hoist but turning top collar on each stage of the ram that is leaking but just be careful when working under the bed with it up the dang thing will kill you in a second if it falls and they do fall. Get the hyd shop to give you a price of a R & R the ram and then a price of wost case senero of the cost of repacking the ram because if they open the ram up and have to do alot of machine work on ram the shop time will eat you alive . Personally I would have them look at it and see if they might be able to tighten packing rings 1st then if not go to plan B Good luck and watch out because a lot of companies esp Brokers will promise you the moon to get you hooked and then they will break it off in your arse try to get your money at least every 2 week this is the best because you need the money to operate on also keep a copy of your load tickets so when you get paid you can compare what you thing you should get paid for the pay period and what the check is that they give you .Good luck and be safe .

 

If its leaking from the very top it may be coming from the air bleeder. There is a bleeder similar to what is used on hydraulic brakes on cars at the top of the cylinder. There should be a access panel inside the bed where the cylinder pins to the bed that will allow you to check it.

 

If it has a manual bleeder it will be on the eye of the cylinder where the pin goes through. You can't see it in the pics you will have to reach in there and feel for it. A manual bleeder for the cylinders works the same as a brake bleeder for a car. If you're lucky you might be able to just tighten it up and stop the leak.

 

Your registration will answer your questions about empty gross weight. I have not looked at your profile so I don't know what city and state you reside, however be very sure that the registration reflects what the truck can actually weight fully loaded LEGALY. I live in Austin Tx., D.O.T. and the state of Texas will allow an O/O to register his dump trucks to weigh up to 80,000 lbs. G.R.W. (Now come on, Has anyone out there ever seen a bobtail loaded with 16,000 - 25.999 lbs.legally or tractor/trailer that was loaded legally with over 22,500 lbs.of dirt,sand or gravel ? I Think not) and then the next day D.O.T. can wait at the entrance of the pit you are getting loaded at and pull you over, when you drive out, ask for the weight ticket your received from the scale house and your Vehicle Registration, he will have you follow him to a place to where he can put the truck on a scale one Axel at a time and then start writing you a lot of overweight tickets for ea. Axel + a ticket for illegal G.V.R.W. The V.R. system for Trucks is a scam and I have personally beat every over weight ticket I have received from D.O.T. in the state of Tx. They will dismiss the tickets before they will allow a driver to fight the ticket in court with a jury trial Think about it how can the entity "Lic. And Weights" issue a Legal Document named "G.V.R.W." for a certain type of vehicle knowingly that reflects an actual weight that is illegal according to the Transportation Code and get away with the practice of writing tickets to unwitting truck drivers that work for an O/O who registered the truck to carry an amount of weight that is conflicting with Trans. Code??? Ok sorry I went on a rant there, but be ware and be sure of your G.V.R.W. and your transportation code. Why You may ask? Because ignorance of the law is no excuse when you are in the wrong or in the right.

 

I've seen straight dumps that can run 80K loaded legally in Missouri. It was a tandem dump with 3 lift axles ahead of the drives, then had another axle that could be lowered in the back like cement mixers do for 7 axles total.

7 axles in 34 feet and you can gross 80,000 under the federal bridge law.

 

Actually you can legally gross 84,000 with the TX DOT OVER AXLE OVERWEIGHT PERMIT . on most roads except interstates and load zoned roads you can buy a annual over axle over weight permit in the State of TX . In Okla you can register your truck for 90,000 and the buy a over axle variance over weight permit good for a yr

 

...But you are describing a special built truck, I'm actually talking about regular ole' dumps; End-dumps, Tri-axles-18 Yard & Bobtails-12, 14 yards. The state of TX. allows the owners of these types of vehicles to register them to haul any amount of weight they want to carry as long as the G.V.W. does not exceed 80,000lbs. even though the manufacture rated said vehicle for G.V.W. not to exceed 59,999. The G.V.R.W. IS A LEGAL DOC.that should reflect only TRUE and LEGAL statements...to allow false and misleading info on a trusted document issued by the government is corruption in a very blatant form. There can only be 1 reason for this... too generate revenue from truck drivers.

 

but you are also talking about a special out of the normal every day Joe trucker situation. How ever you bring to mind a related point on interest. the DOT is there for the most part to make sure the trucks are safe and truck drivers drive safe.Every rule and any new rules that could be tagged as controversial D.O.T. always say the new rules are needed "for the safety of the public" How is an overweight permit or over Axel weight permit insure the public's safety? If you perches a 1 yr. overweight permit are you buying or promising safety or does that permit promote safety or prove the truck is safe and capable. If a truck can safely haul 90,000 why have a special permit. I don't believe Safety is the primary concern of the government. Money 1st and how to get more money 2ND. Thanks, and I apologize to all that read this,because it seems to me every since I turned 50 I need to vent more and more.:smt071

 

Hi - I have the same problem of ignorance -- not knowing how to raise the dump bed. I posted the same question and was wondering if this post was resolved and if anyone could provide me with additional input. Thanks much -- my post is here: http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...70725-how-do-i-lift-dump-bed.html#post4409707