Another issue..

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by Humbretrucking, Aug 15, 2022.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Bean Jr.

    Bean Jr. Road Train Member

    5,336
    9,353
    Mar 30, 2014
    0
    And most of the haters don't start until you start in on them or ask how to test clean when you're dirty.
     
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. RedForeman

    RedForeman Momentum Conservationist

    4,867
    22,115
    Jan 30, 2011
    0
    I fell for that one about 10 years ago. The Livonia GA weigh station proved that statement false with a $200 axle overweight ticket plus an inspection where they managed to find a few more things to complain about.

    It was a crappy old 2001 Trail Mobile reefer trailer, the last year they were made if I recall. I got a shuck and jive story from the shop that it was impossible to get a number off the old part and there were no dealers to call, but this is equivalent despite the different shape. The bag installed was physically larger than the original other three, but otherwise the trailer seemed to sit right and handled fine. Cat scales weigh the tandem, which hid any difference between the axles. Georgia weigh stations check individual axle weights. The tandem was at 32k. Front axle was 11k, rear was 21k.

    By the time we got the ticket, I was dealing with a different, trustworthy shop. We both scratched our heads on that one, as there were no problems with the air lines or plumbing. I ended up having him change out all 4 bags since the other 3 were sketchy anyway, with a matching set. Then went around the corner to a local scale and confirmed both axles were equal. At the end of all that, I figured the oddball bag must've had a longer stroke than the old ones, resulting in the rear axle tending to "lift" against the front.

    The lesson I learnt that day was: if something doesn't look right, it probably isn't. I should have pressed the issue with the first shop instead of accepting the crap they told me.

    PS: don't get butthurt when you realize you may have misjudged a situation or fell for a scam story. Everyone does sooner or later, the ones who say they didn't are lying. Have a little humility, it's how we learn things.
     
  4. AModelCat

    AModelCat Road Train Member

    27,627
    144,553
    Jul 7, 2015
    Canuckistan
    0
    Its the surface area of the top/bottom plates of the air bag that caused it. Bigger surface area = more force at the same pressure. With the 3 other bags being equal, the larger oddball one was generating more force. Which would cause that corner to lift a little bit more as well.
     
  5. RedForeman

    RedForeman Momentum Conservationist

    4,867
    22,115
    Jan 30, 2011
    0
    That's what I thought initially as well.

    But think about it a minute. Everything else being equal, it's going to take a certain amount of pressure in the system to lift the frame to a certain height. The surface area difference wouldn't be enough to tilt it front to back that much. That corner would have more leverage on a bounce, but the system will reach a balance once settled.

    On the other hand, if the rear lifts enough to get the front bags to their limit, then the rear axle ends up picking up the front one. I'd expect even a 1/2" greater on one rear bag would be enough to shift 5,000 lbs off the front.

    Regardless, it's clear that the one bag being obviously different was, in fact, a problem, no matter how the shop that installed explained it. I should have pressed the issue instead of accepting it.
     
  6. Humbretrucking

    Humbretrucking Light Load Member

    106
    83
    Sep 23, 2020
    0
    Thank you all.. moral of the story..

    Not my fault..

    there were 6 technicians in the bay at the time.. in fact the bay has video recording..

    I was told rule of thumb 5 wheel should level up with drive tires.. ( some what close )

    the height in my situation was definitely overwhelmed..

    Shouldn’t a semi truck mechanic understand the basics of truck leveling???????
     
  7. Humbretrucking

    Humbretrucking Light Load Member

    106
    83
    Sep 23, 2020
    0
    The air bags in the rear were higher than the front.. try it on your truck :)
     
  8. RedForeman

    RedForeman Momentum Conservationist

    4,867
    22,115
    Jan 30, 2011
    0
    Kind of a post script to that last example. Since then, there have been a few occasions where I challenged what a shop did and stuck to my guns for a positive outcome.

    An example comes to mind when I decided to buy a set of microblue wheel bearings for the KW and have them installed. I dropped the truck off, along with the bearings and included install instructions. There's a process to it, and it comes straight from a Conmet service document you can download today.

    As I was driving away, I had a gut feeling the shop owner was agreeable to the job, but that whatever tech got the job was going to do it however they pleased. When I picked up the truck, I could tell right away something was off. It seemed to roll too easy and seemed to wander a tiny bit. Not quite enough to rise to "scary" so I decided to give it a run. In the mean time I'm mulling over what could have been done wrong to cause that.

    A few days later a drive hub seal started leaking, so I took it back. I asked "what did you do with the spacers when you put these in?"

    They ended up pulling all 6 hubs, throwing out the spacers, and reinstalling with new seals, no charge.
     
  9. RedForeman

    RedForeman Momentum Conservationist

    4,867
    22,115
    Jan 30, 2011
    0
    That was likely due to the angle of the frame tilting up toward the rear with the system being severely over-inflated, giving that appearance. Even more so if there was no trailer on it. I think my driver air pressure is around 20 psi with the nose of an empty reefer trailer bearing down on it, even less bobtail. Even a minor over-inflation would push the frame way up IMO.

    That said, it would take having an air plumbing fault front to rear to cause the rear bags to actually inflate to higher pressure than the front ones. In other words, all 4 corners are on the same air supply and will be equal, unless there's an air plumbing fault or one of the bags is different or somehow defective.
     
  10. Ridgeline

    Ridgeline Road Train Member

    20,659
    100,396
    Dec 18, 2011
    Michigan
    0
    Sorry dude, but it is your fault.

    Sorry if this pisses on your feet but this stuff about the wrong bags, about adjusting the leveling valve and the other rot doesn’t mean you blame others for it.

    See there is something that you need to really understand, it is very important ethically, legally and well … just basic drivers responsibility to get.

    it is this fact … that no matter what …

    YOU AND ONLY YOU SHOULD MAKE SURE THE WORK IS DONE RIGHT FOR THE SAFE OPERATION OF THE TRUCK YOU ARE DRIVING!

    It is not the mechanic, not the dot officer writing you a ticket or the manufacturer of the parts on your truck who is responsible, IT IS YOU!

    i run into both drivers who make the same claim - not my fault and shops who can’t fix a thing.

    and I tell the drivers stop being stupid and tell the shop manager to fix it or there will be a fight on the charges.
     
  11. Humbretrucking

    Humbretrucking Light Load Member

    106
    83
    Sep 23, 2020
    0
    That’s exactly what’s taking place a fight on the charges.. I MENTIONED IT.. it was ignored. How do you solve a issue immediately that you find out later ?? Please answer that Einstein..

    I’ll wait.. for the most educated response

    I hope you say preventative maintenance.. that answer is wrong..


    time is the only answer.. it takes time for something to go wrong
     
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  • Thread Status:
    Not open for further replies.