So I ended up finding a load going back home. Load is about 10.5K so will be using the lift axle this whole trip. So from MA to MO with 10.5K and using the lift axle. So far I am at 9.6 MPG's for this load and have been doing 67 to 70 in most areas. I will most likely slow down to 65 tomorrow since I will not be able to make it home tomorrow. Will need to drive a few hours Saturday to make it back home. Says to deliver on Tuesday but I think they maybe open on Saturday so gonna give them a call tomorrow and see if they will take it early. Working on getting a load for Tuesday since Monday is a holiday. I wanted to run a little longer this week but that holiday kind of messed up my timing. So far the lift axle has been working great. Little scuffs here and there but nothing that will hurt the tires in my eyes. I am sure once I run a few loads with the axle down it will look just the same as before it was lifted. Pretty happy other than the time frame it took to get it done. I lost some good loads and ended up with a couple decent loads. Maybe next week I can find something a little better. I need to get my butt working on a regular bases.
I found some pics in my gmail storage of my lift axle right after it was installed. The only ones I have. I posted better ones in a thread here about 7 years ago but can't find it.
I am about 200 miles away from delivery/ home and sitting at 10.4 MPG's for the trip back. Total trip so far is at 9.8 MPG's and have been driving at 65 most of the way. I would say I am pretty happy on doing this so far. On Tuesday I booked another load but this one is going out to UT from MO. Then have a load booked from UT to CO and will see how that goes. I believe the first load going out I will be able to lift the axle. I used to run that lane a lot but have not done it in awhile. So will be interesting to see what I get going out that way. So far the scuffing is not causing any issues on the tires and I hit some pretty good spots today. Feeling pretty confident it will not be an issue with the weights I have been driving on.
Yeah it's basically the same. I had them install a suspension air gauge on mine at the same time. They put that gauge and the control valve for the lift in a little box like in the pic below except for my box was mounted a little higher and directly to the left of the air slider valve. Some drivers have that control valve in the cab which comes in handy for toll roads even if heavy you can raise it up at the toll booths and pay a cheaper rate then set it back down to the ground on the other side lol
Well I made it back home and only a few miles from the delivery for Tuesday. I ended up with 10.2 MPG's from MA to MO at 10.5K with lift axle up. Total trip was 9.8 MPG's all miles with lift axle up. I checked with pen to paper and could be .1 off at most. Not to bad results for the first try.
Saw a couple dropped trailers with these on them and thought of you. Doesn’t appear they’re available, anymore.
I tried to get something similar but had the same problem. No one wants to make them anymore or at least nothing easy to get. I may have a lead on a place but not gonna do anymore until next year other than maybe some cheap stuff like wheel covers. I need to get running on a regular bases and see what these things I have done does first.
Well I will drop in the morning and might as well post a few numbers since I have a couple mins. First load was from MO to UT at 15K, had lift axle up the whole time. Ran into a couple pretty good storms on the way up with some pretty good wind. I ended up with 8.7 MPG's for that trip. Then picked up a load at 35.5K from UT to CO and ran into two more storms. Last storm had some pretty good hail so and left a few inches of rain in a matter or mins. I will deliver this load in the morning and with in a couple miles from drop off. Did not use the lift axle on this load as was too heavy and ended up with 8.0 MPG's. This is the first load I have done with axle down since I got it installed. Have a short load tomorrow and then gonna most likely dead head home. Short load is 7500lbs and will be 150 miles. Will be a quick pick and drop then if nothing worth doing I will head back to the house for the weekend.
