Getting axles to scale

Yes this can make your trailer split weight read silly.
After you load go to truck stop with a Cat Scale and try to get a certified weight with each trailer axle on seperate platforms. Yes it will cost you 12 or 15 bucks but I think you will find your trailer axles are almost even when everything is weighed level.
Your gross weight should be darn close between the mill scale and the cat scale but your axles will be way off because you are trying to split weight with a ramped scale.

 

Is it possible someone has the wrong bags on one of the axles. Might be good to measure diameter and length with the trailer on level ground. I agree that the ramp to the scale could be the problem and without seeing it it’s hard to say but
I would expect the front axle to read heavy because the bags would be over extended on the rear axle. It shouldn’t take very long for things to equalize between the front and rear axle when it comes back to level ground unless maybe a line is pinched or run in very small line. My 3 axle rgn will scale +/- 200 lbs per axle provided the bags are close to the same extension.
I like to weigh local things at grain elevators. There’s a couple around here that have scales flush with the ground on all sides and as long as it’s not harvest time their always happy to help.
I think I would leave the fifth wheel alone moving forward or back is not going to solve or effect your trailer axle distribution

 

Yo

On a spread axle, they are weighed as individual axles. So you can be 20k on each. Thats way you can have up to 40k total on a spread. But, since his axles are almost 5500 pounds different, Id say he needs to get it in the shop for. If everything is functioning right on a trailer, those axles should be within a couple hundred pounds of each other. No matter how its loaded. Valves are there to equal the air pressure between the two axles so the weight is distributed evenly.

 

There are no valves to equalize pressure. There's just the leveling valve, which airs up to a set height.

 

I understand that. I have 4 of them myself. There are no valves other than the leveling valve.

 

BS. Ive been pulling spread axle trailers for almost 30 years. The axles are supposed to be somewhat the same weight or its time for a shop visit. If they arent, you have issues.

 

I don't care if you've had em 100 years. The statement i quoted is BS

 

Dude, you are wrong. But you know that. I'll leave ya to be wrong alone before the mods get annoyed. Have a good, but wrong, day!

 

Have a great day man! Sorry to offend you.

 

On most modern trailers the bottom of the frame rail should run parallel to the ground. Don't worry about the top running downhill or the appearance of an arch in the deck. The height of the frame at the air bags should be very close to the same height for both axles. Find a dead flat area and do some measurements. A platform scale is a good place to do it if your on the road. Ruthless is on the right track. The only time I've seen it happen is due to having too high of a 5th wheel relative to the trailer.