Power Divider/Inter Axle on Ice

Learn something.

 

Richter would end this discussion ......

 

Yep, start here, young Jedi. These aren't opinions in this bit below, it's how it is.

 

I've learned most van haulers in the states don't know much except how to drive down the paved interstate lol

 

Be fair now, most of them can't even do that right.

 

I've often wondered why I can see so many trucks in the ditch while I just roll on by. Judging by this thread, improper use of diff and axle locks are a likely explanation! Yeah, it's slick, freezing rain always is! BUT, once I'm rolling unless I'm trying to climb a hill, the diff and axle locks are OFF! Gentle inputs of power and steering and NO brake keeps me shiny side up. If I do buzz a tire, it's just one, and the truck stays put on the line I've chosen. The 3 wheel ends not spinning control the one that is. Careful and judicious use of momentum is your friend on slight grades, not locked up diff locks and cross locks. When traction is next to zero, 4 times next to zero will only cause a jackknife by eliminating any directional stability you might otherwise enjoy. Highly cambered turns are "self cleaning" (everything slides to the bottom) unless you have enough momentum to help you maintain your line. Too slow is as bad as too fast and buzzing all the drives will just cause a serious problem. All those locks should only be used at low speeds and with only enough power to keep everything turning. Off-road is a different circumstance altogether, requiring different driving techniques.

 

Thats how it is. Mr Buyck, always remember, the goal in any trade is not just to hold down a job, it is to be good at what you do. In order to be good at trucking, you have to know how to drive, and how to operate the rig. The power divider has baffled drivers for decades. I was told when I first started not to go over 45 mph with the power divider engaged, because it would burn it up. Well, I drove in bad weather hit good weather, forgot all about the power divider, ran hundreds of miles down the road, and never damaged it. And no, it didn't affect the steering or handling at all. If it did affect steering, I wouldn't have been able to forget that it was engaged.

Back in the day, we used to crawl under the truck once a week or so and adjust the brakes. I was told that you wanted the steers to grab last and the trailer first. So they would say tighten down the brakes, back the trailer off a quarter turn, drives a half and the steers 3/4. Whichever grabs first is going to slide to the front first, right? Why would we'd want the trailer to slide around first? It didn't make sense to me, so I always backed mine off evenly. Point is there are still some myths that haven't been busted yet.

This is winter, I haven't had the need to engage the power divider. I'm one of those people that will try it myself BEFORE I write on how to do something. Quite a few trucks nowadays only have a single diff. Can you run the bigroad in the winter with a single screw and not have issues on slick roads? Yes you can. I did it. Through Nashville, and Memphis and even the bridges of Dallas. Did not spin out, did not slide, did not wreck. Come to think of it, BusterBrown does it every day.

We are trying to help new drivers. We are trying to educate new drivers. So many companies have the Dumb and Dumber programs where you go in, get trained by a rookie who was trained by a rookie who was trained by a rookie who was trained by an idiot.

Please stay parked until you learn that's not the way to drive in bad weather.

 

I'm going to save this post and nominate it for the most useful post of 2015!

 

Hurry up before the flame and troll wars start and bhw locks the thread!!!

 

How does one learn if he's parked!!!