simple formula for axel weight

I've got cab controlled switches with quick dumps on both axles.(here comes the spread axle dump valve police)...LOL!!

 

It's a design that allows for more air to flow around the rear axle, thus allowing the axle to run cooler...(grin)

 

Yeah, 450 lbs moved is the magic number on our trailers for each hole.

I never got the "it's legal, so who cares" attitude. If you can legally balance the weight by pin setting, or close to balanced, why wouldn't you?

Truck and trailer ride is smoother, better fuel milage.

I can really feel a Negative difference if I am forced to carry heavier weight on the drives or drag a heavier weight on the trailer tandems when pin laws prevent me from balancing the weight.

 

Kidsdad, you have the right idea, but you sure seem to be making a really simple thing more complicated than it needs to be.

Most tandems shift 250 to 300 pounds per hole. If you want to slide 1,200 pounds, that's 4 to 5 holes. Most folks should be able to do the division in their head.

Not knocking your formula bud, just trying to give you a lot easier way to figure the slide distance.

Nice 48' spread Magnum. I haven't pulled a spread in ages, but they are the way to go if know what you're doing and don't roll over the tires in a turn.

 

The number I highlighted does vary, and depends on the distance between the holes on your slider. 380 works for our Wabash reefers, and 360 works for our Utilities. You can figure it out from two different scale readouts on the same trailer.

Two caveats... first, its an approximation, so you need to have the pin setting reasonably close in the first place. Second, the result will change somewhat depending on how the trailer is loaded. If your axle weights are close to maximum, it's best to get a reweight to keep yourself legal.

If you always subtract the drive weight from the tandems (ie, tandem wt - drive wt) a negative result indicates slide the tandems toward the tractor. Postive would indicated to slide the tandems away from the tractor.

 

Here's my scale ticket from yesterday:

Steer-----14460
Drive-----33020
Tandem- 31880
Gross-----79360

Great! Now what?!?

 

Holes to move = (Tandems - Drives)/(2*PARAMETER)

Subtract the two weights, then divide by twice the "magic number" (PARAMETER) that makes it work for YOUR trailer...

Holes to move = (31880 - 33020)/(2*PARAMETER)

If you happened to be pulling one of the PRIME Wabash reefers, that number would be 380...

Holes to move = (-1140)/(2*380) = (-1140/760) = -1.5

So I'd slide my tandems ONE hole towards the tractor.

But... that's the number for one of our trailers. You can figure that PARAMETER out for your trailer from two measurements of your trailer weight (1st weigh and re-weigh) on the same trailer and load. Get the weight difference and the number of holes you moved the tandems to get the axle weight legal...

PARAMETER = (Tandems - Drives)/(2*NUMBER OF HOLES)

Run that formula a few times, and you'll get a number that is about the same all the time... it'll vary a little from load-to-load. I just end up taking something in the middle of the pack and running with it. You'll need to run the "experiment" a few times until it comes out right... just get a 1st weigh and re-weigh, play with that parameter until it comes out right.

Clear as mud?

 

Numbers from the last time I scaled the truck

Steers 11,800
Pusher 8,150
Drives 33,500

Trailer 51950

Yes I was legal!

 

Well first off I would slide the trailer back a few notches to get some weight off the steers and put some more weight on the drives.

You are heavy on the steers but lite everywere else from what I see.

 

Yeah... didn't pay attention to the steers. I'd be sliding my fifth wheel back some too.