Single & Dual Driven Axle Tandem Question

I recently completed the 6x2 conversion and absolutely love it. To prevent a loss of traction situation, I added a locking diff, a dead axle dump valve and increased the load on the driving axle by 10%.
So far, if looks as if I might have lost 250 pounds and gained .23 in fuel economy. I'm hoping to see an additional gain after installing trailer tires on the tag axle.

 

My experience with 6x2 (correctly built with dump valve and even lifting capacity even fully loaded) and 6x4 in the winter is up the hill they both will get to the same height. Getting moving from a standstill the 6x4 has the advantage. Empty on the other hand it's again advantage 6x2. The thing I hate most with 6x4 is the understeer and that's why I prefer 6x2

This text reefer to 6x4 with cross and center diff looks and 6x2 with diff look and fully lifting tag even loaded

 

Tag axles were popular a long time ago, they were useless in low traction situations, no air ride and ability to lower the preasure in the tag axle.
Many juristictions have banned there use.
Most trucks in our area have inner axle differencials with lock up ability giving you positive drive to both axles then the have diff locks that give you positive drive in every wheel, you only use that in low traction situations, that way there is no difference in fuel mileage.
Just a thought!

 

If you have Diff lock on both axles. Like I said mine has a Power Divider on the front and Diff Lock on the back so with both I only have 3 wheel drive

 

If the rear axle is a dead, tag axle, how could you have a differential lock on it. Or maybe you are talking about a twin screw tandem?

 

I was referring to the post above mine, sorry.

 

I tried a 6X2 setup with a locker for 2 years it was most costly mistake I ever made in trucking. The biggest problem was tire wear I was going threw a set of super singles ever 50,000 miles which translated into 6,600.00 dollars a year just in drive tires traction was much worst than 6X4 setup and there was no fuel mileage gain now if your running lite weight and very few mountains 6X2 probably would work just fine but I run 79,000 lbs plus all the time and a lot of mountains and it just didn't work for myself so I went back to a 6X4 setup.

 

You're missing the point. A 6x4 operates further away from the limit of traction, and is thus less likely to spin a wheel while going down the road, and if no wheel is spinning, power is evenly divided. I'd rather have an advantage while rolling over an improvement in absolute starting traction.

 

you should not have any accelerated tire wear. Were you running with the dif locked all the time? You also could have had leveling valve ishues. If the dead axle is not a lift axle, tir life should not change much at all. What tires were you using and what psi? you should use XTA energy or Line energy T on dead axle and XDA energy or line energy D on drive.

 

Of course you'll see more wear! You can't put twice the power through a tire and not expect to see increased wear. SMH