Slick roads 101

I can help you find other ways to occupy your free time if you want. [emoji14]

 

I've been thinking about this thread and there's something that been eating at me regarding the entire debate whether to engage the inter axle differential or not. My own experience has been that it certainly helps stabilize the situation. Without it the truck tends to yaw, the drives start kicking out to the right. This is especially true in my experience if you are in the right lane of a crowned road.

I keep coming back to a situation I had last winter, running as a team headed westbound on I-20 in Texas. I was the vampire and took over shortly after it got dark east of Dallas/FW. I looked at Accuweather.com and Weather.com and saw that there was a sizable ice storm centered on Amarillo, but I-20 was clear sailing. My mental calculations had me at least getting to Van Horn or beyond on my shift.

After a couple of hours driving I passed Dallas/FW and planned to make my first stop at the Petro at exit 409 to get some coffee and reassess the weather situation. The temperature started plummeting after Fort Worth, from the mid 30's down to 27ºF. A couple of miles before the exit it started to rain.

I kicked out of cruise control on the bone dry road and eased off on the throttle as I approached a slight rise for an overpass bridge shortly before the exit. I'd estimate I had no more than 1/3 boost at the moment as I started across the bridge, when it kicked into a yaw in an instant that had to be at least 9-12". I immediately eased off on the throttle and steered into the yaw and it SNAPPED back into straight and true. I must admit my heart rate did click up a notch or three as I pulled into the exit.

I parked in the fuel islands, which were almost empty, and looked at the weather maps again. That ice storm that was centered over Amarillo had expanded to about a 300 mile diameter monster that was now centered over I-20 and I was on the eastern edge of it. I went in and got my coffee and thought about it. There was a light sprinkle where I was and I reasoned that perhaps the rest of the ice storm was just as light as this.

Wrong.

It turned into a memorable night, with a heavy ice storm followed by up to 3-4" of snow accumulating on top in the right lane. It was worse in the hammer lane and I didn't pass anyone that night, although a handful of truckers were out and did pass me.

I ran with the inter axle differential locked the rest of the way and made it to Odessa by the time dawn broke and I was beyond the storm. The IAD lock sure made a difference in stability and allowed me to climb hills, easing off on the throttle as I went up and being real easy on the way down. I can't imagine trying to tackle a storm like that without it. I ran speeds up to 45 mph to get up enough speed to get up the hills, topping out around 20-30 mph.

Perhaps some of the drivers that have explained their opposition to running with IAD engaged might share some of their experiences and how and why they don't like it. In my own experience running without it tends to be a fight against yaw.

 

I looked at yer profile to see if you were male or female. Just curious - uh, I mean prurient - ya know

 

Nice narrative Lepton, you write well.
I recently went through some drama over the IAD with my company (thread: Inter axle lock, Eh, you don;t need it) and so did some reding and had some conversations on the subject. I concluded that it is not as necessary as many drivers think but helpful in very slippery conditions where we are travelling at lower speeds.

I don't know why anyone would object (besides maintenance dept's who don't want it used wrong and cost repairs) but I think there may be some confusion in the debate between IAD - that nearly all trucks have - and an additional device that only some trucks have which locks the left/right differentials in addition to the front/rear axle differentials. The first allows only 2 wheels to spin out (one front and one rear) and the other - used with the IAD locks all the drive wheels. There is more potential for damage when all wheel are locked.

 

First..if you have lockers and everything is engaged..and if your on icy or slick conditions you can't turn..second this is why so many companies disconnect the inter axle locks..the only time that you need it is in snow conditions where your chained up..running at highway speeds with them ingaged. You will over heat the rear rear end..and can do damage to the rearend

 

I very rarely lock my inter-axle differential, even when I'm turning into a jobsite that is soft & sloppy. Mack rears are a different beast, though...

 

He was implying he was going to break out the banhammer!

 

O.K. I've wondered the last year what is the significance of the number, 627?
The references I could find are:
1) Antagonist of Stitch in the Disney cartoon
2) A pain medication (tramadol) popular in the U.K.
3) A Smith & Wesson 357, 8 round revolver
4) A 1992 French crime drama

Any of these???????????

 

Wrong. Running at highway speeds with the power divider in will not over heat and damage the rear end.