The "Spread" of Ignorance

I've never pulled a spread, but reading this thread it seems to me that its better to have a axle lift on the front axle to save on tires. Also when backing you don't have the "over hang". Just my 2c

 

Correct, UNLESS your trying to maneuver around tight spots, or turn sharp loaded. Your not going to lift the front axle of a spread with a full load unless it's a really strong trailer and you have 3 air bags per axle. (ask me how I know) Although there are trailers with lift axles on the rear, I almost did it to one of mine but didn't feel like moving the leveling valve.

 

I've never run a spread but had friends that did. Usually the back axle picked up or deflated. It would be like having a van with the tandems pushed all the way forward. Seems like it would be better in tight spots.

 

So it would be wiser to have the lift on the rear instead.

 

I've seen trailers going down the hi-way with the front axle raised, not the rear.

 

You can lift either axel i see alot more guys around me lifting the rear axel instead of the front lately most likely for manuverability and almost all the guys running tri axel trailers are lifting the rear axel and i'am thinking of putting the lift on the rear of my spread flat seen a couple like that and i like it you can lift the axel all the way loaded and not scuff the tires around plus better to get around with.

 

A lift axle and a dump valve are two completely different things. A dump valve just dumps the air in the bags so that the tires aren't pushing on the ground as hard. They just kind of float over the pavement, they don't actually come off the ground, and the tires still turn if you forget to air it back up. When you see a trailer going down the highway with an axle lifted, it has an entirely different setup, just like dump trucks raising their non-driving axles when they're empty. I've always assumed the reason for lifting (with a lift axle, not a dump valve) the front axle vs the rear was the ability to run with more light loads with the axle raised legally. The leveling valve is also usually on the rear axle. The ride would also be smoother with the rear axle down than the front, just like a van rides better with the axles all the way back. And someone correct me if I'm wrong on this, but the older trailer ABS systems only ran on the rear axle. Anyway, all that to clarify a little that lift axles and single axle dump valves are not the same thing.

 

often to get into very tight spots it helps to be able to dump the front so you can get lined up without all the SWING you get from duping the rear. Do you HAVE to have it? no, but it helps
personally I'd run dumps on both, or ideally a lift on the front and a dump on the rear.

lifting the axle when you are light or empty saves on tire wear and also if you are on toll roads they often charge per axle. You can lift it and pay less

 

Thank you for this valuable information.

 

No brakes on toll roads they charge by the axle regardless.You dump the air to the rear axle is just like cutting the length of your spread off the trailer.It makes it much eaiser turning at street corners and pulling in and out of parking spots.It is basicly like having a shorter trailer.The reason most drop and hook locations have us slide tandems all the way back is so a heavily loaded fork lift doesn't lift the nose of a empty trailer off the ground while it is in the rear of the trailer.