Weight Distribution For Driving/Ride Quality

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by Damaged_Goods, Sep 20, 2019.

  1. Damaged_Goods

    Damaged_Goods Light Load Member

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    Apr 9, 2016
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    Hey Guys. Quick question...

    If you’re weight difference between your Drives and Tandems are 5,000 lbs but you’re legal, so you don’t really have to slide your tandems.. but should I anyway to distribute the weight more evenly?

    Example

    Steers ~ 10k,
    Drives ~ 28k,
    Tandems ~ 33k,

    What would give me the best ride quality?
    (Truck suspension/Uphill pull/Starting from a stop, Optimal power etc)

    Should I ........?

    Slide the tandems to even out the weights

    -OR-

    Leave the weights as they are? (Tandem heavy)

    -OR-

    Reverse the weight and make the Drives more heavy?

    Or it won’t really make a noticeable difference at all, no matter what I do?
     
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  3. Intothesunset

    Intothesunset Road Train Member

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    Put the most weight possible to be legal on drives. But if almost even weights yet a bit more on drives is best ride.
     
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  4. Ubu

    Ubu Road Train Member

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    I always try to have a little more weight on the drives vs the tandems but close to balanced. When the tandems are heavy it always feels like someones tugging backwards on the truck when going up hill.

    In the winter I put a bit more weight then in the summer on the drivers for traction.
     
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  5. TripleSix

    TripleSix God of Roads

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    I prefer the drive to be heavy. A much heavier trailer gives you the ‘tail wagging the dog’ feel. In bad weather, this can lead to handling issues.
     
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  6. truckdriver31

    truckdriver31 Road Train Member

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    ED5EECC3-A96F-459C-B8F4-ED7A6A56AA33.jpeg I ride like this most often. we have spring trailers
     
  7. truckdriver31

    truckdriver31 Road Train Member

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    air ride trailer or spring.
     
  8. Damaged_Goods

    Damaged_Goods Light Load Member

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    Air Ride
     
  9. Anywhichwaybutloose

    Anywhichwaybutloose Light Load Member

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    Jun 24, 2017
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    Its not the weight on the tandems as much as the weight behind them.
    Fixing overweight drives by putting some heavy freight on the rear. Make it legal bit rides like ####.
     
  10. MACK E-6

    MACK E-6 Moderator Staff Member

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    My worst day for that was one when I had 12k on the single driver and 28k on the trailer tandem. That sucks on a normal day, but that day a snowstorm moved in as soon as I left the yard.

    I never made it to my route. Turned around and went back, and almost didn’t make it back.
     
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  11. Swine hauler

    Swine hauler Medium Load Member

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    Jun 21, 2019
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    In snow i will max out of even go 1000 lbs over on the steers(slide 5th wheel) to make the front end stick to the road, max out the drives and then some for maximum traction, tandems can trail along. ( steep grades and gnarly roads around here).
     
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