Question? Why do we call the tri axles when there are four and quad axles when there are five. Some of the new Michigan trucks do have three drive axles called a tridem.

 

I think your confusing women with cops?


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I was always told that the steering axle was assumed in all axle configurations. Hence a single axle truck has 2 axles. I have a tri-axle but it actually has 4 axles total. Tridems I believe is a bastardization of tandem and is called that to separate it from a twin drive single dummy axle configuration. Confused yet?

And for anyone who searches this later on, Wheelbase on a 4 axle truck is center of steer to the center of the axle group. Any axle within 9' on the same unit is considered a group.....I think

 

The comedy continues, got my fax from the CHP officer he said that the city cops that do commercial enforcement go to the CHP's school so he should know better. This morning I spotted the local cop infront of the gate to the asphalt plant (fishing in a barrel) so I rolled up and handed him the paper showing the proper way to calculate wheelbase on a 3 axle truck, he pretends to have forgotten all about it then says "Oh a THREE axle I thought you had a two axle" Duh we were standing right by my truck when he rolled up that day out of boredom to see what we were doing. Then his next statement was "The CHP does it different than us." Whos us? Arent all cops on the same team? Enforce the same laws? Whatever, he owes me a dozen doughnuts now.

 

If I wasn't confused before I started reading this thread, I sure am now... wow.

 

I agree the most common is to measure to the center of the tandems, but it really doesn't matter. All that matters is what the individual jurisdictions consider legal. Ontario may say one thing, Cali another, and CT yet another.

IIRC, CT measures the wheelbase of a trailer (.....I know, I know, but it's still wheelbase) to the center of the rearmost axle.

 

I've got a question for ya; What is the most common way to measure wheelbase on a truck with a tandem steer axle and a tandem drive axle.

I've always believed it was from the center of the steers to the center of the drives but I can't find any info to back that.

If I'm right then would a tandem-tandem truck have a tighter turning radius than a same length truck with a single steer?

 

my door sticker says wheelbase 288" my truck measures 288" from the center of the steering axle to the center of the rear drive axle

 

it's a W9 It is LOOOONG, I have to drop my trailer on the scale at a lot of places because the whole truck wont fit