Please educate me on the these axles.

What are the Pros and Cons for each?

Cost?

What affects do these axles have on tire wear.

Is there a formula or calculator that will determine if you need them or not?

I know it all depends on how heavy the load is, but I always see these end dumps fully loaded with gravel but not using the pusher axle or steer axles. Is it mostly used to go over scales only?

 

I found a few articles that mention both axles...

http://www.expeditersonline.com/artm...cktandems.html

http://driversmag.com/ar/fleet_specing_axle/

http://www.tirereview.com/?type=art&id=1420&

 

You always have to use your lift axle on a dump when loaded. With a pusher axle you have to lift them up around turns and what not. I dont know too much about steer left axles. Talk to marylandkw his truck has one. I like the good old pusher axle i think it is less stuff to brake on it. The steer ones i know you dont ever have to lift up cuz they steer.

 

Are you referring to the tag axle?

 

1. Steerable. This is a misnomer, it is not steerable but rather pivots. Steerable implies it is somehow connected to the steering wheel. It is more like a caster on a shopping cart. If you have one of these, consider yourself lucky. Get loaded, put it down, forget about it. I have had them on my past several trucks and love them. I average about 200,000 miles on the tires. Incidentally, the steerable axles are typically lighter as the components do not have to be as heavy duty because it does not scrub like the non-steerable.

2. Non-steerable. This one will take some skill to get used too. You have to pick this one up to go around turns, tight on-ramps etc. My rule of thumb was if I had to take a turn slower than 25 mph I would pick it up. Otherwise you will scrub the heck outta the tires and in some situations the lift axle will force your truck to stay straight. We have all forgotten to pick it up one or twice and gone for that little spot in traffic only to find out your truck won't turn. Now the skill part, once you lift that axle up the brakes still work on it, but remember when you have to pick it up, when you are slowing down. That axle does not instantaneously fly up off the ground. It comes up kinda slow (different trucks different speeds) And as it is coming up, if you hit the brakes, it will lock up and flat spot your tires. Then you will have a square tire, that ain't no fun. So you have to learn how to time when to pick up your axle, meanwhile you are shifting gears, eating your lunch and talking on your cell phone watching traffic and turning. Loads of fun. I have found it very difficult for many drivers to keep a tire nice and round on a non-steerable. And once you get that flat spot, it will vibrate the truck until you replace the tires.

Now with all lift axles on straight trucks it is a good idea to pick that sucker up when you are off road, or you will absolutely get stuck. When you back up, pick it up. When you dump, pick it up. As a general rule, if you are not on a road, don't put it down.

Some states use the lift axle to meet federal bridge law, meaning you have to adjust the pressure to ensure you meet the formula. Other states Just mandate it to have so many pounds on it but don't care about the bridge law.

Now all states are different with their laws, where are you thinking about running and we might be able to provide some in site as to specific laws in your state.

As far as a 50 state legal truck that night have a need for a lift axle to meet interbridge, you can go off the chart for federal bridge law

http://www.hendrickson-intl.com/lite...ws/bridge3.asp

And if you have a hard time figuring that out, drop me a pm or post your pertinent info here and I can figure it up for you.

 

Not always, I run into situations with a partial load all the time and don't need it to be legal. But it is nice to have the braking effort spread out over as many axles as possible.

And to the OP, I have never understood why guys run with the lift up on a fully loaded truck and I see it everyday. It is hard on the truck and rides worse (like a dump bucket can get worse :lol: ) and like I said above, it is nice to have the braking effort spread out over as many axles as possible.

 

There has been times i went 20 miles or so and forgot to put the lift axel down. LOL Or when i have to hit the brakes kinda hard and the truck dont stop worth a shit. Then i look and see it still left it up. It happens,

 

Couldn't have said it better myself. :wink:

 

Just don't get stopped by a cop when you're loaded with the pusher axle(s) up!

Don't know about your area, but here they'll weigh the truck as a tandem in that scenario.

Big Big overweight and axle weight fine$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

 

They do the same thing here in PA