Well after breaking the second sq100 rear this season I decided to re axle the truck and at the same time get rid of the air bags in favor of hendrickson walking beams. This has been a pretty interesting project so far. Got truck stripped down donor rear ends. Arvin meritor 20145s donor hendrickson off of an international. Removing beam end bushings by torching of flanged ends of caps and driving through with jack hammer suspended from the forklift.
Assembled Hendrickson after re bush, new spring packs and sandblast and paint. Newly fabricated cross member and related parts
Now for the fun stuff. I need to weld the beam end axle hangers on the new axles. After much searching i finally found the information i needed as to how far apart to put them. All Hendrickson RT suspensions in the 40k category usea 35.875" center to center axle bracket and beam center to center spacing. The frame width is determined by which spring hangers you have. So now knowing how to space them the next question is how to install them so the bores are inline. This is where i decided to make a jig which should pay off as i dont plan on this being my last swapout! Using an alignment bar to set up the jig Alignment bar removed and axle brackets installed. Now ready to try and fit the axle to it all and position for welding on the brackets Thats where im at so far
Keep posting. At the standard you've set already this will finish up as the "How To" thread for getting an appropriate rear suspension under any truck that has a body pivoted at the rear end of the chassis and that goes up and down on a hydraulic pogo stick.........
Good job, that's the best way to install the hangers. Just make sure the width is dead on-otherwise it will be a bitch trying to install the beams. I've done around twenty or so of those through the years. Too bad you couldn't find a cut off with beams and housings for the 40-145's you have with 34" frame width.
Nothing against the way your setting it up, but the way I do it is set both housings up-upside down on four jack stands and square them plus triangulate them. Then use two pieces of flat bar and bolt them to the brake spider flanges to keep the housings from rotating and square. Then install the hangers on the beams and set them in place on the housings making sure the distance between the center trunions are correct. then weld them up. Just my two cents.
According to my part numbers my hangers are for a 34" frame. The problem I have is a freightliner has a 33.5" frame. All the parts catalogs I look at there are no frame hangers for a 33.5" frame. They makeem for 34 and 34.5" frames. I even called hendrickson and no one there could give me an answer on what to do as they dont make hangers for 33.5" frame width. All the old school knowledge is gone and they have a guy that just regurgitates info of computer pages. Non of which is helpfull. Anyhow found a guy in MN that told me they put a 1/4" spacer plate between the hanger and the frame for a 33.5" frame width. He says he has even seen them come from oem factory installs that way also. I think I csn move my axle hangers but I really want to keep standard dimensions to save confusion and keep interchangabity in the future. Im planning on going with the spacer between frame and hanger to keep everything correct.
My thought on the jig was now I can just set the width and line bore alignment. All i have to do now is install brackets and set axle in and make sure its centered. I can install them perfectly aligned without all the motion of having to set out axles align square and level andd so on. Just plug and play and go. I dont know if its right or wrong. I was just trying to figure the fastest esiest way to do this for future projects. Usable housings with good heavy duty diffs already set up for hendrickson are getting so hard to find. There is such a surpluss of late model axles all set up for air bags or spring suspension that I figured it would be worth my time to build the tool. I hear ya on the 40-145s this set of 20-145s I got the whole cut off on purple wave auctions for $480. It looks like they put all new brakes and drums on it before the truck was wrecked. Id like a heavier set but for the price its still gona beat the hell out of the old sq100s! And i wont have to beat the heck out of the axle shafts to get em out because of those damn tapered wedges lol!
Following
Truck Shop whats your thoughts and experience on welding the brackets on to the axle tube? I am thinking on super good root pass with 1/8" or 3/32" 7018. Then do a finish filler pass with wire feed with er70s wire. Its hard to get a bead as thick as the factory weld was using stick. I like 7018 for anything you absolutly gotta count on. Im just not sold on doing the multiple passes it would take to do it with stick. I think 7018 root pass with final wire feed filler pass is a good compromise to doing multiple 7018 passes and risking crystallization from to much heat issues! Plus I dont like the shoulder affect multiple passes makes where the beads overlay on one another. Maybe im over thinking it?
Below are some photos of one of nine trucks I lengthened frames on and installed walking beam in the winter of 2001. I reconfigured these for a Freightliner dealer in Hermiston Or. All came off lease from Or. DOT. All had Freightliner air ride. I turned one out every five days by myself. I've lengthened 73 trucks over the years. Not profitable anymore. Sorry to high jack the thread.
The wire is 7018 anyway, I've welded them with stick and wire, For the last 25 years 035 wire only only both passes. Those housings are only 3/8 thick, and there really is no difference between a 20-145 and a 40-145 they both take the same parts. A Eaton 404 is the same drive as a Spicer SP40-Identical.
.035 ER70S-6 with CO2 is all I use too for that stuff. Chipping slag and cleaning up rod stubs is for the birds. Plus you don't need an oven for wire.
Im not sold on just co2. I seem to do better with co2 argon mix. Airgas used to sell a co2 argo helium mix in eaqual thirds ratio. Man thats tuff welded really nice but man it was expensive!
Looks like you did the spacer plate between the frame and hanger. Was it a 33.5" frame width? And yes es70 wire is basically 7018 equivalent. Still think ya get better penetration and less contamination with stick 7018. Hence why i figure its best for root pass. Guess it realky dosent matter which process one uses as long as its done correctly for that process. And no its not hijacking the tread. There is not much out there at all on doing a hendricks seap and install. Its all good information that needs to be shared so others can benifit from it all also!
Truck shop I do like how your spacer plate is bent and covers the bottom of the frame all the way between spring hangers. I wasent sure weither to do that or not but looking at your pictures im gona incorporate that into mine!
I've been using the stuff for 35 years or more, done a lot of trailer frame splices, truck frame work, and even a bit of heavy equipment work. Guess it just comes down to what your comfortable with.
Freightliner's are all 33.5", That lower flange plate is what Freightliner used, it only covers the hanger through the two bottom bolts, you will need to cut a spacer plate for the top bolts on the hanger.
In your photo the two lower plates go to the outside then a piece of flat bar the same thickness as frame rail acts as a spacer between cross member and lower plates. real simple. Then Truck Shop Say's [DRILLER UP} and {SLAM THE BOLTS TO HER}
Yea pretty much. Guess im just old school. I was always told real critical stuff to use 7018. The machine shop I used to work for if it was super critical and had to hold we used 7018. All the heavy equipment stuff I weld I use 7018. Never had a failure yet. Guess im just to stubborn to try it any other way lol!
If im gona have a plate bent up why not just make it a bit taller?
You can do that but the two bottom plates you have should cover the spread between the hangers.
What's the reasoning for ditching air ride? I'd have switched over to Neway over the spring ride.
Have you considered flux-cored wire..? No shielding gas required AFAIK. Maybe Welder Dave could advise.
IMHO the words air ride and dump truck should never appear in the same sentence.
There is someone who thinks like I do when it come to this topic.
Thats all pretty much designed to go inside the frame rails. I layed this all out before i got the info on frame width. Its been hard as hell getting goid info. All the old knowledge is gone! I guess I could go that route but then id need some spacer plates for the cross member. Either way im gona have to have some more pieces made.
I do alot of off road work and the air bags just dont articulate well. That freightliner 4 bag is the worst system I have ever seen. Its constantly broke or loose u bolts. Seems like all ya do is work on it and its pretty rough ridding for what it is. I have run hendrickson before in other trucks and its just more duty rated for the type of work I do. The only airbag setup I ever liked is the kenworth 8 bag. And even it has its off-road limitations!
I really dont like flux core at all! I dont have much experiance with it but from what little I do have it's about impossible to get a good looking bead. Im sure there are certian flux core wires that are good for structural applications but I just dont know enough about it to be comfertable with it on a super critical part like these axle brackets!
Why's that? If you have air ride on the dump truck it's sure to dump! Maybe to the right or the left or once in a while out the back. Very adaptable, puts the load where the ground is the lowest. I know every one likes a little a_ _ but no one likes a smart a_ _!
That's what I explained above, a spacer at bottom of crossmember.
[QUOTE="kshansen, Very adaptable, puts the load where the ground is the lowest. ![/QUOTE] I wonder if any truck salesman has ever used this pitch? Na, That would be the truth. Not allowed.
Tri-mix shielding gas is generally for Mig welding stainless steel. There are probably some specialty applications that specify tri-mix gas. Assuming the frame is mild steel or higher strength weldable steel (some frames are heat treated and require specialty welding procedures or welding is not recommended) ER70S-6 is equivalent to 7018. There are no issues with overheating the steel from multiple passes. CO2 has more penetration than a mix gas for Mig welding but has more spatter and not as nice of looking bead as argon CO2. Either stick or Mig would work but should be done up-hand for maximum strength. Flux-core comes in 2 versions, gas shielded and self shielded. Self shielded isn't as common and I don't think you want to buy a roll of the proper wire just to do one job. Gas shielded flux-core is very common and depending on the specific wire could use straight CO2 or argon CO2 mix. Smaller wires generally use a mix gas as it gives better control over the puddle when welding out of position. Again any vertical welding should be done up-hand. If you're comfortable running 7018 just run 3/32" up-hand. I think for 3/8" plate I'd just run 1 pass and should be able to do a nice weld. If you don't quite have a 3/8" fillet I don't think will make much difference as long as the weld is sound. If it takes a little longer who cares if it's your own project.
That's all great info! I am not an educated welder but have developed pretty good skill at it just by necessity LOL. Any knowledge and advice from a real Pro is always good! 7018 is about the only Rod I will run. For this project the only welding I have at the moment is welding the axle brackets on the axle tube! I'm not changing anything on the frame itself that is requiring welding. I do always run 7018 uphill. I do prefer to run wire downhill I guess I haven't ever tried that uphill.
Got one axle sandblasted and painted today. Was going to do the other one but then got a call to run to Tulsa. That pretty well wiped out the rest of the day! The weather is supposed to be really nice this weekend. Should get a good chance to catch up on all my sandblasting and painting.
Sand blasted, painted and ready to go? Think the seals on the axle could be an issue with the blasting
In my working life I operated, a small fleet of dump trucks doing logging road construction on Vancouver Island. I had three different makes of suspension, Mack camel back, Hendrickson RT, and Pete Air trac. The trucks were always overloaded and very tight turn arounds while loaded and soft ground. The Hendrickson took more maintenance than the rest, broken spring eyes, broken springs, spring hangers. If you tried two transverse torque arms axles would not articulate very much, then reverse traction was terrible, so we only ran one on the rear axle. Camelback was very good traction and very little maintenance, and to my amazement the air trac was the best traction qnd least maintenance. When the PTO was engaged the air bags dumped.
I have sandblasted several of them over the years and haven't had one leak yet. I always wrap that area with a rubberized tape made for sandblasting. Also remove the vent and put a steel plug in. There is some prep work to do before one goes to blasting.
I can't imagine why you had so much trouble with the Hendrix set up. My experience has been quite the opposite with the Peterbilt suspension being the absolute worst second to the Freightliner. I never have had a Mack Camelback but they look to be a very Hardy suspension. I have seen truck setup with the PTO on the airbags dump kind of a way to make it idiot-proof for-hire drivers LOL. When I set this truck up I put in an alarm system that an alarm chimes and a light on the dash flashes anytime the truck is not in a going down the road configuration such as airbags deflated, p t o in, in reverse gear with drop axle down, tailgate open and differential lock on. Again all to idiot-proof for-hire drivers
Hated flux core, loved dual shield. Most everything on heavy equipment was done with dual shield at the dealer level. Used a lot of hard wire on thin stuff. I have some experience with the old standard suspensions, but now I'm seeing Chalmers suspensions on dump trucks and heavy haulers. Any comments on that stuff?
I have been told tbe Chalmers are superior to hendrickson walking beams. I havent been able to come up with one of those set ups at a price I like. Old school hendrickson can be had relatively inexpensive.
I have been around walking beam most all of my mechanical life and never seen many spring failures, bushings going bad yes, One lateral torque arm is plenty. Most any damage I have seen was from being grossly overloaded. Pete Air Track was never meant for off road and Pete never advertised it as such years ago, it has it's draw backs. Kenworth had it's Big Six idea of camel back, it had traction-almost too much it would put quite a pitch on drive lines. But for everyday off road Hendrickson is hard to beat. https://heavytruckforums.com/index.php?threads/removing-walking-beams.320/
Chalmers is good suspension-but pricey-if 70% off driving is off road it's probably worth it.
I have noticed a lot of Chalmers under mixer trucks.
It all depends on the buyer when the spec sheet price is laid on his desk. How much do you want to spend or can afford.
Freightliner suspension that was problematic I assume wasn't airliner. Guys here swear by camelback, but when the froglegs crack it is big money to change, they make thicker ones now that are less prone to cracking. The extended leaf Hendrickson helps the ride quite a bit.
In my experience the only problem that surfaces when you try to idiot-proof anything is that Darwin comes up with an improved class of idiot...YMMV.
Truer words have never been spoken. The problem with newest generation is just getting them to show up on time or show up at all. So unreliable!
Yes it was the series before airliner with the fabricated brackets and not cast brackets. Either way both those suspensions are just not made for that amount of constant long travel adverse articulation like a hendrick is made to take. Its only a matter of time in that environment that your gona have loose U bolts and broken center pins and axle perches.
if I remember right, the chalmers suspension is designed for more oscillation than other brands, that's why they may be the best for mixer trucks always backing over curbs and piles of dirt etc.
All I remember seeing around here on mixers is the Hendrickson button suspensions or even something that just looked solid. Dumps trucks, heavy haul and even some log trucks seemed to have it. The only thing that struck me about the steel spring Hendricksons, other than the broken leafs all the time, was them dog walking in reverse when the bushings went bad. We basically ended the broken leaf stuff by actually using a torque wrench and the specified torque on the U bolts when we put them back together.
Todays progress. Got front drive sandblasted and painted as well as frame sandblasted and painted in the area where the new suspension will go. This way when I put it all together all surfaces that mate together will have paint and hopefull slow down corrosion and prevent frame spread! now time to kick back drink some bourbon and watch paint dry!
What is protocol for the holes from the old suspension, leave them or fill them in?
I usually just leave them. I think welding a plug in does more harm than good. Where possible i put a bolt in it to keep dot happy!
What is the thickness of the frame rail?
The weather here in sw Missouri this weekend has been great for making progress. Today I worked on the other part of this project which is replacing the floor in the box with a piece of 1/4" ar400 plate. And I also had to replace all the crossmembers. Today i got all the cross members welded in place. The box sandblasted and painted where the floor touches. And the new floor in place. Let the welding begin! Every day that is nice i gotta make progress outside! Crappy days i will be back in the shop with a fire and building suspension!.
Got a chance today to get back out to the shop and work on this project again. Got the first axle mounted up in the jig. It was a little work to get it centered but not to bad. Then did a root pass with 7018 1/8" rod. Nice thing about the jig is it is easy to position the axle for optimal position for welding. Then did a large filler pass with mig and .045 wire
All welding completed Out of the jig with all paint touched up. End of the day. Two axles with all brackets welded on ready to be installed into the suspension!
Had a visitor in the shop this morning. This will scare the snot out of ya first thing in the morning lol. Axles installed into suspension. Everything slipped right together perfectly! I think the jig really paid off!
Nice job WSR!
I have to agree with TS... Nice Work
Thanks guys!
Did you give that owl a name yet-how about Work Shop Owl 93
Damn man, nice work. Very inspiring for anyone considering doing major replacement type work. Definitely setting the bar for quality there
I have been thinking about that all day and couldnt think if a thing but I think you nailed it lol!! He was perched all day up high in the rafters snuggly sleeping away. Little guy didnt move at all once he got settled in. I left the shop door open and went out about 9 and he was gone. Hope hes out catching mice!
Thanks so much. When I started this i searched everywhere for any kind of information and very little is out there. I really wanted to do this thread in the hopes that others will benifit from what I have learned in the whole process!
Your welds look OK but generally when doing multi-pass welds you don't weave a wide bead over the first fillet, especially with MIG. You cover it with 2 passes. That way you can direct the arc to get maximum penetration into the bottom and top plates. Done right should be smooth in the middle without a groove.
Yea thats the way the hendrickson manual shows how to do it like you describe. I practiced that on some half inch wide test plates. When i got to the actual welding on the brackets they werent as wide as the 1/2" test pieces and the .045 wire was burning in so nice I just didnt feel i needed two passes as i didnt have to weave all that much. Plus being able to pisition the axles so that my weld was perfectly horizontal and it was like welding into a v. That positioning really helped! The Hendrickson manual says to use .045 wire. Still what I have done looks hunded times better than most jobs ive seen others do! I have no doubt the truck will be worn out and gone long before those welds break!
Btw my mig welder is an old miller cp200 three phase welder converted to single phase by the Hass Kemp conversion method. For anyone intrested those old cp machines can be had for cheap and the conversion is pretty darn easy and cheap. As you can see the conversion does not diminish the machines capabilities as it can burn .045 with authority!
Nice work and I've seen welds from factories that didn't look as good as what you have done.
I've seen welds that I wonder how they ever passed quality control at the factory. The welds are good but just for reference multi-pass horizontal fillets have the most strength.
So how many multi-pass fillets are done at any factory now days? Heres a hint, 99.9% are done by robots using a firehose welder. Are you trying to make yourself look good by making workshoprat92 look bad?
I didnt take it that way. In fact I even stated that the hendrickson manual for welding says the exact same thing. I probably would have done it that way if i had a wider area to fill. Tecnically welder dave is correct and nothing wrong with that.
You really wanna get scared go to Oshkosh and look at some of the welding guys do on homebuilt aircraft! Scary crap lol!
Thank you! I certainly wasn't trying to make you look bad. In fact I think your 7018 pass is probably more than strong enough. The school I went to had a CP200 with a 10E wire feeder with tiny drive wheels. The newer feeders with bigger drive wheels are much better. Very smooth arc though. I've done many multi-pass fillets on large I beams, flanges, flare stack supports and guy wire brackets. I've seen multi-pass welds on equipment too but using a larger wire and 400 or more amps results in a much bigger bead.
Did you get fixed or adjustable upper torque rods, and did you get the weld on brackets for them too? Careful of which rod goes to which axle. IIRC the front diff matches Trans angle base position and the Rear is actually tilted UP so joints are at opposite angles. Had a Premix truck drove us nuts on Vibration, they set the angles WRONG worse of rear axle when replaced torque rods.
One thing I have learned in my life is you never know everything and you can learn something from anyone! Thats why were here to share that knowledge and all input in my mind is most welcome! Here is my converted cp200. I think its an s52 wire feeder. If I ever find one im gone get the one with dual drive rollers. This one can slip and cause a popping effect. Its worse when your down to the end of the wire spool for some weird reason.
Thanks for the tip on the cp200 conversion, have found them at good prices. I'm currently using Hobart 210 mig and have only used with flux wire
I think over most any type of weld performed-on thick material preheating probably makes the biggest difference, JMO. I have stretched over 70 frames I use two passes all with wire and depending on material thickness V to 1/2" or 9/16". I cut the rail at a straight 90* from edge as per KW. Most all rail in standard use trucks is grade 80-severe duty trucks grade 100 and some use grade 120. But preheating makes all the difference on first trigger. I do the same for any cast steel to formed steel. But I'm not a welder nor a fabricator but for some reason I do a allot of welding and fabricating.
Yea just look up Haas Kemp conversion and im sure it will come up. I even have a you tube video on doing it.
I bought an S-54 deluxe 4 roll wire feeder to use with my Trailblazer 55D. The Miller 50 series are some of the best wire feeders ever made. It looks like you have the wire run in control which is great. Slows wire speed on initial arc strike so you don't have whiskers all over. On thicker sections and certain alloys proper preheat and filler metal is crucial. I've seen Mig wire that is all wavy and also wire that it hooked on the spool when it's first wound that causes problems at the end of the spool. It's a good idea to blow your liner out from time to time and even soak it WD40 or solvent before blowing it out. Over time or if drive rolls are too tight they cause the copper coating on most Mig wire to flake off and can plug up the liner. Also make sure to have the right size liner. .045" will work fine in a larger liner but in a liner designed for .035" can cause problems. Have seen a couple times where someone went to a larger wire without considering the liner size. Guy that did work on my land with a JD 850WLT had a broken C frame for the 6 way blade. It was broke when he bought it so got a good deal on it. It had been repaired before but cracked again. A guy helping me and myself are both licensed welders. We offered to weld it for him but he wanted to do his own welding. OK, we could have saved you a lot of trouble going home to get your welder and stuff. We suggesting preheating the frame to about 300 deg's. but his response was it would be preheated from grinding the V out. He did use 7018 and welded vertical up but his cap pass was about 2" wide using 1/8" rods. He said when he gets it home he will do a better repair and add some plate. I think metal fatigue will come into play at some point if he keeps welding on the same thing multiple times, especially if not following established welding procedures.
ok, book marking the thread
Yea I agree preheat does make a difference. Especially on mig. The first part of tne weld always seems a little cold and it takes the first inch to get things warmed up and flowing right. Pree heat sure helps that. Plus it also helps control warpage. I like you am not educated in welding fab. I also seem to do a bunch of it. Just a point of necessity i guess lol!
That owl looked like he was hiding his welding licence under his right wing. Lol.---I like owls.
Thats a good question. Of course i had to cut the brackets for the lateral rods of the new axles. Obvioulsly they wouldnt work with torque rods. I purchased some new weld on bra kets from frontier truck parts. These things were not easy to find but frontier has them! The old torque rods that came off the Hendrickson suspension are international style and are pretty big. One end has a bushing for a threaded pin straight through and tbe other end is the standard bolt on trunion. I should be able to have the bolt on bar style pressed in both ends. I do not know how thier length is going to work with these new weld on brackets. I am thinking i will get it on the frame and get the suspension bolted on before I can figure out and set all my driveline angles. Then i should know if my rods will work i think. If all else fails I can get the weld together style of rod where ya set it up and weld it together.
Here's a manual for newer CP200 but it explains the high and low stabilizer outputs. If you have the serial number you can tell the year and download the manual from Miller. https://www.millerwelds.com/files/owners-manuals/o235f_mil.pdf
At least with the bolted ear version can shim if off a little on angles. I am guessing did not angle check the air ride prior to removal, any similar units waddling about that could be angle inspected to determine where need to be? I still have and use my Magnetic Angle gauge from time to time for setting engine, differential mount angles, use is also for setting my Lathe and Mill for level. Handy for leveling and squaring for welding too.
No i didnt take measurements. Total afterthought and part of the learning curve lol! I have a protactor I use to measure prop pitch. A little overkill for this but should work. I am thinking of setting all angles once its in the truck. Ride hieght will be a factor when measuring. I dont see how one can get that all equal till its all in the truck. I may be overthinking it.
just a thought about mig liners- I always use a wire wiper on the wire before it goes into the liner. it really helps to catch any contaminants on the wire before they end up in the liner. also I like to post-heat critical welds to help stress relieve them. multi-pass welds usually have less stress build-up than a large one pass weld. less heat inputs equals less distortion
More passes gives a finer grain structure and some alloys should be slow cooled. Wipers for Mig wire are a good idea but a lot of welders don't like the lubricated pads as they can attract dirt that you're trying to keep out. Some cut a slot in an ear plug to use as a wiper.
A needle-peeing gun is a good stress-reliever - well it is so long as you have an assistant running it for you.
I usually take my liner out every so often soak it in solvent then flush it out with carberetor cleaner. To me its just one of those things ya got to do every once in a while like changing oil in your truck. Its like anything else. If you dont schedule preventative maintenance then the machine will schedule it for you! And always at the worst possible time!
Interesting note! The hendrickson welding procedure manual says needle scaler is not adequate for peening and a pneumatic peening hammer must be used! Its really pretty interesting material. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...FjAAegQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw1WtaFJjN2rTvk6kIi963Ce
I despise those wipers, they load up and suddenly release all the crap into the drive rolls and liner. I have much better luck just blowing out the cabinet every morning. If a liner gives me problems, it's usually because somebody kinked it. I do blow back through the liner when I change spools.
Those are very specific welding procedures that are definitely written for experienced welders. I think your welds are fine but the Mig welds were not done in spray arc transfer. They were done in short circuiting transfer. You need to use a higher concentration of argon in your shielding gas and turn the volts up a bunch to get spray transfer. I would suspect that the procedures are very specific for liability reasons. The procedures are similar to what critical structural welding would require.
Your correct about the transfer. I havent really done anything in spray transfer and just am not real comfertable with it as i just dont have the experience with it. My thought is kinda stick with what ya know and I know I can make work. I can play with spray transfer at a later time when its something non critical like this. Besides in my mind the real meat of the situation is the 7018 root pass! To me thats where 80 percent of the strenth is. The other 20 percent is filler pass. But i could be wrong also lol!
Not knowing what the material is that you're working on that's entirely possible. As you know I mostly work with Cat stuff, one of their major plus points is that they don't use anything exotic in the way of steel (apart from one or two specific exceptions) and that everything is weldable using very straightforward techniques. Pretty well every procedure that has any sort of preheating recommended (usually any combination of thick sections, cast steel, or low ambient temperatures) includes something regarding stress-relieving after each pass with a needle gun but by that I don't mean tickling it, I mean beating the living bejasus out of it which is why the comment regarding having an assistant to run it for you.
Welder Dave - While we're on the proper welding techniques discussion - I have a question. Years ago on my cornfield Cadillac of a service truck I couldn't keep my drive springs tight - all the seats and top ubolt brackets and springs were worn pretty bad and it cracked the top face of the housing. I pulled the housing out, got all new seats and springs and v'ed out the cracks and filled them - even went to the effort of pressure testing and soap bubbling the welds - wasn't 100% confident on my abilities for a liquid tight weld. After all was sealed up I placed the spring seat on he top of the housing and 7018'ed it in place. After chipping slag and marveling at my welds they commenced to cracking right down the center as they cooled. What was the error of my ways ? To much heat ? didn't post heat ? And what is the proper way to prevent this in the future ? And BTW workshoprat92 - hell of a job your doing - looks awesome - keep up the good work.
Reminds me of a repair done on a 988B boom. The center tube that joins the two arms on a few machines were developing a nice perfect "X" crack. A couple welders tried to just Vee out a bit and run a couple passes. You know how that worked! Finally a welding rod company rep came by and told one boss how to do it. Basically vee out to near bottom and weld one pass peen till it was cool enough to hold hand on and repeat till groove as full to the top. May not be the exact instruction but guy told the boss to not get upset if the two guys doing the job seemed to be spending too much time drinking coffee. In the end at least two machines that I knew of directly were done with the weld peen and weld process were done and the repairs lasted till machines were sold years latter.
Different materials can react different ways. On some alloys preheat, inter-pass and post weld temperatures have to be closely monitored and maintained to prevent cracking. Sometimes doing a little at a time is required. Stainless steels generally need to welded at lower amps than mild steel to limit heat input. Sometimes multiple passes and too much heat causes excessive shrinkage on cooling that can cause cracks. Not preheating thick sections causes a quenching effect. Thick section cools the concentrated heat from welding too fast resulting in cracks. Hollow sections can be troublesome when welded closed. The pressure built up inside from the heat can crack the weld on cooling. Drilling a hole in a non stressful location to relieve internal pressure or leaving a small section un-welded until the pressure releases and then going back to weld it after it cools are a couple remedies. I welded a crack on a hollow section ripper tube and thought it was large enough not to have too much internal pressure. On cooling it split right down the middle of the weld. Welding restrained sections can also cause cracking. You have to allow the weld and the material you're welding to expand and contract. When I welded the 1-1/2" thick lower swing mount (that was bent) on my backhoe, I talked to some much more experienced people on the best way to weld it successfully. Had I just tacked braces to hold it exactly in place it would have been a prime candidate for internal weld stress from so many weld passes. I V'd it out from the top leaving about a 1/8" and then bent it down about 30 deg's. to allow the weld to contract on cooling and pull the plate up close to position. I had braces ready to tack on when it got close on cooling. I tacked the braces on and then ground into it about 1/4" from the backside and did a couple passes to insure I had 100% penetration. On final assembly had to heat it up with a rosebud to get perfect alignment with the top mount but it was close. Heating it with the rosebud likely relieved some stress as well. Don't think I could have just heated it and got it straight unless it was in a big press. I did it on the machine.
This thread has turned into the WW, but many times too many passes is just as bad as not enough. I really like watching someone turn a perfect piece of steel into a banana, warped and twisted all to hell then go dowse it in ice cold water. Hurried welds and over welding usually causes the end product to fail plus it looks like yard art.
Some pressure vessels that are welded with many passes of sub arc have to be closely monitored so as not to get too hot but can't cool off too much between passes either. Sometimes people figure more passes or a bigger weld makes it stronger. In the case of fillet welds the rule is the leg should equal the thickness of the thinner piece. Anything more is a waste and doesn't significantly add any strength. If you have a 1/4" plate welded to a 1" plate all you need is a 1/4" fillet. That's not to say the 1" plate may require preheat. When I went to school they wanted you to just barely leave the top edge showing when doing fillet welds on overlapping 3/8" plates. They said welding going up to the edge gives an overestimation of strength. It also requires more precision and a good eye. They seemed to have dropped this practice but I've also heard they use to teach a lot more 30 or so years than they do now. It's much easier to get through your apprenticeship today. I think it has a lot to do with not nearly as many people wanting to get into the trades. They don't even spend much time on stick welding anymore. Mostly Mig and Flux-core. Out in the field you don't always have the option of a wire feed process but the job still needs to get done.
I am SLOWLY getting the hang on wire, looks like crap, still sticks and does as I need done, have preferred stick for AGES, can manage 7018 DC pretty functional with decent beads. Being mostly blind in one eye since '87 was not an aid for welding, that has been somewhat remedied but I dare say day late and dollar short. As a youth Mechanic did much of my work welding either Oxy/Acet then moved up to old Lincoln Buzz box AC, tapered a number of Glider end frames and replacement frame rails with a buzz machine. Much of my mid profession time welding was in field and used a Great load of Drag Rods off a SA200 or 300 or at the end Thermalarc Predators and Miller Bobcats. Just started wire feed at Ameren UE for Hard Facing only in the 90s then swapped career path. Still have my 20 year old Thermalarc, still weld 7018DC still use Drag Rod, have a well used Miller 210 Wire feed and the newer Miller Suitcase(SAWEEET) for stick.
Interesting reads here, thanks to all that replied. Sounds like at the rate I weld (95% truck mechanic 5% welder) I should have 1/16 of this knowledge base down pat in about 100 years . Actually I don't have alot of issues, usually run 7018 on the truck out on the road and mig in the shop - just that job from years ago always bothered me.
Welders generally get a bad rap but there's lots to know and you'll never learn it all.
Brakes back on and setting on wheels. Ready to put this thing under the truck! Just need better weather now!
Im getting close to the point of installing this setup on the truck and I need to start thinking about my drive line angles. There is plenty of information avalible on how to calculate drive line angle which I understand how to do. What I dont be able to find is what is the correct drive line angles for a tandem axle suspension. Do any of you guys know where there is any information on where to set one up from scratch? I think basically you want the drive yokes parrallel to one another and have at least 1° operating angle. Is this correct. And how much operating angle is to much? How much difference can you have in angles between the drive yokes out of parrallel?
This may help: https://www.drivetrain.com/parts-catalog/drivetrain/driveline-angles-and-phasing-problems https://spicerparts.com/calculators/driveline-operating-angle-calculator GOOGLE has pages of info: driveshaft angles for tandom axle
I think that first link has the information I need. Interesting I cannot get that link to come up on a google search on my phone but I can at my local library. many other threads and site with links like these are gone and the links no longer work.
Do you guys think this would be adequate to measure drive line angle? https://www.harborfreight.com/digital-angle-gauge-63615.html
I guess this is part of the .1%. Shame on Cat. Yes, as Nige says, the repair is holding up very well and kinda looks almost as good as a factory weld. Thanks again to everyone for your help. Our local dealer had a new 24M parked at the shop recently and I was admiring the welding on the machine, some of which was impressive but some was very ordinary indeed.
The angle gauge I used most often was as this, simple is your friend.
Will need it on a Reasonably Level surface to set the angles or determine the angle the truck is sitting at prior to calculating what Driveline angle you are going to. This is not rocket surgery or brain science, just driveline angles. This one is a bit better quality, require no batteries
2* to 3* on front and 2* to 4* on intermediate.
I have watched this video a bunch of times. He says you start at the transmission and then he measures a 4 degree down angle. But he dosent say 4 degrees from what? I guess you could use the frame to set for zero refference point. I would think the trans and engine angle should be in refference to the frame right? Anyhow I think I have a good grip on it at this point. Its been years since i have had to deal with this and its funny how rusty ya get.
Set your angle gauge on the valve cover, most engines set anywhere from 2* to 3* to 3.5*. The old short wheel base cab overs ran as much as 4*. If the front shaft has a steady angle of 3* to 3.5* it will run fine. The rear shaft normally hangs in the 4* area some times 5*. Here is a good photo of front drive line angle on my B75 Mack I'm building. The engine trans is 2.8* front drive lines 3*.
Now I may be wrong here, but it's my understanding that the diff yokes should match the vertical angle of the transmission yoke regardless of the driveline angle. And the carrier bearing should be lowered or raised to keep the u-joint needles rolling. This is just what I've seen on factory builds and I have used that replacing torque rods with the weld together type.
Don’t have to get that crazy accurate, did mine eying it and never done one before it. Dmillers idea of one is enough.
I'm apparently an odd duck. I can make a nice pass with a stick but can weld worth a **** with a MIG.
That's true but the longer the wheel base it becomes harder to achieve that on front drive shafts. The yoke angle on mine above the input on front drive is 3.5* yoke on rear drive a little over 3.5*. But the yoke on the rear is lower than the rear output yoke on the front drive so the intermediate shaft angle is 4*.
Was explained in a Rockwell seminar Ages ago at Mack to keep ujoints from brinelling they have to roll back and forth. When did suspension conversions would angle check the yoke faces before we destroyed the old set up then match angle when finished new install
Next one I do i definatly will be measuring all that before its tore apart. Things ya learn in the after thought!
If the old diffs are still in your truck, that's the angles you want to duplicate with the bags at ride height. I had a KW in the shop with Hendrickson extended leaf awhile back with a terrible vibration issue, the torque rod bushings had 3/8" wear/slop in each one. Pressed new bushings in and its as good as new. The yoke face angles matched the transmission yoke angle almost perfectly after the new bushings were installed.
I have found over the years that the Hendrickson walking beam suspension to be the most forgiving regarding driveline angles but some of the air-ride suspensions have to be spot-on the specs and even then may have high-torque,low speed vibration that goes away as speed and torque decrease
Angles pitch high and low as bags extend/compress, only one I have seen that didn't was KW eight bag, that is a complex but functional mess.
oops. in my previous statement I should have said- as speed increases and torque decreases . one of my old bosses had a Kenworth cabover in the fleet with the 8 bag suspension. what a pain to get it to ride level side to side. we would set it on a concrete pad, test drive it, and make sure it was all good. when it would come back after a couple thousand miles, it would have noticeable list, one way or the other. the boss would never let us change both leveling valves at the same time which I think may have been the problem. he was the guy signing my paycheck so we most always did things his way
Converted many of the old Twin valve sets to Single to cure that problem
The transit company I worked at in denver had some flexible brand busses that had dual leveling valves. They were impossible to keep level. Anytime a driver would bring one to the back door on pull out time complaining that it leaned to the left we would simply tell them we set em that way for the crown in the road! They would say man thats a good idea and go on thier way all happy! If it leaned to the right were pretty well screwed for pulling it in and adjusting it! I always figured if they went to a one valve system the priblem would go away. For some reason they didnt even want to try it!
Well i guess when your shop isnt tall enough to get the whole truck in ya just gotta be happy with what ya can get lol! Now that I am warm and dry I can start to put it all together. First part to fit in is the fabricated cross member.
Advance and Phoenix mixers use dual instant level valves and they are pretty much trouble free. It makes for a odd drive at first on a curvy road as the valves jack up the outside air bags on the turn. It really makes for a nice stable ride though.
Nice Orange Putter you have sitting against the frame!!
Today i got the whole thing slid under the truck and figured out my mounting points in relation to my cross member installation and u joint position on front drive axle. When i put the centerline of the ujoint bores on the front yoke in the same position as where the old axles front yoke was the center of the walking beam trunion lined up with the center of my cross member thti i already fitted into place. Guess my measuring and figuring was spot on. Now that i have my spring hanger mounting plates installation locations established i lifted the frame back up and rolled it all back out of the way. This will make it easy to drill and bolt the crossmember in place. The harbor freight wheel dollies worked ok. Still a bit hard to roll but it reminded me of hitting the sled at football practice many years ago! High as i can lift it before my mast smashes lights! Anyhow the plan worked and i was able to get the setup where it needed to be for me to figure out position then move back out of the way to finalize the crossmember install.
Today got the torqure rod mounting location on the cross member figured out and the holes drilled. Got all the holes drilled in the cross member and bolts installed. A magnetic drill is one of the greatest tools ever invented! Hard to believe this is a full days work! Just not as fast as I used to be!
I worked in a shop building winch trucks. They had a very compact 90 deg. mag drill for drilling the frame that would fit bihind the duals. The annular cutters are like a hit knife through butter.
Looks great, that's a pile of work. I find that fixing what I have, is better than just swapping for what's usually just a different piece of equipment, with its own different set of problems. At least this way you know what you have. You're going to wish your door came all the way down tomorrow morning though, supposed to be cold.
I have a way to deal with the cold lol! Cold suks!
You can never have enough FBH's.....
FBH! I was at a bearing seminar years ago and the instructor told a story about himself that related to a FBH. He was explaining about how to install a bearing and started saying that if all else fails just get out your FBH. That's when he remembered there were some young ladies in the class and he did not feel comfortable explaining what he meant by FBH. After a hesitation or two he came up with an answer, "That's your "Fafnir Bearing Handbook" and check for the correct tolerances"
What's the difference between an FBH and BFH?
F before B and B before F!! And YES You asked!!
And ALSO Yes, I own a Number of BFH devices.
I thought it was an English (UK) thing.
The answer is a bit like “what’s the difference between BANG and BNAG.?” Simple - BNAG is BANG out of order..... https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bang out of order&=true
Maybe the difference has to do with if you hit your thumb while using one? Typically you wouldn't be concerned with putting the words in alphabetical order causing the F to come first perhaps several times before the B.
Got the rears slid back under the truck and everything located in place. I really dont like to drill without a pilot hole. A bushing turned up in the lathe ensures perfect centering for the pilot hole! First bracket being drilled and bolted had to add some spacers on my mag drill to be able to drill the top two bolts in the brackets
All brackets drilled and bolted the pile of chips under the truck just looks like progress lol Now its time to deal with torque rods and drive line angles!
Real nice craftsmanship
Started in on my torque rods and druve line angles. Got the front drive angfle set and the torque rod all tacked in place. Would have the rear one tacked also but i meed the dust seal for the rear shaft slip yoke and am waiting for it to show up so I can install the shaft and finish the angles. In the mean time I moved on to installing the axle stops and drilling some holes for the cross menber bolts between the spring hangers. Got all the drilling done and all bolts installed. Even put bolts in the empty holes from where the old suspension came off.
Can I ask what is the purpose of the stack of washers between the axle housing bracket and the front end of the torque rod..?
Leaves room for future adjustment if need be!
Leaves room for future adjustment if need be!
Looks really good. How many man hours do you figure so far?
Thats pretty hard to quantify. I have been working on it off and on since december. Plus it takes me 3 times as long as other to do the same job. # 1 because im so anal about things and overthink things and get mental locked on indecision! #2 because I have muscle loss issues an severe joint pain. I just cannot produce like I used to! Most days are a struggle but I just cant quit! If i do i just feel I will really go downhill fast!
Here'a an idea. For purposes instead of a solid torque rod with that welded sleeve to determine the length, what about an adjustable-length torque rod.? What I'm thinking is something that would work like a turnbuckle. If one end of the rod had a LH thread on it and the other end a RH thread with a locknut, then the torque rod could be shortened or lengthened until the correct rod length was achieved. At that point a torque rod of the required length could be fabricated and replace the adjustable one with a fixed one. The adjustable one would then be ready to re-use in the next installation. Adjustment would be by simply loosening the locknut and shorten/lengthen as required.
Most Hendrickson torque rods have been solid or had a weld sleeve between two halves as I can remember, no idea why.
I was thinking specifically about the fact that the OP apparently is going to install this setup in various chassis to replace airbag syspension. What with the chances of each chassis being a bit different one to another the idea of an adjustable turnbuckle-type rod to be used to determine what length a fixed rod needed to be without having to mess around with washers, cutting/welding the sleeve on the rod, etc, etc, seemed quite elegant. I wasn't thinking about it staying in there permanently, just for use as an adjustment tool to get the angles right, then replace it with a solid rod of the appropriate length.
I like it
I have used in the past just what you are describing. the turnbuckle link from a simple 3 point tractor depth rod
That would work, and it would not be necessary to reinvent the wheel to do it.
it worked great with just a little mod. I think its still around here somewhere not been used for anything for a long time
Hendrickson only offered a limited few lengths and a couple of types for Torque rods, with the common set Center Cross Member to the spring hanger positions usually only took a minor variation of shims or washers to achieve U joint/axle inclination. Were a number of aftermarketers that did offer the Weld tube cut your own length rods but not very often did I see them less expensive enough to have to use for customer costs control. Fixed rods were not that cumbersome to adjust angles with and no sections that could potentially loosen from being hammered by on/off torque.
The adjustable rod is a good idea. Still in the end I think you need to set it up with a few washers space for future adjustment. Setups change. Springs sag, you add new springs to the front, bushings wear and so on. If you dont leave that space you have no where to adjust to as things change. Its far esier to adjust at the axle than to pull the long bolts at the crossmember. At least thats my thought and theory. Just trying to plan ahead! Anyhow nothing exciting to report. Just working on installing brake chambers, brake lines and re installing all the plumbing and wiring! Finally recieved the dust seal for the jack shaft slip yoke. Should get that installed tommorow and I can finish my drive line angle set up!
Nice work Workshop. looks like a nice clean conversion. Have you ever looked at annular cutters for your mag drill? They would save you the pilot hole plus they cut really fast and make a nice hole. I tried a few a couple years ago and now I have a couple sets of them. Anyways, keep up the nice work.
I really wanna try a set. Just didnt have the money to spend right now.
Well everyone on here knows what to get you for Christmas now.
I still have my set of Bridge Reamers Had to be cautious on feed rate but cut like cutting butter thru a pilot hole
I have been looking at the annular cutters and it looks like they are made to fit in a special chuck or holder? They look to have some kind of square drive portion on the shank. How do these chuck up in a regular chuck?
They don't go into a standard chuck, the drill has a 3/4" or so hole bored in it that the cutter fits up into, then you have two allen screws instead of a chuck to tighten it down. The center pin acts as a knockout for the slugs that are cut out. After making your hole, you can raise the handle clear up and it will push the slug out of the cutter. My mag is annular cutters only, I've been trying to justify spending the $$ to buy a chuck that fits into it, so I can run regular smaller bits.
Like crane op says. My drill came with two different attachments, regular drill chuck and the annular cutter holder.
Learned something new. Never heard of annular cutters before, or that they required a special drill to use them.
I bought this one, haven't tried it yet, but it looks ok. I figure I can risk $40 to see. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Magnetic-D...735742?hash=item288e752cfe:g:MzwAAOSw5B9dxJmg
I need to go the other way! I guess i could turn up an adapter in my lathe. Dont know hiw id do the center pin ejector. Guess i could make it spring loaded. Shurely someone out there already maked such a thing.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Straight-s...a=1&pg=2334524&_trksid=p2334524.c100667.m2042
The pin ejectors are made for each bit. Depending on length of bit and the diameter of the pin hole size in the cutter.
Got the drive line angles set and back on its feet today. I can now roll it in and out of the shop again. Here is how the drive line angles figured out. Still not sure about the rear drive. I just dont see any other way to do it?
Pretty well only way seen it done
Really clean looking job, but most importantly no snow.
Real nice work
It just seems the rear drive at -13° seems a little extreme. It would be nice to have had about 2-3° down at the front drive but by the way the trans and carrier bearing are set up i just didnt see any other way to do it. Before I get it all welded solid i may play with it some more. Its probably fine but I just dont know.
We have a Western Star. it used to be a tractor until it was upset, and they made a strait truck out of it. It still has the air ride. On the road it's ok but off road it gets stuck to easy and I find it rough compared to henderickson. It is mostly used on pipe jobs as with it's front axle, it will only scale around 12 tonne as compared to our set back front axle trucks which can haul around 16 and a half. We did a shore line protection job this fall and it was all hands on deck. The guy that drives her in the summer is 75 so he really didn't fancy the idea of the 3 hour round trip. the grader work was done for the summer, so I said I didn't mind. Oh baby! If I was 20 again. She has that N14 Cummins with an 18 speed. Only time I had to down shift was to slow down.
Got the torque rod mounts finish welded to the axles and all the torque rods welded and installed! Now for the next issue. The new springs have so much arch to them I cannot get the rebound bolt through the hole on the back spring hangers. If they were flatter like the original spring it would be no problem. Originally I figued on leaving them out till the springs settled and hopefully it would all fit again. As soon as I put it in gear and let the clutch out today I could see that it must be in place. The torque roll is enough to lift the frame 4-5 inches off the springs on the rear hangers. I can see now why its there and what its for! Anyhow i may have to take a cutting blade on the angle grinder and shorten the offending leaf. Only problem i see with that is the end of the spring may crash into the bolt as the spring flexes. I may have some other ideas but for right now i need to be outside working on my dump box if the weather is good. I can now back the truck in the shop on rainy days and work that issue! Its hard to get a good picture of that area and these pictures dont show it as well as id like.
Is the top of the leaf tight against the saddle/ mount on the frame rail? In this picture, it looks like the bolt is even with the 5th spring down, giving plenty of room for the bolt. Either your spring isn't all the way up in the mount, or you have the wrong rear bracket?
Yes the spring is setting fully on the bracket. Moving the hanger forward would make it worse. The brackets are located the same distance as where they were on the cutoff they came off of. If you unbolt the bracket and tip it forward with the rebound bolt in you can slide it all the way up to the spring stack shackle. Of course then it wont set level to bolt to the frame. Im pretty darn sure the terd in the well is they way they arched the new springs. This arch causes the springs to set differently on the hangers and at kind of an angle so it kills the needed dimensions!
I'll look at mine tomorrow and see if I can get a measurement or two on the hole spacing, from bolt hole to where it sits on the saddle. I don't think there's any way you can put your bolt in yours, even if you cut off the leaf. As you said- the spring is going to slide over and hit on the bolt.
Yea there isnt any information anywhere I can find as to how far apart or location of spring hangers go. You think hendrickson would have that info but no! Basically how I decided where to put mine was based on the old frame section that the suspension came off of. I saved it for measuring purposes. I need to check it all again tommorow. If you could get that dimension off yoyr for comparison that would be awesome and greatly appreciated!
Take a minimum 1" off the interfering leaf, have had to do that before with spring replacements, Will not drive back into the bolt as spring flex will place it further into the saddle before gets there. IIRC the earlier OE Hendrickson sets I worked with the tips of the springs were forge flattened out(tapered).
Thats good to know someone else had this problem and had to fix it like im thinking of doing! It sure would have been esier to cut that spring while it was out! Now its gona be a real bitch and even bigger chore to not nick the spring above it! I really hate to think im gona have to pull the packs to cut them!
the rear hangar isn't bolted to the frame so I think it's just in line with the 5th leaf because it is not in position
Talked to the shop where I bought the springs and they said they have had to trim them like Dmiller suggests also. Think thats the route im gona go. Dmiller do you trim 1" from the end of the spring or 1" from the edge of the hanger hole?
Preferred to take an inch from edge of hole Not going to lose spring capacity
Cut almost thru then flex leaf tip with chisel and then beat back Should flex shear
Thats kinda what I was thinking! Visibility in such a tight place is gona be the issue for me lol!
Also look at Extended Leaf Hendrickson, on those the leaf comes up then curves back.
I've done this too, I used a very slow wedge (not a chisel) and stuffed a piece of sheet metal between the spring leaves so I wouldn't nick the next one up.
I really wonder why the aftermarket manufaturer of these springs did not do that? Here is a site that has a drawing of that part number of spring! https://www.truckspring.com/product...MIwoKImdiJ6AIVC56fCh1nfg8oEAQYASABEgI1__D_BwE Here is a picture of the actual part. All the arch is at the back of tbe spring and does not fit anything like the drawing on the other site!
Thats a good idea. I wonder how hard it would be to wedge a piece of sheetmetal in there?
I used a real thin wedge that the pump setters use to shim under deep well pump bases to level them out. they wont shoot back out at you like a chisel will.
Well here we go. Got some time to finish this install up today. Was able to slip a piece of sheetmetal in between the leafs so i didnt nick the top leaf as i was cutting. Got the rebound bolts installed and the end of the day its ready for the final clean up and paint job to tie it all together. Box is sandblasted and painted after the new floor and crossmember replacement and ready to install back on the truck. There is painting and lights and wiring left to do but I think for the purposes of this thread this pretty well concludes the hendrickson from air bag conversion!
The thread isn't done till we see picks of the truck on the road
Is that pusher axle a lift axle? How much more can you scale with it vs how much the axle and tires weigh?
Yes the pusher is a steerable lift axle. It gives me an extra 12k in capacity. I licence my truck for 66k. The truck empty weighs about 24k. I can put 20 to 21ton load in it and its real comfertable. At that weight its legal gross,tire rating, axle rating, plated weight rating. I think they could still hammer me on bridge though. I dont think there are to many trucks that are 100% leagal. That just seems impossible and entirely impractical!
Yes the pusher is a steerable lift axle. It gives me an extra 12k in capacity. I licence my truck for 66k. The truck empty weighs about 24k. I can put 20 to 21ton load in it and its real comfertable. At that weight its legal gross,tire rating, axle rating, plated weight rating. I think they could still hammer me on bridge though. I dont think there are to many trucks that are 100% leagal. That just seems impossible and entirely impractical!
My Brother in law hauls hard woods and he over loads his truck every time. Says he gets caught once every other month and cost him $500. Still does it because if he doesn't he doesn't make any money
Ok now for the next problem. Got my final paint done yesterday and did some touch up this morning. Had it chained up and lifted with track loader to get it off the block and put tires on. Figured while i got it lifted and its easy to get to id grease the walking beam trunion bushings. Rolled out the grease gun hose and commenced to grease. Figured heck ill get the s cams to while im here. While greasing the s cams it was pumping grease into the drum. So i got some tires on it and got it back in the shop. Took the rh rear apart and sure enough the s cam seal by the slack adjuster was installed with the seal in. Now this is just flat wrong to what i know. Both seal lips on the s cam are supposed to be pointed inward to tje center of the truck. The way this was when you grease it just builds pressure and blows the s cam side seal out and pukes grease into the drum. The slack adjuster seal is supposed to have the lip facing out so the grease moves twords the slack adjuster and out and not into the drum. Clear as mud right? Ok so here is the big question. On meritor axles has anyone ever seen where they install the seals with the lips facing one another? The reason it gives me cause for question is that these axles are out of a 2006 and are much newer than what im used to. They are set up with the million mile u joing and slip yoke that dosent even have a grease zerk. Makes me wonder if they were trying something similar on the s cam? I notice the bushings are metal and not the usual plastic. Also there it another 1/8" npt spot with a plug in it. I am wondering if your supposed to install seals with lips facing one another and then remove the plug when you grease. Has anyone ever seen anything like that? I have a hard time beliving someone before me screwed up the seal install. Thats such basic fundamentals but i guess it could happen!
Thats pretty much how it works dump trucking also!
We have a twin steer western star. You can't get enough weight on the front axles to handle your gross weight. He has has a highlift tailgate. and when he opens it up, you could park a skidd steer behind the pile in the box. They claim that the best setup for that truck is to haul a pup.