I've seen them lift the steer axle up and set it on the frame of another truck and chain it down. Anyone got any tips on this? I would think I would need to cross the chains over the axle so it can twist some on turns. Can I just set the axle down on the frame of the other truck or should use some 4x4 cribbing under it? We bought used 2 single axle delivery truck that we have taken the boxes off of and are take them to be turned into water trucks.
I've never seen it done without some kind of swivel setup. Chaining the front axle only might be an invitation for a large ticket at a scale or just a nosy cop. Make sure you pull either the axle shafts or the driveline on the rear truck.
They also feed the brakes from the front truck when stacking them for transport. Then again it depends on your route and what risk you are willing to take. Back roads on Saturday morning might be an option. Most use a swivel carrier that hooks onto the fifth wheel. But for only 4 hours away is it worth all the bother.
Why not take another driver?
That would be the easiest method .:thumbsup
We are already short on drivers which is why I'm playing driver and I was hoping to get some weight on the rear to smooth out the ride. It sounds like 2 drivers is the way to go though. 4hrs in a empty chassis cab truck with a 32K GVWR doesn't sound like fun, but I bet its got all kinds of power though. Thanks guys I know I can always come here for good advice.
Run a bunch of air out of the back tires. That helps a bunch too.
Do these trucks have air or hydraulic brakes? Does a driver need a higher rated license than the average? If you piggyback one unit,once any DOT,in Canada that is,sees you,he will do a close exam. If not up to HIS liking then you will need to lift back truck off and still get a second driver. Not worth the hassle. Second driver is easy way to go.
Bring a flat deck or low boy and stack the trucks back to back one on backwards lift it up and back the other under it take the wheels and tires off if necessary on the back of the top truck. Chain them down and away you go.
How low do you think I can go on the air and not blow a tire?
You wont blow a tire from low presser you will pop the bead lose. I wouldnt lower them it may make them drive funny or not brake well.If your time is worth much find some one with a pickup and trailer to drive you out there and haul one back while you drive one back.
One of my contacts is a retired truck driver (independent). He did a lot of the "front axle stacked on back" hauls of new trucks....he said they called a crane which could be a regular construction crane or a big tow truck type of crane. Pick up nose, back under. At destination call another crane from that area and reverse procedure. * When I worked as a diesel mechanic, the company had a contrivance which looked like a big piece of wide flange with a jack. We would put it on the fifth wheel with a forklift. It lifted the other truck's front wheels....they removed driveshafts sometimes....they prolly put 'the tool' on the spring brakes too. Blocking and unblocking wheels with some chocks was also the one other thing not to forget. I saw many varieties of these on the internet and the name I recall: a retriever hitch. It was a popular tool not just for broken trucks but for what is now called logistics (how to get two trucks over there with one one driver).
Ive drove and carried stacked trucks as much as a thousand miles. Ive drove one and carried three more. You need a saddle. Iy has a 5th wheel pin and is bolted to the front axle. you need to check the height. it might be necessary to remove the exhaust stack and air foil. you will need to sometimes remove the front wheels. you have to take out the axles and put a cap on them. you need to release the brakes. run a light bar on the rear most truck. run at nite and dodge all the scales. nothing to it.
Wow, when you put it that way it seems everybody should be doing it!
http://www.michelintruck.com/refere...s-and-warranties/load-and-inflation-tables/#/ I'd use this as a rough guide. Something around 50-60 is what I'd do, there's virtually no weight back there, spread over 4 tires the weight isn't a factor at all. Just enough pressure that the beads won't pop loose, and 10 will do that if you're not offroading or hitting curbs.
Well we took them today. We didn't end up taking any air out and if I didn't have my seatbelt on I wouldn't of been able to stay in the seat. They are going to be nice truck Smith tanks and self loading. Couldn't talk my boss into the extra $6,500 for a canon with in cab controls. We are in line for 2 more trucks and are looking for a tandem too. I like driving water trucks maybe I'll talk to the boss and see if I can drive one full time... Ya right he wouldn't go for that.
Like most things its all in Knowing How. I used to work for a truck dealer who also was big in the truck salvage. That guy would buy dozens of trucks at a time. Ive pulled a lot of stacks from Cleveland Ohio all the way back to Pocahontas ark. Ran at nite and dodged every scale . I didn't like crossing the old narrow bridge at Cairo Ill . But it was preferable to going by the scales at Charleston Mo. He paid me $250 a truck to bring them in. Drive one and pull four more and made a good payday. My wife drove my Pk with all the tools torches ect. And she ran ahead of me to watch for anything I needed to know about. I did run air hoses from the lead truck to the rear truck. You had to block the 5th wheels to keep them from rocking. and a safety chain was also put on .I haven't done it in twenty years. It was fun back then.