Threads recently about lowboys have gotten me wondering what the regulations in California might be. Anybody want to elaborate?
Well, try to make long story short the rear booster or stinger axles are only legal if it "mechanically" equalizes with the trailer axles. How this is done is the trailer axles are mounted on a set of "equalizing" beams that are mounted either inside or outside the rear main beams of the trailer (newer models are inside). The equalizing beams are mounted via a fulcrum bar that is at the rear of the main trailer beams. The equalizing beams stick out the very rear of the trailer which allows the stinger/booster to attach to. Now the axles on the trailer and stinger can be air ride, or walking beam, or spring or any of those combinations. When the stinger is connected the 2 axle groups will "teeter totter" on the fulcrum like a see saw. That means it "mechanically" equalizes. Now an east coast setup is not legal in CA where you have a stinger that pins on and is on a "common air" setup where you have to shim the stinger to get the weight to equalize. Same thing with a nitro stinger it is not legal in CA. Reason being it does not "mechanically equalize" That is the key word. A front jeep is legal because it does mechanically equalize. It teeter totters off the 5th wheel of the jeep to distribute the weight fron the truck to the jeep axles. Sorry for the phrase "mechanically equalize" so much, but that is the key word for the explanation. Justin
I am SOOO glad I never plan to do any work in California.
Well depending on how you want the trailer setup and "west coast" trailer can be better then an "east coast" trailer. East coast style legal everywhere except CA and a west coast legal everywhere including CA. I know lots of guys that run a west coast trailer and never even go to CA or even plan to go there. They done their homework and decided it was ebtter suited for them to have that kind of trailer. Now keep in mind everything that I am saying here is applying to multiaxle trailers w/ jeeps and stingers.