Flatbed Gooseneck Questions

[MMiller]

If you llok close you will see the front tire is off the ground, I'm in the process of making a lift axel on it, so far so good.

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I've never seen a triple axle with that much spread between the axles. :--) Are you making it air lift, so you can pick it up going around corners and such? I can't imagine tires wear all that well on that trailer.



Michael

 

[TX Gooseneck]

Independent hangers.



Jrissler, was there any other options on the trailer? I see the chain box and steps. But $8500 seems a bit spendy for that.

 

[Mark31]

TMaas, nearly 4 years ago, I looked at a bunch of trailers, PJ included. Rick Connor (owner) at McElrath Trailers in Spartanburg built me a 16k 8. 5 wide 22 long on torsion axles with electric over hydralic brakes. The quality turns heads. The welds are slick, enclosed wiring, the paint is still bright, no rust. Pulled my 60 hp Ford, front loader, rear blade to Columbia MS from ne SC with my SC Baptist Disaster Relief Team (Katrina cleanup) without a wiggle. 23600 gross. mcelrathtrailers.com. email me (markedwardz@bellsouth.net) if you want. Mark

 

[Jrissler]

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I've never seen a triple axle with that much spread between the axles. :--) Are you making it air lift, so you can pick it up going around corners and such? I can't imagine tires wear all that well on that trailer.



Michael

Yea that is a long spread in there, I ordered it that way, it is 6' center to center of each hub.



I haven't had the trailer long at all yet so I don't know how the tire wear is going to be yet but don't think it is going to be too bad.



Yea I'm going to be able to lift it from the cab for going thru turns. I am working on going with Hydraulic lift.



I know it all is just a crazy idea just trying to look cool and look large as I'm rollin The trailer is 35' long and the front axel is 1. 5' front of the 1/2 way point of the deck.



A lot of times with a long trailer you run too much weight up on the truck, I bet when I drop that front one that will take care of that!!



I plan on putting a tool box between the back 2 axels, and maybe hang some mudflaps and quarter fenders on sometime. Just me!!

I want to make Hydraulic jacks for it too.



What for options?? Not many really. The price I will check that today. ?.

 

[Jrissler]

Heres a side veiw of axels.

 

[bmoeller]

Yea I'm going to be able to lift it from the cab for going thru turns. I am working on going with Hydraulic lift.

Make sure to use an accumulator and/or pressure relief valve in there somewhere.

 

[bmoeller]

Unless you have a pull type implement behind you or the ramps are too long, you don't need a 3rd ramp to get a narrow front-end tractor on the trailer. We don't.

 

[Jrissler]

Make sure to use an accumulator and/or pressure relief valve in there somewhere.

I'm thinking of using a releif valve.



How do you load a narrow front end without the third ramp??

 

[bmoeller]

A little unnerving at times, for the first few times, but pretty easy. This works as long as the ramps aren't long.



Basically goes like this-



Come up to the rear of the trailer at an angle. Might have to readjust your position a couple of times, til you get the right angle. Put the front tires on one ramp (left ramp for this example) and continue 'til the rear tire on the opposite side (right hand) of the tractor starts to go up the ramp (or there abouts). As soon as possible when you get to the beavertail with the front tires, crank the wheel to the right, so the left rear tire goes up its ramp at the same time the right rear goes up its ramp, and drive straight up as normal.



Try it. You'll see what I mean.



When unloading, make sure to keep the clutch engaged while in low reverse gear, to help control your speed. Don't push in the clutch pedal and attempt to control speed with the brakes. Try that, and you might need a new pair of shorts. :-laf





I would suggest both the relief valve and accumulator. Use a needle valve to adjust the damping affect of the accumulator. Could get the valve and accumulator from John Deere.



These are for parts that come on the 9650 combine-



1 gallon- AH143455 @~$850 or 1/2 gallon- AH133265 @~$620



Gas valve- AH131250 @~$65



cap (for gas valve)- J2375M @~$5



Needle valve- AH131535 @~$105



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I suspect an air-ride lift axle would be a cheaper to setup/make. Not as complex.

 

[MMiller]

I'm thinking of using a releif valve.



How do you load a narrow front end without the third ramp??

Go to an antique tractor pull, and watch the old guys load their tractors. There will be at least one guy there that only has two ramps for his trailer and a narrow front tractor. They will be sure to show you how to load and unload a narrow front, and make it look real easy! Old guys have a way of doing that.



Michael

 

[MMiller]

I would suggest both the relief valve and accumulator. Use a needle valve to adjust the damping affect of the accumulator.

For a hydraulic setup, you're going to need an accumulator, or else a cylinder/relief valve setup is going to have no movement, until relief pressure is hit, then the oil will displace, and not go back, unless you have the pump set to put it back. The cylinder will be solid until that psi is hit, not likely to give good ride.



Every hydraulic system that I have worked on that is similar to this has an accumulator. That way the cylinder is not solid, it has the ability to move or have a cushion affect.



Oh my this is getting complicated, just get some semi truck air bags, and get 'em set up that way.



Michael

 

[Jrissler]

For a hydraulic setup, you're going to need an accumulator, or else a cylinder/relief valve setup is going to have no movement, until relief pressure is hit, then the oil will displace, and not go back, unless you have the pump set to put it back. The cylinder will be solid until that psi is hit, not likely to give good ride.



Every hydraulic system that I have worked on that is similar to this has an accumulator. That way the cylinder is not solid, it has the ability to move or have a cushion affect.



Oh my this is getting complicated, just get some semi truck air bags, and get 'em set up that way.



Michael

I know I need a releif valve and that after a set psi it will lose it's hold and I will have to bump the switch and put the pressure back on it. Which I think will not be that often but I could be wrong.



As far as a rough ride I'm not worried about that because I have the torsion mount axels and that will take the shock just as a normal axel that is mounted.



I don't know maybe I should go with air but then I would need a compresser and I don't like the idea of haveing a compresser,but...

 

[MMiller]

I know I need a releif valve and that after a set psi it will lose it's hold and I will have to bump the switch and put the pressure back on it. Which I think will not be that often but I could be wrong.



As far as a rough ride I'm not worried about that because I have the torsion mount axels and that will take the shock just as a normal axel that is mounted.



I don't know maybe I should go with air but then I would need a compresser and I don't like the idea of haveing a compresser,but...

Oh, this makes much more sense. I was envisioning a simple pivot and cylinder, and using the cylinder as suspension. Disregaurd everything I said about your "tag" axle. :-laf



Michael

 

[Jrissler]

Oh, this makes much more sense. I was envisioning a simple pivot and cylinder, and using the cylinder as suspension. Disregaurd everything I said about your "tag" axle. :-laf



Michael

Hey that's fine. Do you think it will work??

I need all the ideas that I can get.



Can't wait to get it working!! I put 400 miles on it today!!

 

[MMiller]

I can't see any reasons why your idea won't work. You'll need to figure out where to set the hydraulic pressure so that the axle is not carrying more of the load, but you probably already know that. I suppose what you could do is fashion a "stop" under the ends of the axle tube, so when you power down the axle, it comes to the limiting stops, then you could build hydraulic pressure to a certain degree. Then "if" or "when" you hit a very large bump, or go over a major transition in the road, your relief pressure would protect the cylinder and pivots.



How are you going to monitor and adjust from the cab? Or where you just planning on a valve on the trailer and set it, then stop when the bad section comes? I can't imagine your setup will need resetting very often, as you will probably just be setting the axle position near where it was from the factory. Now I've thought of something else in my ramblings. The axle was mounted solid before, and the torsions did the suspension. There was no reliefs or such before, why do we really need one now? The torsions will have some sort of stop in them, so when they bottom out they just become solid, like a bump stop. A relief would be set at a high pressure just to protect the cylinder. I would think if it came up to that much pressure there would be other damage???



Now, have I confused you more? Should I just shut up and mind my own business now? :-laf

 

[Jrissler]

I can't see any reasons why your idea won't work. You'll need to figure out where to set the hydraulic pressure so that the axle is not carrying more of the load, but you probably already know that. I suppose what you could do is fashion a "stop" under the ends of the axle tube, so when you power down the axle, it comes to the limiting stops, then you could build hydraulic pressure to a certain degree. Then "if" or "when" you hit a very large bump, or go over a major transition in the road, your relief pressure would protect the cylinder and pivots.



How are you going to monitor and adjust from the cab? Or where you just planning on a valve on the trailer and set it, then stop when the bad section comes? I can't imagine your setup will need resetting very often, as you will probably just be setting the axle position near where it was from the factory. Now I've thought of something else in my ramblings. The axle was mounted solid before, and the torsions did the suspension. There was no reliefs or such before, why do we really need one now? The torsions will have some sort of stop in them, so when they bottom out they just become solid, like a bump stop. A relief would be set at a high pressure just to protect the cylinder. I would think if it came up to that much pressure there would be other damage???



Now, have I confused you more? Should I just shut up and mind my own business now? :-laf

Nope don't you shut up on me now!!!



Now you are getting on the same page as I'm on!!



Putting a stop on the bottom side of the axel and run it down agaist it, is what my idea was.

As far as the relief, set the pressure high so that don't get tripped till it's a really bad bump just as you were saying. The relief is so you don't hit a big bump and burst the cylinder or hoses.



We going to try it.



Worked all day on it saturday and found out the 2 pumps I had are bad, one has bad motor and the other a bad pump. The one with a bad pump I just got off a fellow and he said it worked good, had it a dump truck. :-{}

The other one I had already.

 

[Jrissler]

How are you going to monitor and adjust from the cab? Or where you just planning on a valve on the trailer and set it, then stop when the bad section comes?

Sorry I missed your question.



As far as adjusting it from the cab I want to get a electric selanoid so I just need a toggle switch in the cab.

For monitoring it I will just bump the switch ever so often just to make sure psi is still there.