Which tires on Triple Axle to put tire chains on?
We will be headed up to a ski area in a couple weeks, and I want to know which tires/axles to put chains on the toy hauler if I am required to. Triple Axle, 40' fifth wheel toy hauler.
Forum Discussion
Clearance and legal issues aside for a moment, just thinking from a purely physics standpoint for a second... Here's my opinion:
If you have torsion axles, it won't make a difference in terms of grip function. If, however, you have conventional leaf springs with an equalizer, I would recommend the rear-most axle. Why? The brakes exert a moment around the axle. Essentially, the brakes want to force the axle to rotate in the direction of travel. In theory, if only the rear axle is gripping the the ground, it will tend to force the front of the rear spring down. Because of the equalizer, that downward force on the rear will result in an upward force of the front, thereby removing some force from the front axle. That force will get transferred to the rear axle, which should further aid in tractive ability.
If, however, you install the chains on the front axle, the resulting braking force will tend to force the rear of the front spring upward, which till force the front of the rear spring downward. That motion would tend to lever weight off the front axle and apply it to the rear, which is the exact opposite of what I think one would want in the at situation...
If you have torsion axles, it won't make a difference in terms of grip function. If, however, you have conventional leaf springs with an equalizer, I would recommend the rear-most axle. Why? The brakes exert a moment around the axle. Essentially, the brakes want to force the axle to rotate in the direction of travel. In theory, if only the rear axle is gripping the the ground, it will tend to force the front of the rear spring down. Because of the equalizer, that downward force on the rear will result in an upward force of the front, thereby removing some force from the front axle. That force will get transferred to the rear axle, which should further aid in tractive ability.
If, however, you install the chains on the front axle, the resulting braking force will tend to force the rear of the front spring upward, which till force the front of the rear spring downward. That motion would tend to lever weight off the front axle and apply it to the rear, which is the exact opposite of what I think one would want in the at situation...
