Hindsight moments

BenK wrote:


Posted: 03/30/08 06:37pm


Guess everyone has a different story.

Mine is through hard knock schooling, even though during that period
was a designer of industrial controls. So thought knew more than I
did...youth and my only excuse :B

Towed many of my buddies boats and trailers with my K5 Blazer. Learned
lots, but not enough. Too short wheel base for those trailers. Some
times with WD (theirs), most times just a dead weight tow. Thought all
4x4s towed like that (had to constantly correct that 'push' those
trailers imparted onto the K5's rear end).

Lucky I switched out that K5's suspension to a Dana 60 front and
GM 14 bolt rear. Higher rate leaf spring packs and other goodies.
That only allowed me to not kill myself, or others. That truck went
hundreds of thousand of miles and can say that towing over sized
and over weight did not shorten it's life, but then it had a 1 ton
suspension (not tranny) with commercial tires (9.75"x16.5" dia wheels)
Did rebuild that auto tranny a few times...was it from over load
or the offroading I put it through? Both is my guess.

Finally learned 'my' lesson around 1982. Borrowed my dads grocery store
truck (my current 1980 Silverado C10). Installed 1 ton helper coil
springs on the rear axle.

Partner in a wind generator company doing retro fits to storm damaged
wind generator heads. Had to gather up the busted components and take
them back to the shop for forensic diagnosis of what happened, which
components weak, and if our design could solve. Insurance work mostly.

Each gear box weighed 'around' 2,500 lbs, no gear lube oil. Utility
trailer was a dual axle (each had brakes) that we knew nothing about
in regards to it's ratings. Don't know what kind of brake controller,
as we took it out of partners Buick station wagon.

Up on the wind park hill, about 8,000-9,000 feet, told the partner to
only load up the trailer to about 8,000 lbs, which I now know was
already over it's GVWR. He had 5 gear boxes loaded along with a bunch
of hubs, blades, etc. The truck had all of our tools and other misc
steel parts, which must have been around 2,000 lb worth. My guess
is that the trailer was over 14,000 lbs and the truck was over it's
6,200lb GVWR by maybe +1K lbs easy.

Trusted him and the truck looked okay, as it was level. So had the
the two workers jump in and took off going down the hill. Some parts
were over 100% incline both going up and coming down.

Struggled, but it made it up over the top and now going down to the
bottom was where I learned my lesson....when the trailer brakes over
heated and no longer held the trailer back. About another 1/4 mile
and the trucks brakes started to go and smoke was coming out of them.

Considered jumping out, but the middle guy would not have made it. The
drop off on my side was over 200 feet almost straight down.

Parking brake set to expand the shoes, but all too soon, they didn't
push the shoes out far enough either.

After what seemed like an eternity, made it to the control shack.
Unhitched the trailer and drove out to the road to cool off the
brakes, as they were billowing smoke.

Lucky those trailer brakes were custom, as I had designed many industrial
braking systems by then. The trailer brake shoes were shod with
custom friction material and the truck's brakes were HD semi metallic
of that era. Left over friction material from my first wind generator
brake design, as the physicists said too much friction and the blades
would snap off stopping so fast, so backed off. Just 'had' to use
that stuff up, so had a brake shop rivet them on the trailer brake
shoes. Pressing the controller button could stop the whole setup
without touching the trucks brakes, of course empty, so thought they
could stop the Queen Mary.

Said I learned my lesson and truly thought that, untill later that
evening. Took off 2 of those gear boxes and drove home from
Bakersfield to San Francisco. Going down the incline towards highway 5,
lost the brakes again, but now at freeway speeds and accelerating.
This time the parking brake trick was enough. Crawled home sweating
bullets, as there was no way to off load 2,500 lb gearboxes out on
the side of the freeway.

I can say nothing broke and we made it without incident. A 'can do it',
but not safely.

Get this, that Silverado did not have a WD hitch setup, but just a
bumper pull setup. Sure an after market bumper that I welded up
gussets and other stuff to make it stronger, but still just a bumper
pull setup. It didn't squat too much, as the 1 ton helper springs
keep the rear end drop to only about 2-4 inches.

Look at my sig and you'll see that all of my trucks were 'half ton'
until my 1996 Suburban. Thought the modifications I made would do
the trick. Sure mine could out accelerate most others, but there is
more to than 'go', as 'stop' and 'handling' just as, if not more
important.

A couple of other accidents buddies had and I'm much more conservative
with myself and more so in advice to anyone having to 'ask', as they
know little or not enough to make the risk management decision
themselves (gambling).

I don't own a trailer right now, but borrow and tow buddies often.
Or drive their setups for them, as they are older and prefer others
to drive their setups.

Yes, I'll say I'm a card carrying member of the 'weight police'...