Over loaded pickup

blt2ski wrote:


Scooby,
My IHC almost always has weight added to FA with a load. Typically 5900-6000 empty front. 5600-5900 rear depending on if diesel tank has 5 or 50 gals in it.
Ad 14000 lb getting me to registered 26k. I'm at 7509-8000 on front, rear in the 17-18.5k realm. Generally 8k and 18k Fr vs Rear. About 2000 added to front, 12000 to rear. In par with body builder specs of 85-15% to 90-10% rear to front wieght distribution.
Of course final weights depend on what I'm hauling, ie rock will usually load all forward of rear axle. So bussed to from axle. If light wieght like bar/sawdust etc, a bit more to rear, as bed is filled to 15 CYD capacity vs 4-5 yds of rock.

Yes, pickup beds are nearly centered over axle, working beds add weight to front axle. Around here, most people setting a F750 up to haul material will put a 10 ft long bed, hinged right behind the rear of spring hangers. They mostly limit payload to about 10 tons. The old 750 I rescued to deliver little loads was set up like many in mid '60s, a 12 ft bed and a owner added front axle as tag. I removed the tag axle. I got stopped with almost 13 tons on. Weight watchers are not much for letting drivers read the scale if read legal. But because I did not get tickets for it, I know I was not over 7200 lbs on either front tire, or over 23,400 lbs on drive. ($100 to lawyer, raise plates to cover load, got fine down to $35)

Air suspension is nice, because crank up psi, level to slight up on rear. Very little wieght if at all is then taken off the front. If anything, added to the front.

The last company I was leased to had 3+ company trucks per owner operators. Often company drivers did not understand the issue of pulling from under a trailer with air in suspension. Many of the trailers had air connections mounted low. As 5th wheel clears trailer, weight off, the bag shove back up, break off gladhands. Of course, the leveling valve drops truck back down, so no problem for that driver. Most learned to dump air between the time you crank dollies and pull out.
This relates to RVs, or at least the 5th wheel haulers with air suspension because of the chance of damage when the load is suddenly removed.