Sliding The Tandems

Topic 20282 | Page 1

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Bobcat_Bob's Comment
member avatar

Yesterday was my first day solo and it took me 5 or 6 ( maybe more) attempts to get the tandems where I needed luckily it was a decent day . So being the lazy guy I am I thought there has be a better way! I just looking online and saw a few options and was wondering if anyone bought one and how it worked, I might even build one as they seem simple enough.

Tandems:

Tandem Axles

A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".

Tandem:

Tandem Axles

A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".

Trucker Kearsey 's Comment
member avatar

I had a few

But kept forgetting to take them out of the holes so some prime drivers got Christmas gifts early lol

I think Kat use the thin yellow ones and broke it. I had the large thick thimble.looking one.

After awhile you can judge the weight of the load and the distance going back.

One friend looks at her steer lug nuts while backing and knows how many lug turns it takes for one hole.

Fortunately I have a weight gauge on my dash for the truck and one on the trailer, although I never trust the trailer ones. Its a guide but I still weigh. I usually jjust go.back far enough to make the truck legal then go weigh. Usually right as long as I keep my gauge calibrated.

Bobcat_Bob's Comment
member avatar
But kept forgetting to take them out of the holes so some prime drivers got Christmas gifts early lol

The ones I saw where $50 for a set Id love to find those left behind lol

Fortunately I have a weight gauge on my dash for the truck and one on the trailer, although I never trust the trailer ones. Its a guide but I still weigh. I usually jjust go.back far enough to make the truck legal then go weigh. Usually right as long as I keep my gauge calibrated.

The Freight liner I trained in had the one for the tractor which was nice, but I have a Volvo now and it doesnt have one :(

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Jim A.'s Comment
member avatar

If you know how many holes you need to move. See how many inches it is then place one glove outside your window where you are starting from and another glove where you want to be. Back up or pull forward to the 2nd glove.

Fatsquatch 's Comment
member avatar

A trick my trainer showed me way back when was to measure the distance from the hole you're in to the hole you want, then mark that distance off on the ground outside your window with a piece of chalk. You may not get to exactly the center of the hole, but you'll get close enough to re-engage the pins and rock it either backward or forward to where it needs to be.

G-Town's Comment
member avatar

A trick my trainer showed me way back when was to measure the distance from the hole you're in to the hole you want, then mark that distance off on the ground outside your window with a piece of chalk. You may not get to exactly the center of the hole, but you'll get close enough to re-engage the pins and rock it either backward or forward to where it needs to be.

I use a quarter as my marker placed ahead of or behind the front edge of the step depending on where I need to move the tandems. I always have coins in my pocket. This trick is simple, cheap and has yet to fail me.

Tandems:

Tandem Axles

A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".

Tandem:

Tandem Axles

A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".

Bill F.'s Comment
member avatar

4lb engineers hammer from Harbor Freight $9.99 fits right in the holes to act as a slide stop. You put it on the inside of the frame. You need a big hammer anyway and this double duties to get your tandems where you want them.

Tandems:

Tandem Axles

A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".

Tandem:

Tandem Axles

A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".

Errol V.'s Comment
member avatar

Home Depot shopping list:

* 2" x 8-10" galvanized pipe nipple
* 2" ell

Comes in at less than 10 bucks. Assemble.

Calculate the hopes to move. Count it that many "open" holes and put the pipe into it, the ell sticking out toward you.

Release tandems , slowly move the truck till it bumps the pipe. (Move the truck a teensy bit in the other direction to un-pinch the pipe). Get out, remove pipe, close tandem lock. Et voilĂ ! Tandems adjusted!

Tandems:

Tandem Axles

A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".

Tandem:

Tandem Axles

A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".

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