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trailer axle- load capicity

Started by timberfaller390, December 26, 2010, 11:10:44 PM

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timberfaller390

I just aquired an old homemade trailer about 8' wide X 20 long. I was used to haul round bales. This thing is built HEAVY. It is a single axle. the axle is the rearend from a 50's vintage Chevy one ton truck and still has the daul wheels and leaf springs. What do ya'll think the weight/load capacity would be? I am thinking of using it to move some smaller tractors and hay equipment (seperate loads) between my main farm and some leased land about 10 miles away.
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fishpharmer

Any way you can calculate the weight of the round bales it previously hauled?  That may give you an idea of safe capacity.  Or you could load it up with something and see how far the trailer squats down, make sure you have tire clearance.  Those old one tons were probably pretty stout axles, and that's purely a guess.  Tires seems to always be the limiting factor for my trailers.
Built my own band mill with the help of Forestry Forum. 
Lucas 618 with 50" slabber
WoodmizerLT-40 Super Hydraulic
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The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work. --Tom A. Edison

timberfaller390

they said they hauled 18 round bales and my guess is they were 4x5. any idea how much a 4x5 bale weighs?
L.M. Reese Co. Land Management Contractors
Stihl MS390
John Deere 50G excavator
John Deere 5103
John Deere 440 ICD dozer

fishpharmer

Those bales should weigh 800-1000 lbs each.  That's a lot of weight.  I think you will be okay with a small tractor and equipment.  Drive slow. ;D
Built my own band mill with the help of Forestry Forum. 
Lucas 618 with 50" slabber
WoodmizerLT-40 Super Hydraulic
Deere 5065E mfwd w/553 loader

The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work. --Tom A. Edison

Meadows Miller

Gday

Lester and James I hope you two had a great Christmas with Family and Friends and hope you both have a great start to the New Year I also have a few things on the way for you and afew other people too Fellas  ;) ;D ;D 8) 8) 8)

With load ratings buy law you can not go more than the combined load rating of your tires you can find the load rating for single and duals at pressure on the side wall and calculate it from there  ;) or you could just be like me and if it looks legal go for it  ;)  :D ;D 8)  you dont want your side walls touching at any time on duals as it usually comes with a big bang somwhere along the trip if they are  :o :) ;) :D :D :D :D ;D


Best Regards
4TH Generation Timbergetter

timberfaller390

Thanks ya'll. The tractor I want to haul weighs about 6000 lbs. The only reason I am considering this is because when I worked at the forestry commission there was a bunch of pictures of the original fire fighting equipment. It consisted of 1/2 and 3/4 ton military trucks pulling single axle, dual wheel trailers hauling oliver and john deere mc dozers. They used these set ups for years. Surely those small dozers with roll cage, limb sweeps, operator cage, dozer blade and fire plow weighed close to 6000#.
L.M. Reese Co. Land Management Contractors
Stihl MS390
John Deere 50G excavator
John Deere 5103
John Deere 440 ICD dozer

Dakota

I would look at the load capicity stamped on the tires and stay under that.
Dakota
Dave Rinker

ahlkey

I have a single axle custom trailer with a 7K axle and metal deck that I use to move a small amount of heavy equipment but I would never consider using it to haul a 6,000 lb tractor over the highway.   Keep in mind that the trailer probably weighs at least 2,000 lbs so you will be overweight with that tractor and if you do not have brakes on that axle you will be taking a huge risk.  Please check the tires which should give you an idea of the axle capacity but just as important is the age of the tires.  A perfect looking tire can just blow unexpectedly under high pressure and load once they get older than 10 years.  Get a larger dual axle, with brakes, and good tires as it is just not worth the fines or the risks to everyone --- it only takes one malfunction!  I have heard it all before " I only was going down the road a few miles?  Try to error on the side of being too careful as the opposite is not a good thing.

chevytaHOE5674

As Ahlkey said remember the trailer weights something and you need to calculate that into the "load" on the axle and tires (a trailer with a 6k axle can only haul 6k minus the trailers empty weight). Also being a truck axle i doubt it has electric or even surge brakes hooked to it. Hauling that much weight without trailer brakes is not only illegal but very dangerous and costly should you get stopped or into an accident.

timberfaller390

The tires are new and are rated at 2,778 lbs. when mounted as duals, so thats 11,112 lbs. when combined. Assuming the trailer weighs about 2,000 lbs. that leaves about 9,000 for the load. Even with the tractor, that is still 3,000 under the recomended tire load. It will be pulled with a 2 ton truck.
L.M. Reese Co. Land Management Contractors
Stihl MS390
John Deere 50G excavator
John Deere 5103
John Deere 440 ICD dozer

chevytaHOE5674

Does the trailer have brakes for that kind of weight????/

According to Georgia DOT you need brakes if the trailers GVW is over 3k lbs. You need brakes on all wheels and a break away brake setup.

timberfaller390

Quote from: chevytaHOE5674 on December 27, 2010, 09:21:43 PM
Does the trailer have brakes for that kind of weight????/

According to Georgia DOT you need brakes if the trailers GVW is over 3k lbs. You need brakes on all wheels and a break away brake setup.

No it doesn't have brakes. Georgia law also states that trailers being used for agriculture are not required to have brakes provided the trailer does not exceed 4,000 pounds empty.
L.M. Reese Co. Land Management Contractors
Stihl MS390
John Deere 50G excavator
John Deere 5103
John Deere 440 ICD dozer

chevytaHOE5674

I would never in my life haul a trailer that heavy without brakes. If somebody pulls out in front of you then that much weight will just push the tow vehicle around and you/the other vehicle will be screwed.


Also you might want to weight the trailer. You would be surprised at just how heavy it really is.

H60 Hawk Pilot

That's a good point about brakes on the trailer. When someone pulls out in front of you and they will  and  your loaded heavy it will get real dicy and perhaps worst (accident). Getting the brakes to work on the Chev. axle is not that hard.  I have pulled hot shot trailers with elec. over hyd. controls and they work fine. I forgot the cost, somewhere around $ 200.00 bucks for the contoller assy... I think.  Go through the brakes on the Chev. axle, new slave cyl's and what's needed and hook them up.

I'm a farmer type and if just pulling around my home area... (my back yard so to speak) the non braking trailer would work for me (perhaps).  I'd keep my speed down and down some more when loaded heavy (slow).  I'd be worried to death to venture away from my imediate area with No Brakes on a heavy loaded trailer.. just too risky and a accident coming my way.

Also.. ain't trying to get too smart but have already been down this road (accident) and big trouble for me (years ago). The accident was Not my fault and the guy ran into me at night. My truck stalled on the side of the road as I was turning around on my property. The guy was a big shot and had me sited for not having my safety markers out to mark my stalled truck. The truck was a 1 ton pick up and not commerical licensed.  I was not required emer. markers (to have in truck). This man was big shot and knew the Commander at the PA State Police. Five days after the accident... I get a fine notice in the mail and went to court and still lost.

Happy New Year's

Avery
Case 1150B & IHC TD-340 Dozer's, IHC 4WD 3800 & CAT 436B Hoe's, Franklin 170, Semi's: (1) Freightliner, (2) KW's, Marmon, Mack w/ Prentice Ldr., F-700 Crane Trk., (6) Mid Size Trk's. - Dumps, Flats, 1 Ton w/ 40 ft. 5th Whl. & (4) Semi Tlr's., LM 2000 Mill, (2) XL 12's., Solo 681, EFCO 152, Old Iron.

Gary_C

Quote from: timberfaller390 on December 27, 2010, 11:28:33 PM
No it doesn't have brakes. Georgia law also states that trailers being used for agriculture are not required to have brakes provided the trailer does not exceed 4,000 pounds empty.

The only way you could get by with that argument here is if you were pulling that trailer with a farm tractor, not a licensed truck. They could also declare you a commercial vehicle and throw the book at you for not complying with all those rules.

It is just not worth it to take shortcuts with trailers, trucks either. I have been pushed down the road by trailers where the brakes have failed and trust me it's no fun and dangerous to everyone on the road too. And you don't get do overs with accidents.
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

ahlkey

At the end of day what you are trying to do is use a rearend from a 50's vintage Chevy truck with no brakes on a custom made trailer?  That combination alone should be a caution flag and risks increase 10-fold with higher speeds when compared to off-road work or slow-moving farm equipment.   

Meadows Miller


Gday

My grandfather ran semis towing single axle strap trailers here from through the 50s-60s and that where built using truck rear ends with out any dramas he went all over the place and they had vac brakes all round you just have to drive to suit what you have I dont think Lester's  planing on breaking any speed records  ;)

Regards Chris
4TH Generation Timbergetter

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