I noticed the other day a low ride Merc Actros on foreign plates pulling a double decker hardside with the trailer pointing nose down.
Being a novice in this job I was just wondering, isn’t that putting undue weight on certain axles or does the air suspension redistribute the weight effectively?
I’ve also seen what I would call UK spec units pulling euro trailers with the trailer rubbing on the rear wheel arch and the trailer pointing up to the sky.
Maybe it’s because I’m a novice but it just looks totally wrong. Look forward to your replies [emoji106]
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The air suspension should, as you sat, distribute the load over the 3 trailer axles, but, only within limits. If you imagine a really high unit with a very low deck trailer, then only the rear axle would be touching the ground. Braking will only be effective on axles with “weight” on the road, so they will soon warm up.
If a low unit is coupled to a higher deck trailer it’s the leading trailer axle doing the work.
Also with low unit/high trl the bed is facing “downhill”. The braking force on a normal trailer tends to force the load onto the bed. If it’s “downhill” the load will tend to “lift” from the bed so it’s more likely to shift, plus there is less downforce pushing the wheels onto the road. Bad news twice.
Look out also for issues of fouling between unit and trailer: the rubbing plate hitting the catwalk, or rear of unit chassis getting hooked inside of trailer neck.
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Franglais:
The air suspension should, as you sat, distribute the load over the 3 trailer axles, but, only within limits. If you imagine a really high unit with a very low deck trailer, then only the rear axle would be touching the ground. Braking will only be effective on axles with “weight” on the road, so they will soon warm up.
If a low unit is coupled to a higher deck trailer it’s the leading trailer axle doing the work.
Also with low unit/high trl the bed is facing “downhill”. The braking force on a normal trailer tends to force the load onto the bed. If it’s “downhill” the load will tend to “lift” from the bed so it’s more likely to shift, plus there is less downforce pushing the wheels onto the road. Bad news twice.
Look out also for issues of fouling between unit and trailer: the rubbing plate hitting the catwalk, or rear of unit chassis getting hooked inside of trailer neck.
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Cheers for the reply.
I’ve seen it so often over the past week it just got me thinking that it couldn’t be right
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