I’ve got a bit of a dispute going on with the gaffer that 4 leggers are better than 6 leggers for the work we do (perhaps 25% of the time running at full weight; 41 - 44 tonne). He disagrees and reckons that 6 leggers are more stable and balance the weight better and those are his only arguments.
My arguments are that with 6 leggers you get traction problems and they slide about like you’re driving on ice in damp & wet conditions and also you’ve all that extra tyre scrub from the mid lift axle which doesn’t steer.
This all came about after an incident last night near Coventry on the A423 going nortbound when I went round a roundabout with about 7 pallets of salad stuff on and had a very close shave nearly jack-knifing the wagon . Quite how I managed to rescue it I don’t know but I know run empty and loaded with the lift axle up because I believe they’re unsafe.
If I’d been in my old 4 legger I wouldn’t have had that problem I know for sure.
If you run at over 41tonnes then its 6 axles by law. I think mid steer is better than mid lift for handling, but I have never had the problem of lack of traction except in the snow or mud. I also liked 6 axles on multi drops becuase we unloaded from the rear and with a 2x3 unit, half way round you could end up overloading the drive axle.
I agree with Muckles, over 41t has to be on 6 axles, by law, but only when you are over 41t. Obviously, if you are likely to overload your drive axle with the mid axle up, then you will have to drop it.
I don’t like tag/non steer mid axle setups. I’ve had my heart in my mouth too often when taking corners fully freighted, from turning the wheel to take the corner and having to wait for my steering input to take effect
IMHO twin-steer with midlift is the best setup for almost every type of work.
Simple Rob. My Dad has a Daf Space Cab 6 legger. With a mid-lift and steering on the same axle. Problem sorted unless you’ve got a lot of weight on the front. It’s Quality not quantity.(you know what i mean)
I used to talk to a lot of Parker Steel drivers from Canterbury who run Volvo FM1■■■ six leggers and they complain about the units not wanting to go around corners in the wet.
Simon:
only when you are over 41t. Obviously, if you are likely to overload your drive axle with the mid axle up, then you will have to drop it.
.
Can somebody clear up when the mid lift should be dropped, I think all of them have to have a sensor which drop the axle when the drive axle reaches a certain wieght, but I’ve been told that as the vehicle is taxed as a 3x3 the axle should be down whenever the vehicle is loaded regardless of weight
Sorry, maybe I should clarify. The question wasn’t about number of axles required for weight, which I’m fully aware of over 41 tonne, it was simply about stability and handling, primarily in wet conditions.
From reading some of the replies it would appear that the fact that the Volvo 6 leggers don’t have a steering mid lift could well be the root of the problem 4 wheels with weight on top of them wanting to go straight on, and 2 with no weight on them trying to go round corners. I guess which ones generally win then
alix776:
easy way to avoid said situation SLOW DOWN and dont drive the truck like its flippin fire engine
Alix, if I’d been going any slower I would have been going backwards.
Too flamin’ true Rob. It isn’t the speedso much. Its two axles carrying the weight pointing straight on and one axle with a lot less weight trying to turn them. It works eventually but the fraction of a second delay gets the heart rate up
4 legger or 6 legger 
Good answer Alix 