Fairly often I drive (through an Agency) a Volvo FE 26T rigid with a lifting axle (it’s behind the drive axle, does that make it a tag?).
Now I usually raise it when I come towards the end of my run/am on the way back to the yard as I’m either empty or got sod all on. If I tried to raise it with too much weight on, would it still raise?
Technically no. Usually can only be raised when there is no weight on. Not had the pleasure of a 6 wheeler rigid for six years now! I am sure someone will correct us shortly.
It will be classed as a tag axle, if it was in front of the drive it would be called a pusher axle. Is it a rear steer axle though?
If I can remember right, when using the Dartford with the axle raised, its a lower toll? The container operators had three tags for the draw-bar motors. One for use with a trailer (artic rate), one for solo with axle lowered and another for axle raised.
lankyphil:
Fairly often I drive (through an Agency) a Volvo FE 26T rigid with a lifting axle (it’s behind the drive axle, does that make it a tag?).Now I usually raise it when I come towards the end of my run/am on the way back to the yard as I’m either empty or got sod all on. If I tried to raise it with too much weight on, would it still raise?
Its a tag
I used to raise mine all the time when I had a 26 tonner flatbed scania and a load of around 8 tonnes or less on the front two thirds of it - perfectly legal as long as no axle is overloaded
Yes they are controlled by a load sensor valve, too much weight and they should drop and not lift. Often they will drop long before the drive axle gets near it’s limit.
The DRC charge you as multi axle regardless nowadays, used to be a good number if you paid cash and claimed it back. A bit of crisscrossing with a carefully loaded wagon could earn you a few quid a week. Not much but then you don’t get many chances.
Some things I have found with a Daf CF stretched unit rigid conversion …when in the up position the wheels/tyres are tight against the underside of the load bed so do not rotate therefore if they ground as the suspension bounces they get flat spotted so if in doubt put them down Also when in the down position they vastly increase the turning circle however if in a tight spot you can raise them to turn the corner before lowering again before driving off HTH someone