When I back into certain places which have a downward gradient, off the main drag which is level.
Now here’s the silly question
Is there a way to stop this from happening, or to a certain extent lessen the wincing as you gently feel the mudguards buckle underneath you !
I’ve had a play about with the air remote on the unit (Volvo), and dropping it right down creates a slightly bigger gap between the mudguards and underside of trailer.
Is that about all you can do in this situation, apart from the other answer “well don’t back it in there then!”
Colin_scottish:
Or just take them off then you cant damage them.
That’s about all you can do really, pop them off before you manoeuvre. Mine are becoming quiet mangled because some of the places I go, I’ve just had to resign myself to the fact.
Colin_scottish:
Or just take them off then you cant damage them.
I think you will find that is easier said than done. On the low deck trailers I pull with a standard height unit, there is in sufficient room to take the tops off, unless you drop the trailer. The way I do it, is to move the fifth wheel back.
We get the same problem with our trucks from mc trucks. They have the incorrect 5th wheel. It’s virtually level with the wing tops. It’s the one that should be on low ride chassis for European work, but it is mctb’s stock set up. The only way is to drop the air out of the drive axle, and even then, if the gradient is steep they will touch. Our run ups get wrecked on the angled chassis rails on a slider. It’s not doing the trailers much good either.
Colin_scottish:
Or just take them off then you cant damage them.
I think you will find that is easier said than done. On the low deck trailers I pull with a standard height unit, there is in sufficient room to take the tops off, unless you drop the trailer. The way I do it, is to move the fifth wheel back.
You can take them off before you pick the trailer up.You can run with them off if you have a trailer on i use to when i had that issue never got told i couldnt.
Colin_scottish:
You can take them off before you pick the trailer up.You can run with them off if you have a trailer on i use to when i had that issue never got told i couldnt.
I’ve always wondered if there were an actual rule that you can/cannot, I know a lot of the Europeans do but not sure if it was permitted on a UK registered truck, curious as to whether anyone has a definitive answer to this rule (and its exceptions)
Colin_scottish:
You can take them off before you pick the trailer up.You can run with them off if you have a trailer on i use to when i had that issue never got told i couldnt.
I’ve always wondered if there were an actual rule that you can/cannot, I know a lot of the Europeans do but not sure if it was permitted on a UK registered truck, curious as to whether anyone has a definitive answer to this rule (and its exceptions)
This is what the MOT manual says about this:
With regard to the requirements for wings and wheel arches, a vehicle may be passed without wings when a semi-trailer/body/ container is carried which fulfils the requirements of a wing i.e. a vehicle presented for annual test towing a trailer and the wing tops are not fitted on the vehicle due to the trailer being very close to the tyres. This is not a reason for failure for wings or spray suppression providing the rotation of the wheels does not permit mud or water to be thrown directly on the road surface.
European trailers and fifth wheels are much closer to the tyres due to a lower maximum height restrictions.
Yeah so would a typical UK 6x2 midlift setup (for example) be deemed as “close enough” in regards to the gap between tyre and under body of typical trailer?
Reef:
Yeah so would a typical UK 6x2 midlift setup (for example) be deemed as “close enough” in regards to the gap between tyre and under body of typical trailer?
It’s quite a large gap imo.
Take this image for example:
Afraid not, gap is way too big. There is an actual figure for the distance betwwen wheel and wing but I can’t remember what it is off top of head. Also depending how clean you like your lorry no wing tops makes the chassis and tanks absolutely Filthy
Reef:
Yeah so would a typical UK 6x2 midlift setup (for example) be deemed as “close enough” in regards to the gap between tyre and under body of typical trailer?
It’s quite a large gap imo.
Take this image for example:
Afraid not, gap is way too big. There is an actual figure for the distance betwwen wheel and wing but I can’t remember what it is off top of head. Also depending how clean you like your lorry no wing tops makes the chassis and tanks absolutely Filthy
I seem to remember it being something like 100mm between the top of the tyres and the bottom of the trailer. But can’t remember where I read that. I was looking for it a couple of weeks ago as we have hired a low ride unit to pull one of our trailers and after the first trip one of the mudguard tops was ripped off and aphid worn through as it was rubbing against the wheel. Not that the driver seemed bothered, didn’t take them off or tell me they’d been a problem.
With a 4.2m wheelbase 4x2 Volvo FH on air pulling european spec tilts i have to keep the tops off permanently. The fifth wheel is set low and theres only 100mm or less between the top of the tyre and bottom of the trailer, Im pretty lucky in that i dont see much wet weather so the truck stays clean…
OVLOV JAY:
We get the same problem with our trucks from mc trucks. They have the incorrect 5th wheel. It’s virtually level with the wing tops. It’s the one that should be on low ride chassis for European work, but it is mctb’s stock set up. The only way is to drop the air out of the drive axle, and even then, if the gradient is steep they will touch. Our run ups get wrecked on the angled chassis rails on a slider. It’s not doing the trailers much good either.
Same ere jay, we use mc trucks (Witham)! We have Scania’s too and you can visually see their 5th wheel Sits a bit higher, or maybe coz their lower on the front end.
tachograph:
You could also try raising the trailer suspension until the unit is also on the down gradient.
Thanks for this tachograph, I actually got to try it yesterday in saffron walden, shire hill ind est. had to back down a gradient, dropped the unit, lifted the trailer (blue handle), and it was a lot better. They still touched but remained intact
I’m currently on pallets so don’t get time to remove mudguards,
