This is just for the heck of it

[auto rescue]

Topic Originally Created inJanuary of 2007:

 

I see the original picture is gone, I’m guessing this was the one

 

Just because I want it to be seen, it's been mentioned several times in different posts that people are

just posting pictures to have themselves seen, well this is another one of those type pictures, no towing

value for others except to make me feel good about it.

 

 

I even debated about closing the post so there would be no "good job" or "pats on the back" replies but

I felt that would be taking advantage of my honor here on the board since not many others would have

that opportunity to close their own post.

 

Truck 2:

John, is that thing a log truck? Do any of those axles "steer" or are they all fixed? Would hate to be

buying the rubber for it after it scrubs them all a out when it turns with a good load on.

Mark.

 

Gale25yrs said:

When I flew to Michigan to pick up a tractor we bought I had quite a shock seeing 48 foot or so

semi trailers with 6,7 or 8 non-steerable axles. I did see some empty that would have some of

the axles raised but not that many.

 

srxrick said:

The ones that get me are the pup trailers here that have no steering just skid front and back!

 

tator envy said:

Gale, I believe they call 'em Michigan trains...there quite a sight!
"I would rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I am not"

 

auto rescue said:

Some have the very first tag as a steerable axle but more often than not they are non steerable

I'm guessing because they hold up better in the woods but that's just a guess on my part, with

the pup trailer it's a total of 10 axles plus the steer, the lead trucks as pictured generally weigh

in at 45-50000 empty.

Another thing against the steerable axle I just thought of is your not supposed to back up with

them, plus they are of the super single variety if you want the full weight capacity for steerable.

Yes Mark it is a log truck this is how it would look with the pup


and with a partial load on, I won't tow it with the lead unit loaded except under extreme conditions as

I'm concerned about frame damage to the towed unit even with a semi flat type tow



You do what you can to get them unloaded before towing

 

This would be a baby log truck

 

towmanjc said:

This is called Heavy & Medium Duty Towing page right??? So why would`nt you post a plain old dumb tow??

There`s some people who never seen a plain old stupid dumb tow!! So if you got`em show you`re pic off!!

And john keep up the good work!!

Joe O'Brien - Pgh,Pa

 

ole750 said:

John thanks for posting we dont see many log trucks like that down south much less them hauling short pulpwood.
All the mills hear only buy 20' and longer length pulp.
I can attest to how much these things way because before we got into the tow biz me my dad and grandfather

hauled pulpwood. Bach in the 70's and 80's short pulp was king around these parts but no longer.

Again thanks for posting looks really impressive behind that LIL pete of yours LOL.

 

Ed Barker said:

All I have to say is "GOOD JOB JOHN!!!!! ,,,,,

 

mballor  said:

I knew you had a picture of the 4024 hauling one of them. That has to be my favorite picture,

i might have to put it for the background on the shop computer.

 

Berts112 said:

They are called Michigan trains. If you tow one What ever you do make sure damn sure you raise

the forward axle. My third tow of my towing career I gabbed a tnt with a single trailer empty. went

to the next off ramp. Made first left turn. I turned tractor turned trailer went straight. Luckily I was

only going 10 mph. I got it stopped before any damage.

Those trailer WILL NOT TURN with the forward axle down

 

Ed said:

John what are they using the logs for? Not to sound silly but we never see logs loaded side ways like that,

always long ways. They can't be over 8' that way so it would be limited for boards. How heavy can they

gross out in that state? My friend that passed a couple of years ago was a logger. He had an A-Car tandem

with the loader on the the rear of the chassis (unusual around here) so he could load a 20' pup trailer that

he pulled behind. He could only gross 80K legaly but used to smile when you asked him what he really weighed...

Anyway...Nice job & give yourself a pat on the back...
Just kidding.

 

recoveryengineer said:

Uncle John...my knowledge is greatly expanded by your posts. You put me on my feet here...and I try to refrain

from any negativity. This industry is built on trial and error. And we've ALL been there!

And let me just say..you can ask Jim Nichols how serious I take it..... it doesn't matter if it's a motorcycle or an

army tank. When you successfully work the call, drag it home in a couple of lanes, with your front wheels off

the ground, underwear in your throat, soaked in sweat...and the other guys walk past it in the yard and say

" how the hell did you do that?" that's when you earn the right to reach around and pat yourself on the shoulder

and know that YOU know what you're doing.

Everyone here has a right to opinion, and it never hurts to give warning to prevent injury, but keeping things

looking up is what it's all about! So keep up the good work..and teach me!

 

ole750 said:

Ed around here the short wood was used to make paper the only difference between pine and oak was the

pine is like charmin the oak is like sandpaper. LOL

 

auto rescue said:

The front axles of these pups swivel just like a dolly, they use a draw bar that look like a lunette hook up but

they drive a huge tapered pin into it for the connection, some of them have an air operated lock to keep the

dolly wheels locked straight ahead for backing that will as mentioned above want to steer the unit straight.

There are not tags on the pups only the lead units in fact most pups do not have any type of park brake

chamber on them or park brakes of any type except maybe a rock or hunk of wood.

The wood product up here is used for anything from very high grade gloss map and book paper, corrugated

cardboard, general lumber items and I'm sure a lot more of what I don't know about.

Moving them in the snow or ice (especially with the little Pete) is like a heavy weight ballerina

Watch out and don't let one land on you!

Unlike the North Western forest products I've seen just about all our wood products are carried sideways

they can legally gross 165K (give or take a pound or two I'm kind of brain dead at the moment) but they

generally run about 200K unless DOT announces they are going to have scheduled roadside inspections

in an area. These "log" trucks as the license plate is tagged only pay about $20.00 a year for license plates

unlike a finished woods product truck or steel carrier of the same elected gross weights that would pay in

the thousands range (10 years ago it was at $4000. a year).

I hope I covered all the questions.

As an item of interest all these trucks come from the factory with a long frame and tandem axles all of

them have the beds made and axles installed by smaller "local" companies and truck dealerships, while

the pups are all made from scratch by "local" fabricators.

 

Truck2 said:

I'm not going to pat you on the back, or kick you in the bum for that matter, but its posts like these that

make this site so interesting. We don't see stuff like that over here, just like a lot of you guys don't see or

get to tow stuff like our road-trains. Variety is the spice of life.

Mark.

 

rotator60 said:

Good..aahh..No I mean nice..aahh..Oh what the hell..That's very impressive work John...

That much weight in those conditions...Not enough superlatives to describe those jobs.
Scott Hedgcoth

 

concordtowing said:

This plain old tow made for a very interesting post there is a lot of good info that has been discussed about weight

and steer axles and knowing your equipment I learned something new so thanks for the info it will help me in the future.

 

DW Carter  said:

Well that may have been your intention but it has turned into a very good post because of "discussion".

Thanks I've enjoyed this one, when I went to Detroit to buy a truck a few years ago it was amazing

to see those multi axle units on the road.

DW Carter WM92343

 

TOwBoY88  said:

Hey John..I love that 4024, as I'm sure you do as well...but anyway, when you want to sell that thing to me??

 

geno54 said:

Hi John. I have a question about the Pete. Now that Your using it, are You happy with it or do You need to make some changes?

Thanks, Gene

 

Brian Bell said:

I've looked at this post several times.. Guess I will make this reply just for the heck of it. And hey it adds to my post count

Not that I care much about my post count.. and I know my wife don't

 

auto rescue said:

Eugene when I started the project I was not really sure where it would lead as it still had the 750, so I used a cheap (free) rear axle

cut off from a Pete COE with a 350, 9 speed direct drive, the ratio is a killer, well over three figures when it's let loose (the speedo

adapter was made by Pete using the tire brand, size as well as the two VIN's of the trucks) but it has no pulling power what so ever

especially in the short hills we have here.

This will be corrected with a different set up this summer using a 3.95 ratio (original truck had 4.11) and if this ratio does not work

I'll change the ring and pinion to 4.11, I'm using the 3.95 right now mainly because it is a full locker type axle.

One huge miscalculation is I should have gone with either my original idea of the tag being between the two rear axles or as the

very rear axle.

A smaller mistake was using two hyd. tanks trying to boost fluid reserve I did not count on the two stage pump not being sealed

from each other so some of the return fluid goes back to the front tank instead of the rear one and if you did not drain it in time

it would overflow (twice), it's all running from the original tank in the base unit now.

Other than that I've got no complaints except what it still looks like, but the money is green enough for the bank to accept.

 

Jim Lunsford said:

great post John...brings back lots of memorys..I grew up in the pulpwood business...

 

Scott Burrows  said:

In KY, max. gross is 80 K, UNLESS you're hauling COAL. Then, the sky's the limit. 165-175k on 6-7 axles.

When the product being hauled is your state's major 'cash crop' you can blow past enforcement and not look back!

 

Towtrk1 said:

John, I love the pic of the 4024 working!! And people say I was a lil nuts for regularly towing full size coaches

with mine a few years back!!! hehe

 

Curt Sharp said:

John, I think many of us are suffering from the "do not want to post" syndrome for different reason...

we need to work on getting this back on ]