Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryland
If you look at semi-trucks you will notice that they are moving to single instead of dual wheels per axle, this is for fuel savings, apparently a single wide tire is more efficient, at the same time I think you can get small size heavy truck tires that run at 100-120psi and have a much longer wear life then your current tires, they also have a lower rolling resistance and are designed for a heavier load so switching to a single rear on either side would still allow you to haul your 2000+ pounds in the bed of the truck and get rid of the fender flairs.
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Think those flairs have that much drag? The look pretty streamlined to me. Yes I notice the trend to singles on the semis too... and as an ex driver I'm not sure I'd like them... seems they narrow the track width... and as one who came within a baby's hairs width of going over due to an idiot that loaded it (it was a drop and hook, I hadn't loaded it... I wouldn't have). When I lived through it and the discovery of 51,000 lbs of 7.5 ft diam rolls of paper that were NOT cradled!!!! Damn near killed me due to someone else's stupidity. The kid pulled it 1/2 way from MNSP to Rawlins WY, where I hooked on to it. At first I though the rocking was due to a 45 footer we had that was air ride. It wasn't.. it was the springed 45. During the 1st 1000 miles he pulled it, the 3 corner blocks they set on one side of the roll as they staggered them back through the trailer, had loosened and backed away... allowing the rolls to roll back and forth sideways. John had also stacked tail freight on the back only 2 inches from the door and clear to the ceiling. No way to see when I hooked up, as unless its a sealed load, I always look now and then even when I'm the one who loaded it. When I simply crested the crown in the road on 80 just past the tunnel at Green River... they all lined up just right and she just about went over... leaned that trailer 30 degrees (no exaggeration) likely light under the light side tandems, twisting the tractor frame... and bowing the trailer's 8 ft high side panel 6" or 8" out top to bottom. If it hadn't been a plywood/fiberglass single wall laminate sheet side wall, it would have broke through on a normal alum skin wall. I came within a hairs width of yanking her to the right just as hard as I could to force her to lay over on the pavement and not pivot over the guardrail as I had walked with it to within an inch of the rail keep it vertical or as close as I could. Not sure single tire would have had the stance needed and I'd have been dead. If your familiar with that stretch of road... its rock wall cuts or 1000 ft deep ravines... would have had to pick me up with stick and a spoon. At the bottom of the first sister there is a small truck stop (or was then anyway) and I had a flatbed back up to the doors so I could clear the tail freight and see what was going on. Mixed feelings on singles on semis.