New steer axle??? Overweight on steers empty.

[DT_Duh_Trucker]

I'm heavy on my steers!!!! With empty trailer and tanks at 3/4 I was at 12,380lbs. My axle rating is 12,350. Now I know I get an allowance of 400 hundred or so depending on the state for my apu, but is there anything else I can do to help move the weight back? Should I Slide tanks back a little in the straps? they are not under the doors like some prostars they're under the sleeper pretty much. Replace the axle for a higher rated one (this is the option i see being best for peace of mind at weigh stations)‽ My truck is 274 wheelbase. I have my 5th wheel back a few notches before the rear or one or two notches from being centered between the drives, but being a longer truck it makes it tougher to maneuver through places like DC, NY etc when I do go so i want to try to avoid going back any further IF possible. Any suggestions or help is appreciated. Also, I pull flatbed so yes I have a headache rack and chains/binders in there. Going home next week and if there is something I can do or have done I'd like to try to do it while I'm home for a week. Thanks for your help. Picture of truck is attached.....if I did it right lol.    

[Rawze]

my prostar is the same way. I got all my chains hung on a chain rack on opposite side of apu and reduced as much weight in the cab as I could. - I have that heavy Hendrickson front end, and mine is 12,300 bobtail with full tanks.

BTW: In that photo ... your fifth wheel looks like it right where it is supposed to be so that it does not add weight to the front end.

I know that I cannot load more than about 45,300 or so with most box trailers or I will be over 80k with mine. Some shippers complain about that, but i tell them to go screw themselves if they do.

Your def tank, and the batteries are in front of fuel tanks... where mine are behind them at back of cab. My APU is further back, right in front of the axle mud-guard as well. Those things are is likely putting yours heavier than mine. you also have that headache rack adding some weight.

[Waterloo]

(05-20-2021 )DT_Duh_Trucker Wrote:  I'm heavy on my steers!!!! With empty trailer and tanks at 3/4 I was at 12,380lbs. My axle rating is 12,350. Now I know I get an allowance of 400 hundred or so depending on the state for my apu, but is there anything else I can do to help move the weight back? Should I Slide tanks back a little in the straps? they are not under the doors like some prostars they're under the sleeper pretty much. Replace the axle for a higher rated one (this is the option i see being best for peace of mind at weigh stations)‽ My truck is 274 wheelbase. I have my 5th wheel back a few notches before the rear or one or two notches from being centered between the drives, but being a longer truck it makes it tougher to maneuver through places like DC, NY etc when I do go so i want to try to avoid going back any further IF possible. Any suggestions or help is appreciated. Also, I pull flatbed so yes I have a headache rack and chains/binders in there. Going home next week and if there is something I can do or have done I'd like to try to do it while I'm home for a week. Thanks for your help. Picture of truck is attached.....if I did it right lol.

I'm up there too, roughly 13,000 or close all the time, big Herd Defender bumper and forward tanks on my ProStar. I run the 16 ply tires vs the 14 ply, 12,000 lb front axle. Never had an issue, been just about every state accept CA...

Not the best photo, but at least you can see what I live with. And that is a steerable lift axle on there too... She is HEAVY ;-)

   

[Rawze]

(05-21-2021 )Waterloo Wrote:  ... I run the 16 ply tires vs the 14 ply,
...

I also run 16-ply.. and it kept me from getting a fine once, Arkansas is the only state that ever checks these smaller trucks from what I can tell (that is who inspected me and almost fined me once) .. person there said to me that they did not officialy support the APU exemption, if memory serves me right... unsure ... My front axle is rated 20k and I have the 46k rears... heavier axles came with the truck when purchased.

seems like every state has their quirks. Here has been my own experiences, and from talking to others ...

Arazona likes to nail people for dirty or missing pieces of reflective tape strips on back of cab and trailer corners.

Arkinsas likes to get people on their front end weights.

Oklahoma likes to nail people for not having printed copied of their Owner-op agreements and other paperwork.

Oregon likes to nail people for any permit they can find.

California likes to nail people with older trucks for whatever they can get them for.. and fine them for not having a DPF installed on a egr-only truck. they like to also emissions test (or emissions inspect) you randomly.

Pensylvania likes to nail people for un-covered wiring (missing second split-loom covers over wires, etc.), especially for after-market light installs, horns, etc.. more-so than other states.

Idaho liked to nail ppl with for yearly on-site hazmat permits that you can only get at weigh stations ... even though their weight station is closed and you can't get one for that day.

Tenesee likes to nail anyone they can for any reason they can, and rummage thru your truck for any cash you may happen to have and confiscate it in the name of that scam called "search-and-siesure" police dept. funding.

New Mexico likes to give out CSA points to everyone they can.. on WARNINGS so that you can't dispute of fight against it,... and keep your SCA score high... just because they can.

[barf]

Warning: That APU will give you 400 lbs over 80K, but will NOT let you exceed an axle or tire rating! You can go 34,400 on drives but can't exceed 12,350 steer axle.

[Ricky]

(05-20-2021 )DT_Duh_Trucker Wrote:  I'm heavy on my steers!!!! With empty trailer and tanks at 3/4 I was at 12,380lbs. My axle rating is 12,350. Now I know I get an allowance of 400 hundred or so depending on the state for my apu, but is there anything else I can do to help move the weight back? Should I Slide tanks back a little in the straps? they are not under the doors like some prostars they're under the sleeper pretty much. Replace the axle for a higher rated one (this is the option i see being best for peace of mind at weigh stations)‽ My truck is 274 wheelbase. I have my 5th wheel back a few notches before the rear or one or two notches from being centered between the drives, but being a longer truck it makes it tougher to maneuver through places like DC, NY etc when I do go so i want to try to avoid going back any further IF possible. Any suggestions or help is appreciated. Also, I pull flatbed so yes I have a headache rack and chains/binders in there. Going home next week and if there is something I can do or have done I'd like to try to do it while I'm home for a week. Thanks for your help. Picture of truck is attached.....if I did it right lol.

My 2008 Prostar is like 12850 on the steers bobtail. I believe all the Prostars are heavy on the steers. My truck is 296 inches center of drives. Are you measuring center of drives because Waterloo's is 274 if I remember correctly and it is longer than that. But I unbolted the fifth wheel and slide the whole thing back about 6 inches. You would have to remove those bolsters. My drives are always light so I tend to load heavy up front plus I do up to 8'6" of front over hang on long stuff. I pull a 53' flat and depending on how I load I can lighten the steers a little. But I keep it back all the way all the time. I replaced my front springs with custom ones from a spring place in Pa. When I did it I found out that it came factory with springs that were 5250 per side. That's not a 12000 rating. But the Prostars turn really good, I'm 80 ft long and if you saw places it has been you would not believe it. But I never have any scales say anything about the steers. Here's my ProStar, I also run 16 ply steers

[DT_Duh_Trucker]

(05-21-2021 )Ricky Wrote:  

(05-20-2021 )DT_Duh_Trucker Wrote:  I'm heavy on my steers!!!! With empty trailer and tanks at 3/4 I was at 12,380lbs. My axle rating is 12,350. Now I know I get an allowance of 400 hundred or so depending on the state for my apu, but is there anything else I can do to help move the weight back? Should I Slide tanks back a little in the straps? they are not under the doors like some prostars they're under the sleeper pretty much. Replace the axle for a higher rated one (this is the option i see being best for peace of mind at weigh stations)‽ My truck is 274 wheelbase. I have my 5th wheel back a few notches before the rear or one or two notches from being centered between the drives, but being a longer truck it makes it tougher to maneuver through places like DC, NY etc when I do go so i want to try to avoid going back any further IF possible. Any suggestions or help is appreciated. Also, I pull flatbed so yes I have a headache rack and chains/binders in there. Going home next week and if there is something I can do or have done I'd like to try to do it while I'm home for a week. Thanks for your help. Picture of truck is attached.....if I did it right lol.

My 2008 Prostar is like 12850 on the steers bobtail. I believe all the Prostars are heavy on the steers. My truck is 296 inches center of drives. Are you measuring center of drives because Waterloo's is 274 if I remember correctly and it is longer than that. But I unbolted the fifth wheel and slide the whole thing back about 6 inches. You would have to remove those bolsters. My drives are always light so I tend to load heavy up front plus I do up to 8'6" of front over hang on long stuff. I pull a 53' flat and depending on how I load I can lighten the steers a little. But I keep it back all the way all the time. I replaced my front springs with custom ones from a spring place in Pa. When I did it I found out that it came factory with springs that were 5250 per side. That's not a 12000 rating. But the Prostars turn really good, I'm 80 ft long and if you saw places it has been you would not believe it. But I never have any scales say anything about the steers. Here's my ProStar, I also run 16 ply steers

I am measuring center of steer to center of last drive. I was under the impression center of the drives was Canadian wheel base which on mine is 244. Only other things I can think of are to get another box for the trailer for all my chains and binders to take off that weight at least. I've only been driving for 2 years 1.5 as company driver for tmc and .5 owner op. But in that time I've never been inspected or pulled off the scale for anything so not sure what to expect in a inspection of any level. My tag in the door says plain as day 12,350. Even with higher rated tires won't they go by the lesser amount far as what you can have on the steers?

[DT_Duh_Trucker]

(05-21-2021 )Rawze Wrote:  my prostar is the same way. I got all my chains hung on a chain rack on opposite side of apu and reduced as much weight in the cab as I could. - I have that heavy Hendrickson front end, and mine is 12,300 bobtail with full tanks.

BTW: In that photo ... your fifth wheel looks like it right where it is supposed to be so that it does not add weight to the front end.

I know that I cannot load more than about 45,300 or so with most box trailers or I will be over 80k with mine. Some shippers complain about that, but i tell them to go screw themselves if they do.

Your def tank, and the batteries are in front of fuel tanks... where mine are behind them at back of cab. My APU is further back, right in front of the axle mud-guard as well. Those things are is likely putting yours heavier than mine. you also have that headache rack adding some weight.

Would you say my best bet is to upgrade my steer axle just to be safe in case I come across the wrong officer having a bad day? If so, roughly how much am I looking at to have a shop do that?

[DT_Duh_Trucker]

(05-21-2021 )Waterloo Wrote:  

(05-20-2021 )DT_Duh_Trucker Wrote:  I'm heavy on my steers!!!! With empty trailer and tanks at 3/4 I was at 12,380lbs. My axle rating is 12,350. Now I know I get an allowance of 400 hundred or so depending on the state for my apu, but is there anything else I can do to help move the weight back? Should I Slide tanks back a little in the straps? they are not under the doors like some prostars they're under the sleeper pretty much. Replace the axle for a higher rated one (this is the option i see being best for peace of mind at weigh stations)‽ My truck is 274 wheelbase. I have my 5th wheel back a few notches before the rear or one or two notches from being centered between the drives, but being a longer truck it makes it tougher to maneuver through places like DC, NY etc when I do go so i want to try to avoid going back any further IF possible. Any suggestions or help is appreciated. Also, I pull flatbed so yes I have a headache rack and chains/binders in there. Going home next week and if there is something I can do or have done I'd like to try to do it while I'm home for a week. Thanks for your help. Picture of truck is attached.....if I did it right lol.

I'm up there too, roughly 13,000 or close all the time, big Herd Defender bumper and forward tanks on my ProStar. I run the 16 ply tires vs the 14 ply, 12,000 lb front axle. Never had an issue, been just about every state accept CA...

Not the best photo, but at least you can see what I live with. And that is a steerable lift axle on there too... She is HEAVY ;-)

Yeah I've been on the scales at a weigh station when I used to have the 5th wheel centered in the middle of the drives with some decently heavy loads 45k or so. I've never had an issue but it just takes one officer to ruin your day. So I'm considering upgrading steer axle for just in case purposes or springs. Question though if I do upgrade how do I get that registered to my truck so it shows on my door sticker?