Trailer axle question

[Joe ellis]

I got a 24ft livestock trailer with 2 7k axles that I’m pulling with a f450 ford is the axle capacity setup that the axles can withstand just 14k in the trailer+ contents or if you shift part the weight onto the truck say 2k on the truck and 14 on the trailer will it mess up your axles?

 

[Geo-TH,In]

I got a 24ft livestock trailer with 2 7k axles that I’m pulling with a f450 ford is the axle capacity setup that the axles can withstand just 14k in the trailer+ contents or if you shift part the weight onto the truck say 2k on the truck and 14 on the trailer will it mess up your axles?

I have bent axles before by over loading them.

 

[MSD]

My understanding is that the 2 7000lb axles gives you 14K total weight including the trailer. But depending on if it is a gooseneck or bumper pull some of the tongue weight being on the pickup will give you more carrying capacity. Then there is the factor of how you load the trailer with more on the back it is more weight the trailer is carrying or load it more to the front the truck will cay more. When I am not sure I usually look at the overloads on the pickup. If they are touching then the front is probably loaded heavy. If not, if it is a bumper pull, try lifting the tongue and see how light the back of the truck gets, Then you are light on the front with the load.

 

[Joe ellis]

My understanding is that the 2 7000lb axles gives you 14K total weight including the trailer. But depending on if it is a gooseneck or bumper pull some of the tongue weight being on the pickup will give you more carrying capacity. Then there is the factor of how you load the trailer with more on the back it is more weight the trailer is carrying or load it more to the front the truck will cay more. When I am not sure I usually look at the overloads on the pickup. If they are touching then the front is probably loaded heavy. If not, if it is a bumper pull, try lifting the tongue and see how light the back of the truck gets, Then you are light on the front with the load.


Trailer is a gooseneck. So if I load the trailer more front heavy and less on the axles I can get a little carrying capacity than loading most of the weight ontop the axles without causing damage to the axles?

 

[Janicholson]

My understanding is that the 2 7000lb axles gives you 14K total weight including the trailer. But depending on if it is a gooseneck or bumper pull some of the tongue weight being on the pickup will give you more carrying capacity. Then there is the factor of how you load the trailer with more on the back it is more weight the trailer is carrying or load it more to the front the truck will cay more. When I am not sure I usually look at the overloads on the pickup. If they are touching then the front is probably loaded heavy. If not, if it is a bumper pull, try lifting the tongue and see how light the back of the truck gets, Then you are light on the front with the load.


Trailer is a gooseneck. So if I load the trailer more front heavy and less on the axles I can get a little carrying capacity than loading most of the weight ontop the axles without causing damage to the axles?

Drag it across a Certified scale. The truck rear only, then the truck and trailer with rear of truck on the platform, empty. Then loaded with a modest load that allows you to assess the balance on the axles. This is an answer that can help you get a real, and safe, answer. Jim

 

[rrman61]

I got a 24ft livestock trailer with 2 7k axles that I’m pulling with a f450 ford is the axle capacity setup that the axles can withstand just 14k in the trailer+ contents or if you shift part the weight onto the truck say 2k on the truck and 14 on the trailer will it mess up your axles?

My understanding is that the 2 7000lb axles gives you 14K total weight including the trailer. But depending on if it is a gooseneck or bumper pull some of the tongue weight being on the pickup will give you more carrying capacity. Then there is the factor of how you load the trailer with more on the back it is more weight the trailer is carrying or load it more to the front the truck will cay more. When I am not sure I usually look at the overloads on the pickup. If they are touching then the front is probably loaded heavy. If not, if it is a bumper pull, try lifting the tongue and see how light the back of the truck gets, Then you are light on the front with the load.


Trailer is a gooseneck. So if I load the trailer more front heavy and less on the axles I can get a little carrying capacity than loading most of the weight ontop the axles without causing damage to the axles?

The truck should take 1500-2000 pounds of the total weight it being an

My understanding is that the 2 7000lb axles gives you 14K total weight including the trailer. But depending on if it is a gooseneck or bumper pull some of the tongue weight being on the pickup will give you more carrying capacity. Then there is the factor of how you load the trailer with more on the back it is more weight the trailer is carrying or load it more to the front the truck will cay more. When I am not sure I usually look at the overloads on the pickup. If they are touching then the front is probably loaded heavy. If not, if it is a bumper pull, try lifting the tongue and see how light the back of the truck gets, Then you are light on the front with the load.


Trailer is a gooseneck. So if I load the trailer more front heavy and less on the axles I can get a little carrying capacity than loading most of the weight ontop the axles without causing damage to the axles?

1500-2000 pounds on the truck and only a scale can tell you that.when I would haul I would put the heavier stock forward always.best bet load it as usual and weigh the trailer only then tear truck axles only if the scale is short enough to do that

 

[Joe ellis]

Drag it across a Certified scale. The truck rear only, then the truck and trailer with rear of truck on the platform, empty. Then loaded with a modest load that allows you to assess the balance on the axles. This is an answer that can help you get a real, and safe, answer. Jim

that’s what I need to do

 

[Joe ellis]

The truck should take 1500-2000 pounds of the total weight it being an

1500-2000 pounds on the truck and only a scale can tell you that.when I would haul I would put the heavier stock forward always.best bet load it as usual and weigh the trailer only then tear truck axles only if the scale is short enough to do that

The truck will 100% take 1500-2000 I’ve hauled 8k lbs of seed + 1230 lb flatbed and a 1600 gallon nurse tank full of liquid nitrogen.
When hauling I’ve been hauling 16 6-650lb calves in it which is right around weight capacity of trailer axles and have been loading it more front heavy but I’ve got enough room to put 4-5 more in it so when I haul some tomorrow I’ll load 8 in front compartment and 6 in other 2 and see how it works out

 

[jon f mn]

Legally you get 14k on the trailer plus 6k to the truck. The gooseneck should be rated for at least 6k or more and your truck will easily haul that. That's 20k total minus the trailer. I would guess your trailer weighs 4-6k. Best way to figure how to load is a trip across a scale. The most common cause of bent axles is either over loading or letting the suspension get worn out so they bottom out.

 

[Joe ellis]

Legally you get 14k on the trailer plus 6k to the truck. The gooseneck should be rated for at least 6k or more and your truck will easily haul that. That's 20k total minus the trailer. I would guess your trailer weighs 4-6k. Best way to figure how to load is a trip across a scale. The most common cause of bent axles is either over loading or letting the suspension get worn out so they bottom out.

Trailers got torsion axles and it’s a right new trailer so suspension should be alright I’m trying to make sure not to bend the axles them 7k torsions with electric over hydraulic brakes are expensive but also wanna use the trailer and not have a lot of wasted box space

 

[jon f mn]

Trailers got torsion axles and it’s a right new trailer so suspension should be alright I’m trying to make sure not to bend the axles them 7k torsions with electric over hydraulic brakes are expensive but also wanna use the trailer and not have a lot of wasted box space

The important thing with those axles is to make sure the trailer is level when loaded. Those axles are warranted to take double rated load fir short times because they don't equalize, so they dont bend easy. But with a full load the trailer needs to be level so both carry equal load. So you should be nose up a bit empty so it settles down to level full. It's not as much as you think because full load the settle 3" plus tire sag, so it won't much higher even empty.

 

[Joe ellis]

The important thing with those axles is to make sure the trailer is level when loaded. Those axles are warranted to take double rated load fir short times because they don't equalize, so they dont bend easy. But with a full load the trailer needs to be level so both carry equal load. So you should be nose up a bit empty so it settles down to level full. It's not as much as you think because full load the settle 3" plus tire sag, so it won't much higher even empty.

That’s the way I’ve always done it is trailer nosed up just a little empty or best I could
Hauled 17188 on it today counting trailer made it home 4 hour trip and axles don’t look bent checked with a level and they still straight and not leaning
Had 12978 lb of it on the trailer axles and 4210 on the truck gonna be using the trailer the whole week so hopefully everything goes good.
When I had this trailer built nobody at trailer mfg would tell me a answer to my question but told me I wouldn’t need anything more than 2 7ks

 

[jon f mn]

That’s the way I’ve always done it is trailer nosed up just a little empty or best I could
Hauled 17188 on it today counting trailer made it home 4 hour trip and axles don’t look bent checked with a level and they still straight and not leaning
Had 12978 lb of it on the trailer axles and 4210 on the truck gonna be using the trailer the whole week so hopefully everything goes good.
When I had this trailer built nobody at trailer mfg would tell me a answer to my question but told me I wouldn’t need anything more than 2 7ks

They dont like to give specifics because if something happens they dont want you coming back and says they said it was OK. Rarely do they tell you about what goes on the truck so there is aa buffer.

 

[john in la]

You can put a million pounds in the trailer.
As long as you can figure out how to load it so you only have 7000 lbs on each trailer axle and do not go past what your hitch is rated for or the axles on your truck rating.
As said put it (empty) on a scale and subtract these axle weights (truck and trailer) from your rating.
Since you can not move the ball mount forward or back you may not be perfect on the steer axle but you can move things around in the trailer to get the rear axle on the truck and trailer axles right.

 

[moresmoke]

Trailers got torsion axles and it’s a right new trailer so suspension should be alright I’m trying to make sure not to bend the axles them 7k torsions with electric over hydraulic brakes are expensive but also wanna use the trailer and not have a lot of wasted box space

You will blow tires before you bend a 7000 torsion axle.

Don’t ask how I know this!

 

[Joe ellis]

You will blow tires before you bend a 7000 torsion axle.

Don’t ask how I know this!

I don’t know I got the 17.5 rims with 18 ply’s on it rated for 4890 same tires on a tri axle with 3 8ks so everything would be interchangeable just incase

 

[Joe ellis]

They dont like to give specifics because if something happens they dont want you coming back and says they said it was OK. Rarely do they tell you about what goes on the truck so there is aa buffer.

That’s what I figured

 

[Joe ellis]

You can put a million pounds in the trailer.
As long as you can figure out how to load it so you only have 7000 lbs on each trailer axle and do not go past what your hitch is rated for or the axles on your truck rating.
As said put it (empty) on a scale and subtract these axle weights (truck and trailer) from your rating.
Since you can not move the ball mount forward or back you may not be perfect on the steer axle but you can move things around in the trailer to get the rear axle on the truck and trailer axles right.

I ran both truck and trailer on scale with truck full of fuel then just trailer 2 axles on scale and then just truck by itself subtracted truck weight off to figure out how much trailer weighed and then done the same except for truck by itself loaded to figure out how much weight was on trailer and how much was on truck don’t really have a way to do each axle individually but everything’s gone good the last 2 days
Now just got to get the idiots at the sale barn to not try and run everything up in trailer and shut the doors

 

[Fixingfarmer]

Stop on the scale with each of the rear axles individually? Trailer should be easy to weigh I did that on a floater once to see how much was on each wheel

Mine tips up so the front axle is not quite as low when empty so it would be interesting to see what each would be

I have never seen the dot pull over a small open (cattle) livestock trailer I’m assuming they wouldn’t want to get peed on while trying to get their little scale out

if you are this concerned about it you are not going to damage the trailer

 

[showcrop]

Trailers are rated for their capacity with a proportion supported by an adequate tow vehicle.