Anyone Swap Out A 12,000# For A 20,000# Axle?

[diesel]

I am installing 315 tires on the front of a 1992 CH 613. Thinking about installing a 20,000 front axle and was wondering if this is a direct swap. What type of truck am I going to have to get the 20,000 axle out of? Thanks.

[MACKS]

I would say look for a cl front end,they came with the heavy front ends and rears.I have a 20,000 axle in my cl and I have to tell you it rides a little rough when the truck is empty.

[MrDave]

I am installing 315 tires on the front of a 1992 CH 613. Thinking about installing a 20,000 front axle and was wondering if this is a direct swap. What type of truck am I going to have to get the 20,000 axle out of? Thanks.

Safest bet would be to have one of the "counter guys" at your local MACK dealer put in a changeover request form for you. If they will. will tell you all needed parts and so on. Good luck.

DAVE

[terry]

I am installing 315 tires on the front of a 1992 CH 613. Thinking about installing a 20,000 front axle and was wondering if this is a direct swap. What type of truck am I going to have to get the 20,000 axle out of? Thanks.

I was told the heavy axles out of a DM mack can be used in the CH, but measure from center bolt to center bolt to be sure. terry

[Bollweevil]

What is your reason for wanting to change? 315"s are obviously rated at a higher load carrying capacity, how much more do you actually need, and why.

[diesel]

This truck has a 22 ft aluminum Reiten grain box. I was wanting to take advantage of the size of this box. I am going to put a steerable pusher axle on the truck this week and worried that the 12,000 front axle may get overloaded. The front tires on the truck now, 11R24.5 are rated at 7700 lbs/tire. Going to a 315/22.5 tire, the rating goes up to 9900 lbs/tire. I may leave it at that and not worry about the axle. If the pusher axle is set correctly, I will not have to worry about getting too much weight on the front axle. I did find out that the pusher axle is rated at 10,000 lbs.

[Hook n ladder 1]

You probably don't need to worry about the front axle if you're adding a pusher. If you were adding a trailing tag axle then you'd have to worry about the front. If you wanted to go to a heavier front try an 18,000#.

Put the pusher on load it up and weigh it. Then you will know

[diesel]

Is an 18,000 lb axle easier to come up with?

[Bollweevil]

You are making me curious about your grain hauling venture. What can you legally gross with the truck as it is presently configured? What are the axle weights? With the addition of the 315's and the necessary wheel change, and also a pusher axle, you will add at least 3000 lbs to your tare weight. How much more can you haul with the modifications?

[diesel]

Currently, with 23 ft between center of front axle to center of rear axle, I can gross 53,000 lbs. Adding another axle, I can gross 57,500 lbs. The truck weighs 20,800 lbs empty. Under the current grain harvest proclimation the govenor passed, We can go up 10% on axles, but must follow the bridge chart. Under the proclimation, the truck with 3 axles could cary 58,300 lbs. That is an increase of 5300 lbs. which is almost 95 bushel increase. Adding the pusher axle, the gross goes up to 63,250. That is an increase of 5750 lbs. which is another 102 bushels of corn.

[Bollweevil]

So, you are looking at a 10,250 allowable increase. When you factor in the weight of the modifications, you might gain 7,000 lbs. With that much wheel base the 315's will increase stability, and the pusher axle will take some weight off the steer axle. More than likely you won't need to change the front axle. At this point anything that you add decreases the payload. Give us an update on how the changes work out. You have reminded me that I am out of cornmeal, so I have to stop and go to the store.

[theakerstwo]

So, you are looking at a 10,250 allowable increase. When you factor in the weight of the modifications, you might gain 7,000 lbs. With that much wheel base the 315's will increase stability, and the pusher axle will take some weight off the steer axle. More than likely you won't need to change the front axle. At this point anything that you add decreases the payload. Give us an update on how the changes work out. You have reminded me that I am out of cornmeal, so I have to stop and go to the store.

Cant you go one day with out cornbread. I do and get by but it ant the same i know. glenn

[diesel]

I am hoping to get the truck back late Friday or Saturday am. Already have aluminum wheels on the front, so I am installing eight aluminum wheels on the rear. This will help offset some of the weight gained by the pusher axle. Once I get the eight wheels on, I am going to run it across the scale to see how much my empty weight increased. I took a before picture and will be talking an after picture and will try and post the two on this site. May need help posting the pics. Good luck on the cornmeal run.

[HK Trucking]

Putting in an 18,000 or 20,000 lb front axle will accomplish nothing unless you beef up the front springs so they are capable of handling 18 or 20 k.

Those 2 or 3 leaf CH front springs will not handle 18 or 20k.

[David]

Putting in an 18,000 or 20,000 lb front axle will accomplish nothing unless you beef up the front springs so they are capable of handling 18 or 20 k.

Those 2 or 3 leaf CH front springs will not handle 18 or 20k.

At what point do you need a double frame?

[diesel]

The truck is already double framed.

[bts-4120]

Putting in an 18,000 or 20,000 lb front axle will accomplish nothing unless you beef up the front springs so they are capable of handling 18 or 20 k.

Those 2 or 3 leaf CH front springs will not handle 18 or 20k.

thats what I was thinking why couldn't he upgrade to a 18k spring pack on a 12k axle I know of a lot of R's like that being used as log trucks

[theakerstwo]

thats what I was thinking why couldn't he upgrade to a 18k spring pack on a 12k axle I know of a lot of R's like that being used as log trucks

Did you ever see a king pin break or all most break and bind up the spindle were it wont turn either way? I have seen it a few times from over loading the axles. It may care the weight but what havens is you hit a rought rail road and you can bend a king pin or break one. glenn

[Bollweevil]

Well let's see now, we have 4 axles rated at 12,000 10.000 20,000 and 20,000, that's 70,000. We have a 63,000 gross weight to work with. We have a chassis with 23 ft center to center between front to rear axle, along with a 22 ft body. Obviously there has to be an overhang. The more overhang, the more weight on the rear. I am still waiting on pictures, but my bet is that he would have a hard time getting 12,000 lbs on the steer.

[diesel]

I have a before and after pics, but do not know how to post them. I have not been able scale the truck, since the elevator has been busy. I did look up again on the DOT chart and with the 10% weight limit increase, we can run 63,250 gross. I weighed a 24.5 steel wheel and a 24.5 aluminum wheel and came up with 31 lbs. difference. Our empty weight, with 4 aluminum wheels on the drives, increased 800 lbs. By adding the other 4 aluminum wheels, when the polisher finishes them, our empty weight will have only increased by 680 lbs. I am going to install the 315 tires this week, if it rains. Empty weight, the way the truck sits right now, is around 21,400 lbs. This allows us to haul around 730 bushels of corn.

[Jonesy]

If you guys are looking for replacement front axles, I have about 30 various new take off Daimler/Mack front I-beams ranging from 14,600-22,000 laying in our yard.  If you are looking for something in particular, email me at Eric.Jones@Marmon-Herrington.com with your request and I'll see if I can match it.

Eric Jones