18 wheelers?

[orezok]

Now that many trucking companies are going to super single tires, only 10 wheels, what do you call them?

 

[Wnc3]

Big trucks, Semis, class 8....??? And what do they call them in Michigan, 32 wheelers?

 

[dfkrug]

My bro is an owner/operator, based in SoCal, and he has super singles all
around. He attributes them to helping him get as much as 9MPG on
some runs.

I guess that "big rig" is a common name here in CA, but I am used
to calling them 18-wheelers. I guess I should try to say, "semi".
"10-wheelers" are 3-axle dump trucks here.

 

[Sterff]

The company I work for has super singles on all 32 of the sleepers. I think they are all Michelin 455/55R22.5. I was told that when you have dual wheels you will get less mpg because of the way the wind behaves between the tires. A disadvantage in super singles is getting a flat. Most likely you will destroy the wheel.

 

[Bigfoot62]

. . . A disadvantage in super singles is getting a flat. Most likely you will destroy the wheel.

Yep, and none of the local tire stores around here keep them in stock. So, if you have a flat on a super single, you'll be sitting on the side of the road for a while.

And, I wouldn't worry too much about what to call them. My dump trailer is a triple axle, but I don't call it a 20-wheeler.

 

[bcp]

I've often heard "class 8" but never have heard any smaller trucks called by a "class..." number. I had to look it up.

Truck classification - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bruce

 

[Woodtick02]

Lets call them Big Wheels... Oh wait thats already taken:laughing:

 

[Bob77064]

The super singles have been around for a while now and are becoming more popular.

 

[tcartwri]

Less rotational weight = more mpg

 

[Diamondpilot]

Less rotational weight = more mpg

Everyone around here is running them now. Big advantage is also the tire tax. Its per tire so it adds up. I have been told that by the second set you have paid for the new wheels.

Chris

 

[orezok]

A disadvantage in super singles is getting a flat. Most likely you will destroy the wheel.

True, but when you lose one tire the mate is loaded at double and won't last long either.

 

[phiferpharm]

True, but when you lose one tire the mate is loaded at double and won't last long either.

I don't think I've ever seen that setup in Florida. Are they legal in all states and I assume you can retrofit a rig with them?

 

[clemsonfor]

A lot of loggers around here went to them on log trailers 2-3 years ago, and chip vans. The AL wheels and single tire supposedly allowed more payload which over a week added up in more legal tons hauled to the mill. The disadvantage has been posted already. Get a flat your done till a spare it brought and service truck comes, there expensive. The duals are far better, esp with Al wheels the weight difference is not as big. I have seen and had several tell me that they have changed back to duals after the singles wore out. I guess some make it work and others dont? Maybe its on a long haul a few hours or half a day is not that big of a deal but when one truck is out a half a day and only gets 1 load that driver made no money even if owner op, and if company owned the owner of company lost thousands in revenue possibly that day.

 

[clemsonfor]

I don't think I've ever seen that setup in Florida. Are they legal in all states and I assume you can retrofit a rig with them?

Not sure if there legal there but yes you can put them on normal trailers. Its just one big A tire and wheel. Wheel is about twice as wide as a normal "dual" wheel. The tires look like what you see on the front of a AWD dumptruck. Like a huge car tire. You can go to single and back to duals. All it is is a rim, same concept as you can run a single rim on a dual setup just wont hold as much weight with a single "dual" rim.

 

[Sutol]

I ran super singles in the sixties on twin axle trailers and never had a blow out or a flat during about seven years of trucking with them. Mind you I did always check pressures and keep them up higher than recomended those days.

In the seventies we went on to bigger wider twin tyres and the drive axles went up to 13 tons(about 29000 lbs) with steering axles at 7 tons and rear trailer axles at 7 or 8 tons x 3 axles so gross weights wre allowed to go up to 38 tons (about 85000lbs)

Later in the late eighties and early nineties we changed to triple axle trailers and those had super singles as standard but the axles were and are still rated at lower weights.

Now we run semis on six axles and the weights are up to 44 tons gross (98000lbs approx) running super singles on the three axle trailers.

They are very reliable and take the weight, pressures are up to 120psi

 

[clemsonfor]

I ran super singles in the sixties on twin axle trailers and never had a blow out or a flat during about seven years of trucking with them. Mind you I did always check pressures and keep them up higher than recomended those days.

In the seventies we went on to bigger wider twin tyres and the drive axles went up to 13 tons(about 29000 lbs) with steering axles at 7 tons and rear trailer axles at 7 or 8 tons x 3 axles so gross weights wre allowed to go up to 38 tons (about 85000lbs)

Later in the late eighties and early nineties we changed to triple axle trailers and those had super singles as standard but the axles were and are still rated at lower weights.

Now we run semis on six axles and the weights are up to 44 tons gross (98000lbs approx) running super singles on the three axle trailers.

They are very reliable and take the weight, pressures are up to 120psi

Those weights seem low. Our trucks here in this area are allowed 84,000 gross or 42 tons. thats 2 trailer axles and 2 drivers and a steering axle. Many loads are in the 90's with the occasional 100+ or 50ton load. I thought yall carried crazy weights on your trucks over the pond, due to regs and fuel. Maybe this is, maybe its a tiny truck with a buch of axles and not the type of truck were thinking of? Reason i say this is all the towing you see over there. you see 30+ foot campers towed with vw vans and cars pulling boats and huge things cause fuel is so high that everyone drives smaller cars. There is a guy on this site in a different thread from somewhere in EU talking about towing a 5k total tractor and trailer load with his VOLVO!!! And i dont think hes talking about a "BIG" truck volvo!!

 

[tcartwri]

Outside of the US and Canada it is pretty common to see horse trailers being pulled by something the size of a Camry. Here we have to have a 400HP diesel....

 

[clemsonfor]

I didnt say that i think you need a 375hp deisel to do it, i just said they do do it, its crazy, just look at utube vids and stuff!!

I have posted in those current deisel threads and said most of todays new pickups are way over powered for normal stuff. I still pull my 16ft carhauler, tractor (2000lbs) and several implements (4ft) and ballast (usually 5ft RR track) with my 1980 K10 that new had 175hp. NO im not going up a moutain in high gear in fast lane at 70mph but at the end of the trip i pull into the yard with my load.

 

[Sterff]

Try to haul loads like this one with a Camry. It's the reason I have a "400 HP" diesel. Thats just under 3 cords.

 

[tcartwri]

hmmmm... i think the $700 truck payments are making a few of us thin skinned....