Did anyone notice shorter trailers?

[FABMAN]

If they see you blow by an open scale they usually will chase you down and either write you a ticket on the spot, or make you turn around and go back to the scale and they will inspect you. When I was bringing Del Worshams rig back to California after we got Alexis Dejoria licensed, I was coming up on a New Mexico scale and there was a highway patrol had a car pulled over so I had to move over in to the left lane, and then a car behind me passed me on the right side and I couldn't get back over to enter the scale, so they came after me and wrote me a ticket for $167.00. The good part is that there is no points taken off your license. We have a pre pass in Bob Bodes hauler, so we don't have to stop at a 90% of the scales.

Eugene, are you a contract driver for different teams, just curious since your talk about your driving experience. If you are it would be a cool job. Thanks

 

[Huge]

Eugene, are you a contract driver for different teams, just curious since your talk about your driving experience. If you are it would be a cool job. Thanks

Jesse, I have worked for Bode for about 9 years, but since we usually don't run the full tour then I get calls from other teams if we are not racing that weekend.

 

[Huge]

Well, drive right by the scales sounds better than BLOW the scales.

Rick

Rick you are right, but the phrase "blow the chicken coops" was an old trucker slang from back as far as the 70s.

 

[Wayne]

The good part is that there is no points taken off your license. We have a pre pass in Bob Bodes hauler, so we don't have to stop at a 90% of the scales.

NO POINTS!!!! WOW!!! I thought we get points for looking cross-eyed @ a scale house. I got a warning for speed (65-66) and got a point!!! & now the new hands-free fines!!! UGH!!!

Love the pre pass except when they're bored & decide to pull every one in for ****s & giggles!!!

Stay safe Eugene!

 

[clwill]

I noticed that a number of them had moved the generators from the trailer to the back of the tractor.

 

[James]

80,000 pounds for now, Congress is considering raising it to 97,000 with a third axle on the trailers...
The 53' law is for the trailer, it has nothing to do with the 5th wheel on the tractor...
The overall length rules were changed when the trailer law went to 53' from 48' and the width went from 8'-0" to 8'-6"...
That's when all the "cabovers" started to disappear and the long wheelbase tractors became common throughout the US...

A loaded race rig weighs 80k?

There's no way,how?

 

[.]

A loaded race rig weighs 80k?

There's no way,how?

A complete tractor/trailer combo is in the 40,000 pound neighborhood when empty..... Now add complete car, spare bodies, spare engines, spare engine parts, Genset, tools, crew gear, Fresh water tank, etc, etc. It adds up quick! 80,000 pounds is the legal limit for an 18 wheeler. Some rigs may gross out a bit less than 80K but I suspect most teams are very close to that limit.

 

[Huge]

When I leave the shop with the fuel tanks full, and the fresh water tanks full, I usually gross around 78,000 pounds. But after the first race we will lose about 1500 pounds in oil, clutch discs, and floaters, and other parts. Parts will be shipped to the other races until the truck goes back to the shop.

 

[Nitrohelper]

....A loaded race rig weighs 80k....There's no way,how....

Why would doubt someone with known facts that is trying to inform this board based on driving race car rigs
How many times have you driven an eighteen wheeler over the scales

 

[Toby]

80,000 is the legal limit. We farm in eastern CO and transport our corn. There isn't much tolerance on the interstate limit. On secondary roads, atleast in CO, 88,000 is the limit

 

[sdwarf36]

When I leave the shop with the fuel tanks full, and the fresh water tanks full, I usually gross around 78,000 pounds. But after the first race we will lose about 1500 pounds in oil, clutch discs, and floaters, and other parts. Parts will be shipped to the other races until the truck goes back to the shop.

Is it your job to restock the truck? Something I've wondered-how many spray cans of carb/brake cleaner do you go thru in a weekend?

 

[Huge]

Is it your job to restock the truck? Something I've wondered-how many spray cans of carb/brake cleaner do you go thru in a weekend?

Sherman, when I arrive at the track on Tue or Wed I will go to Jerry and Mary Annes package trailer to pick up any supplies that was shipped in. We do go through a lot of brake clean, rolls of blue paper towels, and terry cloth towels. Then I go to the Goodyear trailer and pick up tires if we need them before they run out of the size that we like to run.

 

[none]

Sorry it took me so long to get back to this. My experience is that most scales (yes I have driven and still do occasionally) have marks that show them at a glance overall length of the rig. If you’re long they will pull you in and find out why. Then in some states (like Florida) you buy the permit for the extra trailer length and go on your happy way. But if you shorten the fifth wheel, your rig doesn’t look long, and most times you slide by.

The catch of course is that you can’t make anything close to a sharp turn, so you need to hit the next truck stop or rest area and move it back. You also have to know that you’re not going to be heavy on the front if they’re weighing the axles individually,

Alan

 

[vegasnitro]

Then I go to the Goodyear trailer and pick up tires if we need them before they run out of the size that we like to run.

There are different size fuel tires?? I just assumed all of the fuel tires and wheels were the same size/weight/compound etc. Interesting ...

 

[chop]

There are different size fuel tires?? I just assumed all of the fuel tires and wheels were the same size/weight/compound etc. Interesting ...

You should see the fight for P/S tires.

 

[none]

You should see the fight for P/S tires.

That's a FACT! We used to just shrink them. (That's not a joke)

Alan

 

[Huge]

There are different size fuel tires?? I just assumed all of the fuel tires and wheels were the same size/weight/compound etc. Interesting ...

Chris, Goodyear puts each tire on a machine and airs them up to a certain air pressure and then they measure them so they can pair them up . Then they mark on them what size they streched to. So when you go to purchase a set of tires you can choose any where from say a 113'' rollout to maybe a 120'' rollout. I have seen Allan Johnson have his crew change to a different size tire on his dragster in the staging lanes just because the track temp changed so much after they got up there.

 

[sdwarf36]

That's a FACT! We used to just shrink them. (That's not a joke)

Alan

Hmm-playing circle track I've stretched tires-gooped them-glued them-wrapped them-siped them-cant say I've ever shrank them. You might just have to 'splain that one.

 

[Nick Name]

That was the last straw for me. First the countdown, then 1000 feet, now shorter trailers. No more NHRA races for me.

 

[vegasnitro]

That was the last straw for me. First the countdown, then 1000 feet, now shorter trailers. No more NHRA races for me.

Really? Shorter trailers is the straw that broke the camel's back?

Sounds like more of a reason to stay out of Kalifornia than not to go to a drag race, at least to me.