Re: [SilverStreak] Flipped axels (again)

["Tom Patterson" <pattersontj@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I can post some pictures in the Silver Streak section of the site if you 
wish.  What I would also need is some narrative to go along with the 
pictures, so as to explain what they represent.

Just forward pictures and narrative to me for posting.

-Tom


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bussiere, Curtis L SFC RES USAR TRADOC" <curtis.bussiere@us.army.mil>
To: <sslist@tompatterson.com>
Sent: Monday, April 21, 2008 9:35 AM
Subject: Re: [SilverStreak] Flipped axels (again)


> It was a fun project. Of course Marie is use to me jacking up one vehicle 
> or another and cranking away. Even she saw the bow and canter of the 
> wheels after my 180 attempt. Of course I tried my hardest to convince her 
> (and myself) that it was totally normal, I knew I could never move it like 
> that and I went back to the drawing board. Putting the axel under the 
> spring was the answer for me. I would like to post the pictures if someone 
> could tell me where.
> As far as doing yours, Lets do it. I would be happy to! I just retired 
> from the Army and have a couple of months until I go back to work full 
> time. Marie is going crazy(er) with me hanging around I currently commute 
> to Houston from Fort Polk LA to work just on weekends
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Eddie <Eddie@Huffstetter.com>
> Date: Monday, April 21, 2008 8:44
> Subject: Re: [SilverStreak] Flipped axels (again)
> To: sslist@tompatterson.com
>
>> Curt,
>> Ok, come do mine! Most axles I have seen bow up to the center.
>> Sets the
>> camber. Makes it track. I do not know of any axle that can be 180
>> flipped
>> because of that. Of course if drop axles flipping is out of the
>> question.
>> I do have experience overloading my single axle tilt trailer for
>> carrying
>> scissor lifts. On the order of a oversized golf cart type trailer,
>> I put two
>> scissor lifts on it one time. Wrong! 8000 pounds on a 4000 pound
>> trailer was
>> a big mistake. It squished the tires, towed 8 miles to my shop
>> downtown
>> whereupon I went over a swell. The over loaded trailer bottomed on
>> the axles
>> and the once bowed up axle bent down in the center, reversed the
>> bow
>> exactly, and the tires both cambered in toward the top. I
>> unloaded. The
>> trailer was rated properly and I assume the rating considers G-
>> Force of the
>> load during irregular road surfaces. I imagine the forces can
>> double the
>> weight on the trailer in those circumstances.
>>
>> This expensive industrial trailer was impossible to tow back empty
>> to my
>> north yard at any speed above 20 mph without severe duck-walking.
>> I was able
>> to re-bow this very strong axle, return the camber to bottoms in
>> toward
>> center and it resumed good towing. Loaded, the camber tends to
>> have only a
>> slight inner bottom camber which can flex to vertical camber. I do
>> know the
>> wheels cannot be bowed in toward the top and be towed. They look
>> vertical
>> but actually have a slight camber in to the bottom.
>>
>> So your right, the axle can't be flipped. It does flex and move
>> during use
>> and needs the slight arch.
>> -Eddie-
>> Houston, TX
>>