03-24-2019, 10:09 AM
My tag axle switch has three positions: up, off, down. I always use the up position when turning corners - any idea what the down position is for?
03-24-2019, 10:09 AM
03-24-2019, 01:13 PM
i believe it is to put more pressure in to take weight off of the drive axle.
tom
tom
03-24-2019, 01:42 PM
That is just opposite of what my owner's manual says. Up to add air, down to release air.
03-24-2019, 02:11 PM
On mine there are three positions...Here is what I believe them to mean.
[attachment=6712]
Top) Decrease Weight - this inflates the tag airbags to decrease the weight on the drive axle.
Middle). Normal
Bottom) Increase Traction - this deflates the bag to shift more weight to the drive axle.
In my experience, there is never a need to use this switch. Here is my thinking....
1. The only reason to decrease the weight on the drive is if I were pulled over by the highway patrol and accused of being over weight on an axle by axle basis. This has never happened to me and I have never heard of it happening to anyone else. So, I don’t think I need to ever decrease weight.
2. I have considered using the “Increase Traction” setting when I was stuck in some mud. However, I finally decided that it would cause more weight to be added to the drive and would cause the drive axle to sink deeper if applied. I did not use the button and simply waited for the mud to dry before leaving.
I do understand the idea of hitting the increase traction to take weight off the tag axles and thereby have a smaller turning radius. In my experience, this will not work. The reason is that the changes in pressure in the bags take a LONG time to happen. If I have to hit the button and then wait two minutes for the effect to happen....(even it it did what we hope for)...it would be take too long to be practical.
So...make sure your button is in the center position, and then be like Bill and never change it.
Notice that my button is in the non-middle position. This happens when my console slides into the button and changes its position accidentally. I should make some sort of protection device to keep this from happening.
Bill
[attachment=6712]
Top) Decrease Weight - this inflates the tag airbags to decrease the weight on the drive axle.
Middle). Normal
Bottom) Increase Traction - this deflates the bag to shift more weight to the drive axle.
In my experience, there is never a need to use this switch. Here is my thinking....
1. The only reason to decrease the weight on the drive is if I were pulled over by the highway patrol and accused of being over weight on an axle by axle basis. This has never happened to me and I have never heard of it happening to anyone else. So, I don’t think I need to ever decrease weight.
2. I have considered using the “Increase Traction” setting when I was stuck in some mud. However, I finally decided that it would cause more weight to be added to the drive and would cause the drive axle to sink deeper if applied. I did not use the button and simply waited for the mud to dry before leaving.
I do understand the idea of hitting the increase traction to take weight off the tag axles and thereby have a smaller turning radius. In my experience, this will not work. The reason is that the changes in pressure in the bags take a LONG time to happen. If I have to hit the button and then wait two minutes for the effect to happen....(even it it did what we hope for)...it would be take too long to be practical.
So...make sure your button is in the center position, and then be like Bill and never change it.
Notice that my button is in the non-middle position. This happens when my console slides into the button and changes its position accidentally. I should make some sort of protection device to keep this from happening.
Bill