[Brad Townsend]

I guess the best thing is to get a current weight when we top off when we leave for the trip eastward and go from there.

[Brad Townsend]

So I think those numbers from the cat scales don't make sense. The huge difference between the drive axles don't make sense to me. Plus I looked at the gvw tag by the drivers seat and the total gvw is 45200. I don't see where I have added 10000 lbs of stuff. Something is off.

[Joe Galowitch]

I am pretty new at this but I think are drive axles are 230000 lbs and the tag axle is treated as ny ordinary single axle with duals as 40,000 and with a single at 12,000 depending on tire size. On any of our steer axles we can go to 20,000 with dual steering boxes. Now of course this is on class 8 trucks but some stuff I think?

[Brad Townsend]

I think I have solved the problem. I found some paper work of another weighing at Newell, weighing individual wheels in 2010
Here are the totals for each axle.
Seems the Cat scales paperwork included the trailer weight for the tag axle.
Front  12140 lbs
Drive  22060 lbs
Tag     6750 lbs
Total    40950 lbs
 
Trailer weights axle #1- 5290
                      axle #2- 4290
 Total 9580 lbs
Coach and trailer combined is 50530 lbs.

I will get the coach weighed without the trailer to be up to date.

[Richard]

I think you are on the right track to get fresh weights with trailer attached.

You have gotten some really good info from the members. You have pretty much covered the question of are the brakes working in good order.

To summarize what everyone has said, the problem probably lies in three conceptual areas.

One, the tag is not weighted properly causing the tire to skid before the drive wheels.

Two, the tag is braking harder than the drive.
Could be caused by something amiss in the relay valve for the drive or the pilot relay valve for the tag brakes.
Could be caused by the drive brake shoes not biting as hard as the tag shoes
Which could be glazed or worn brake shoes
Which could be that the brake cans for the tag are TOO big, could be a replacement or came from the factory that way

Three, the trailer is lifting the rear and unweighting the tag during a hard stop.
Does the skidding happen without the trailer?
Yes, you have stated the trailer has brakes, but we just don't know if they are as powerful as the coach brakes. The momentum of
the trailer and the effect of the weight distribution hitch want to raise the back of the coach during a hard stop. Might be an
interesting experiment to have someone video from a side view you stopping the coach. It wouldn't have to be a panic stop, just
moderate. Put it on the computer screen and see if the rear lifts.

[Brad Townsend]

Sorry to have complicated things. This could have better been explained/solved with better keeping of records.
Live and learn.

[kyleb]

Just a thought . . . .
The brake chambers on my tag are much smaller than the drive axle chambers. If yours are the same size, then either you have the wrong ones on yours, or there is a problem with the regulator reducing the pressure to the tag.

If your tag chambers are smaller than the drive, maybe they need to be even smaller . . . . ? ?

[Brad Townsend]

They are quite smaller.

[Brad Townsend]

Heading East now. We started out planning on leaving yuma at 6am topping off with diesel and propane and get weighed at Flying J
travel plaza in Yuma foothills. Well we had a pet emergency that set us back about 4 hrs. All is well now. Weighed at the scales and got the front axle and the drive and tag combined because they were both on the same pad. I asked the lady in the store if I should back up and she said she could figure it out. Just then another truck pulled up behind me, i figured the lady knew what she was talking about but not making sense to me feeling rushed I went with it and found that she only got the front axle the drive and tag combined and the trailer and combined. As follows:
Front axle 11660 lbs
tag & drive combined 30080 lbs
Trailer 10660 lbs
Combined GVW is 52400 lbs The trailer did not have the anti sway/weight distribution connected.  
I always check the tire temp when we stop with a in-fared temp gun. Noticing ALL tires were now within 10 degrees of each other.
This has never happened before. I think there is a story here. The tags tires were the coolest. I am venturing a guess that the tag and front are weighing about the same may be able to put a bit more on the tag but this is real close IMO. I think the ant saw/weight dist. gadget may have been the problem. The brakes seemed to be working fine. I have the trailer at about 50%, I can feel a slight pullback when i go slow and apply the brakes. Not sure what the air pressure was on the tag but will check tomorrow.
In thinking about all this in our 8hr trip today I am wondering if the ability to add pressure to the tag is to adjust for tongue weights and needing to readjust if not towing a trailer. That of course would mean getting a correct weight for all axles and logging the adjustments to the air pressure necessary to get the axles to where they should be in both cases. Could it be that simple ?
I am considering stopping by Newell (will call first) to see if they could weigh me on their individual scales with and without the trailer connected and make the necessary air pressure adjustments on the tag to compensate to the correct weights and make sure to note those settings for future use.

Traveled from Yuma to Winslow walmart to spend the night. Will land in Amarillo Texas tomorrow pm.

Feedback?

[Brad Townsend]

Arrived in AmarilloTexas tonight from Winslow Az. Tires stayed within 10 degrees on every check which was about every hour because we had to stop for our dog as she now has to take lasix. The tag pressure was at 25 lbs I played with it moving it up to 35 lbs but the only difference was I could hear the flat spots from previous lock ups louder. It did not raise the temp so I put it back down to 25 lbs. The temps of the front axle and drive axle can be within 2 degrees of each other with the tag being no more than 10 degrees cooler. I forgot to mention yesterday that after exiting into a rest area and applying the brakes firmly I measured the temps of all six brake shoe pads and they all were 120 degrees by the time I got out and took a measurement. At this point things seem to be great. I am thinking of trying another cat scale tomorrow being sure to get the axles on separate pads instead of paying what might be an hours labor at Newell.
Will update tomorrow.
Hope someone is getting something out of this.