Load Air guage

Line is cheap, better than a ticket. You have to go right to the leveling valve, or to an air bag, a T fitting and a regular gauge. It was the 1st thing I put on my trucks. 63 lbs. in the suspension was about 34,000. They were never too exact, but gave you an idea if you should, or should not go over a scale. As a side note, I don't ever remember seeing a grain box at a state weigh station, unless they dragged them in from a side road.

 

I helped my father in law install one directly on the air bag. He drilled into the top plate tapped it, installed a quick connect fitting, ran the airline to the dash, cut a hole in the dash and installed the gauge on the panel next to the radio. It was an 100psi gauge. At 65psi it was around 34k on the tandems. says he zeroed it without a trailer hooked. With the trailer hooked it showed 11psi.

 

If you have the air dump switch on your dash you have a place to T in the gauge, if not now is a good time to replace air ride valve with one with a dump type an run the air line thru firewall?

 

My son n law and dad farm in southern Mi. by Ohio border. The DOT keeps a good eye on them farmers. Lots of safety issues. They stopped the boy just the other day. He was empty but was asked how much you haulin? He had a weight ticket in his pocket. Close but not over. His truck is stretched with lift axle and two big gravity boxes.

 

They aren't too hard to install. Just tee into the line anywhere on the bag side of the leveling valve and run the airline up inside the dash. If you have a blank hole in the dash and are somewhat mechanically inclined, you should be able to install it nicely in an hour or 2.

 

don't they have digital gauges now they read in pounds?

 

I was just looking into that the other day. There is a company that makes a gauge that reads in lbs once you calibrate it.

 

We run ours in cab. Always start in the same spot of the slope on the front when it gets to 50 pull up to the back. Same procedure but 60. Puts me at 80 K and legal on all axles never having to get out but to roll my rag. Don't count on my numbers though each truck is a little different