[ssoutlaw]

Originally Posted by SteveBooth

Had my regulation whitie tighties on so I was DOT approved ops:

Yes, you do have to leave your chains on going through the tunnel. You want them on anyways to go down the other side. I don't think there is any place to take them off before going through the tunnel even if you wanted to.

I just couldn't believe how fast it changed from rain to heavy heavy snow. I looked at my weight gauge after I got down the bottom in the chain off area and it looked like I gained maybe a few thousand pounds or more from the snow and ice caked up. As I was driving and hitting bumps I could see huge chunks of ice and snow coming off the trailer.

Before I headed up the mountain I stopped at the last place to get fuel. I had a quarter tank which was more than enough but all I could think of was the worst and being stuck for days so I filled up at $3.20 a gallon. I'm sure they charge that on purpose being the only place.

That ride from the bottom of the mountains in Denver to Utah is a real pisser I tell you. The road is like a roller coaster with one rolling bump after another. It's like waves on the sea. I had to raise my seat up real high so I had the clearance not to bottom out on every bump. Then come the hills one after another. Go up in 5th at 35 then scream down the other side with the jakes on full and stabbing at the brakes.

I left that little town of Milford Utah and drove about 40 miles to Beaver. There's a small truck stop here with a restaurant next door, showers and my cell phone works. It's a nice place so I'm going to mark it in my truckstop directory. I've been circling all the good places and writing the exit numbers also which they should do anyways. That way you don't have to find it in the table then try and read the exit number while driving. Maybe I'll send them a letter.

I still have the shimmy in my front end. Big surprise!! Instead of putting my digital camera in there I'm going to buy a $30 USB Webcam instead. They have a nice little base that I can tie wrap it to many places. I'll run a cable back into the truck and plug into my laptop.

There are enough clues to my problem to at least give me some hints. It is a circular type of problem. I mean it does have to do with rotation. The faster I go the faster the frequency. When I start out in the morning it won't happen for at least an hour so I'm thinking it takes some time for a bushing or piece of metal to warm up before it has enough play to be a problem.

Well, we'll see if I get a load of out this place this morning but it may not look to good. Not much action around here.

I may be wrong, just a thought but a belt can break in one of your steers and cause a wobble or a shimmy like you are talking about. How long have you had the steers on?

The steers are brand new. I thought maybe that was the problem so I put my old steers on the trailer. 6 new shocks also. I'm still not sure if the problem is in the front end or the drive end. I think the camera is going to be the only way to isolate the region. Everyone else is just guessing at my expense.

[ssoutlaw]

Originally Posted by SteveBooth

The steers are brand new. I thought maybe that was the problem so I put my old steers on the trailer. 6 new shocks also. I'm still not sure if the problem is in the front end or the drive end. I think the camera is going to be the only way to isolate the region. Everyone else is just guessing at my expense.

Just a thought, but you already thought of it...lol

Originally Posted by ssoutlaw

Just a thought, but you already thought of it...lol

No, I didn't know that about the belts. I figured I could use the steers on my trailer as I needed 2 better ones and maybe new steers on the front would solve the problem. But I will remember what you said, thanks.

[marylandkw]

Originally Posted by furbis

do you leave the chains on while driving through the tunnel?

Yes. this might seem weird on first glance but there is no place to remove the chains on either side(well more than one or two trucks at a time) and IIRC it's like an 11% grade the last 400 feet into the portal.

I spent many a night with a jackknifed semi right near the portal and that 100 dollar ticket really did not have the punch the new chain law will have. I seem to remember reading that they are gonna improve the chain up areas as well this summer to hopefully prevent what happened this winter with a driver being hit and killed by a 4 wheeler when he was taking his chains off at the 216.

[Brown67]

Originally Posted by marylandkw

Yes. this might seem weird on first glance but there is no place to remove the chains on either side(well more than one or two trucks at a time) and IIRC it's like an 11% grade the last 400 feet into the portal.

I spent many a night with a jackknifed semi right near the portal and that 100 dollar ticket really did not have the punch the new chain law will have. I seem to remember reading that they are gonna improve the chain up areas as well this summer to hopefully prevent what happened this winter with a driver being hit and killed by a 4 wheeler when he was taking his chains off at the 216.

You're right. They passed a new law that makes the fine $1000 for not chaining up. It was cheaper to get a ticket than to buy chains. Plus they are going to improve chain up areas to allow for more parking. Plus I heard they will rent chains to drivers who don't have them. That's kinda of cool.

For anyone that's planning on buying chains I would recommend the ones I have with the cams. My first set didn't have them and I would try to stretch the chains over the tires...Ya right, that will work. I threw them away after seeing someone put ones with cams on in minutes.

I seem to have done a lot of driving in snow this past winter and really like the feeling of having chains on. I'm at the point where I'm ready to start timing myself like the father in Christmas Story changing the flat on his car.

Got a load yesterday and heading to Wyoming. It's a 48k load of stone going to a development. The stone is big chunks of maybe 1 inch thick and different sizes. They stand them up in a wooden frame and band them. I had to chain them all down even though the chain isn't really tight. You can keep tightening but it just crushes the wooden frame.

Won't have to worry about the front end today. There's no way I'm going to hit 70 with this load.

[marylandkw]

Originally Posted by SteveBooth

Got a load yesterday and heading to Wyoming. It's a 48k load of stone going to a development.

Alright rookie, You have a FLAT BED not a dump truck. :lol:

Save some work for Floored, she has a new baby! :lol:

[ssoutlaw]

Originally Posted by marylandkw

Alright rookie, You have a FLAT BED not a dump truck. :lol:

Save some work for Floored, she has a new baby! :lol:

You couldnt haul steves load in a dump bucket, its stone slabs!!!!!! floored is safe in california....lol

[coastie]

Originally Posted by ssoutlaw

You couldnt haul steves load in a dump bucket, its stone slabs!!!!!!

Try tell that to some of the Granite Companies in Elberton. I seen them haul slabs in them many of times. I even seen them haul GRanite Blocks in the bed of Dumps. 6foot long by 4 foot wide by 4 foot high Bit over weight, but they do. LEast they did not have to worry much of the block sliding into the cab with them which has happen before with flat beds.

Steve just becareful with those Slabs. Seen them cut cabs in half also. heads ach rake will not stop it.