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What is a lift axle and flip axle?

in Equipment Check

A lift axle and flip axle are two ways of increasing the number of axles on a tractor trailer combination.
 
As a load grows in weight, the need for more axles comes into play.   So, lets say you have a load that weighs 87k lbs.  You will need a tractor trailer axle combination of let’s say eight axles.  Now, lets say your truck and trailer combination is six axles, how can you make the difference.  Well, there are two ways to add axles without running them when you don’t need them.  It’s important to point out that the equipment must be already spec’d with this equipment because it’s not like you can just stop at a truckstop and purchase extra axles.
 

Lift Axle

lift_axleA lift axle can be on a tractor or trailer, but here it’s on the tractor.  You will also noticed that the lift axle is smaller than the other wheels and tires.  Although this is not necessary I’ll explain in a moment why it can be better.  So a lift axle does what it says.  You can lift the axle which will lift the tire off the ground so that you don’t use the tire when you don’t need the extra axle which will save on tire wear.  You can use a standard size wheel and tire, like the duals in this picture, and still get the lift axle to lift the tire off the ground.  However, using a low profile wheel and tire will get the tire further off the ground lessening the possibility of the tire hitting the ground on uneven surfaces.  So for this example, we have added an extra axle for the load.
 

Flip Axle

The first picture below shows a flip axle in the up position. When another axle is required due to more weight, the axle can be set in the down position like the bottom picture demonstrates. A flip axle is only utilized on the rear of a trailer for obvious reasons. You have now added another axle to the trailer. So there you have it. We have made our six axle tractor trailer combination into an eight axle by adding a lift axle to the tractor and a flip axle to the rear of the trailer.flipaxle_upflip_axle_down_position

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Heavy Haul TruckingMy name is Travis Smith and I've been working in the trucking business since 1994 and with Heavy Haul Trucking since 2001. Our office knows about oversize, heavy and specialty loads and how to get your load exactly where you need it, safely and on time.

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