M322lr questions

[tatra813]

I just picked up a m322lt. Someone has removed the springs for the fold down ramps. I’m wondering if there is a reason for this or if I should put them back on since the ramps are very heavy.

The rating is 20k for payload per the nameplate. Ive seen threads where guys say you can load more on there.
What are your thoughts on this in regards to how much. You could load on it for on road use, including still being street legal.

I’m pulling it with a m1070 but I’m putting a bunch of weight on back of the truck so the trailer doesn’t push it around. Thank

 

[simp5782]

Even with the weight if will still push it around. The m1070 wasn't designed to pull from a pintle. Ramps are not heavy. It was probably missing springs as some were. Ramps are also very narrow and that males them no fun in damp weather

A load king M322 is rated at 10 tons but is limited by the tire capacity. 9900 to 11000 per tire. So in the 30k cargo area for single tires.

 

[Tinstar]

The trailer Data Plate info is what a DOT officer will go by.
Doesn't matter if trailer will carry more or not.

 

[Jbulach]

Legal? Looks like Washington has a 500lb per inch of tire, or 34,000lb tandem axle max, without going to permits. I guess the big question is how far forward you can get your load, how much weight the trailer tongue, and the pintle on the 1070 can legally handle?

 

[simp5782]

Load king has a non military data tag for the trailer that give the additional weight increase to 15 tons. You have to acquire that from them.

The M322 will push the HET around at highway speeds even with 16000lbs on it. Ron had the experience of this pushing the rear steer off the road. The m322 has alot of tongue weight as anything 3 ft in front of the front tire is all tongue weight. it was designed for the CAT 420 backhoe.

I dropped mine down onto dual 275 70 22.5 tires. It pulls heavier but is alot more stable. With the super singles and empty the trailer will come off the ground when you hit a bump.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

I just picked up a m322lt. Someone has removed the springs for the fold down ramps. I’m wondering if there is a reason for this or if I should put them back on since the ramps are very heavy.

The rating is 20k for payload per the nameplate. Ive seen threads where guys say you can load more on there.
What are your thoughts on this in regards to how much. You could load on it for on road use, including still being street legal.

I’m pulling it with a m1070 but I’m putting a bunch of weight on back of the truck so the trailer doesn’t push it around. Thank

How about some pictures of trailer and data plate so we can see exactly what you have.

The springs can be purchased from Holden's military division. Civilian replacement springs won't work. The springs for these are custom wound to a different angle using heavier material than civilian versions. The ramps will have to be held in a complete vertical position to install them. Should be 3 springs per ramp so you'll need 6 springs total.

The trailer will carry far more than your comfortable with, even with a HET. As Wes said, you're limited by tire rating with singles and the data plate for on-road use. Both of these issues have remedies. I've never dealt with Load King or Globe, but Holden will send you a new data plate stamped with whatever you want.

The two suspension systems used on the tandems are pictured below. The Holden uses the lighter design in the 60k version as shown in the first picture. I think the Globe and Load King used the 80k version, in a modified configuration from the second picture, but memory is fuzzy here. Both suspensions were made by Ridewell. The trailers themselves were designed to carry loads in the same ranges as the suspension. This is why you end up with a relatively small trailer that weights over 12k. The 20k rating was requested by the military and the manufacturers overcompensated to survive testing at Aberdeen. The spring suspension was changed to a solid beam suspension for better side slope stability, not because of durability issues.

 

[tatra813]

Thanks for info. I’ll deal with the trailer pushing truck. I go short distances but like the m1070 for the 8x8 going up steep gravel roads pulling trailer

Anybody in particular you would talk to at load king who would be familiar with making a new nameplate ? Any info would be great

I like the super singles for off-road

 

[lcclllc]

Hello.... I just purchased a m322. It is missing front axel drums, rims tires and loading ramps. I got it for a grand... Maybe jumped in before I should have I think. But nothing risked nothing gained. Only thing I can find about this stud of a trailer is this form. The intent is to use it to move a JD 310C backhoe short distances (a few miles around town, back roads, no highway trips, or highway speeds) with a 2007 F550 flat bed dually (with the 6.0 powerstroke. A buddy, an ex Marine (but are you every truly an ex Marine?) Says he thinks it is doable and reasonably priced to convert from Air to Electric brake... I am not finding anything online about such.... Or about parts in general. Ok, so how insane am I? Where might I find used drums, wheels, etc,. Oh... I also wonder, is it worth converting it into a gooseneck type trailer? Are there other military or civil trailers that take the basic parts that I might want to look into as a part source? Is there a salvage market out there anywhere? Anybody know what other branches other than the Marine corps used this trailer? I am in Tucson, so military salvage auctions are not unheard of in the area, state. Any and all help appreciated, feel free to just write back and say Hi, and say I was an idiot. But ****, it is a stud of a trailer.
Thanks..
Charley

 

[simp5782]

Hello.... I just purchased a m322. It is missing front axel drums, rims tires and loading ramps. I got it for a grand... Maybe jumped in before I should have I think. But nothing risked nothing gained. Only thing I can find about this stud of a trailer is this form. The intent is to use it to move a JD 310C backhoe short distances (a few miles around town, back roads, no highway trips, or highway speeds) with a 2007 F550 flat bed dually (with the 6.0 powerstroke. A buddy, an ex Marine (but are you every truly an ex Marine?) Says he thinks it is doable and reasonably priced to convert from Air to Electric brake... I am not finding anything online about such.... Or about parts in general. Ok, so how insane am I? Where might I find used drums, wheels, etc,. Oh... I also wonder, is it worth converting it into a gooseneck type trailer? Are there other military or civil trailers that take the basic parts that I might want to look into as a part source? Is there a salvage market out there anywhere? Anybody know what other branches other than the Marine corps used this trailer? I am in Tucson, so military salvage auctions are not unheard of in the area, state. Any and all help appreciated, feel free to just write back and say Hi, and say I was an idiot. But ****, it is a stud of a trailer.
Thanks..
Charley

Build your own ramps.

Seaech m322 air brake diagram in the trailer section fot drum. Brakes and bearing part numbers

I have 3 wheels for it. They are a weird .63 offset super single

The trailer and the 550 will not get along. The trailer has 2000lbs of tongue weight and neatly 13k empty

 

[Steelreaper80]

I agree with Simp. I pull mine with a 5 ton and 14,000 lbs of payload regionally. Your truck will HATE IT! It has a huge amount of tongue weight. It will even very slightly squat a 5 ton at that weight.