How much weight can tires and chassis handle?

[Farnorth]

I'm looking for an M923 for carrying a water tank, to tender water to a sprayer on our farm. I'm not looking for what we can legally carry, just what the truck and tires can withstand, traveling on gravel roads. I would like to put a 3200 or 4200 us gallon horizontal tank on it. I realize that is 32000 or 42000 lbs, but this would not be high speed either.
Also, would the super singles handle as much weight as the 11.00 x 20's ?

 

[M35A2-AZ]

It is my understand that the 10,000 lbs is off road and the truck can carry a lot more and going slow on your farm you could go 20,000lbs I would think.

 

[davo727]

The super single tires are rated about 9800 lb each.

 

[NDT]

The tandem is 44,000.

 

[Csm Davis]

You can go 5000 gal. Have seen many done.

 

[ke5eua]

I would like to put a 3200 or 4200 us gallon horizontal tank on it. I realize that is 32000 or 42000 lbs

3200 * 8.34 = 26688
4200 * 8.34 = 35028
5000 * 8.34 = 41700

Depending on what type of tank you use 5k of water would leave you with roughly 2300 lbs of tank and be right at 44k.

 

[Csm Davis]

3200 * 8.34 = 26688
4200 * 8.34 = 35028
5000 * 8.34 = 41700

Depending on what type of tank you use 5k of water would leave you with roughly 2300 lbs of tank and be right at 44k.

And that is well inside what you can actually do with these trucks.

 

[quickfarms]

This is common for water truck used on construction sites around here in Southern California.

Very slow speed with the right driver and it will be ok.

If the driver has a lead foot or is rough on the truck it will not survive long.

 

[MuleMac01]

I think 44k is way over kill for the rear axle but if you guys seen it done so be it. There's a reason why the government has a weight limit on axles on big trucks 12k front. and every other tandem axle after that is 34k. I know I know thats mostly highway trucks but just saying be careful

 

[Keith_J]

Level ground and slow, not a problem. Get it sloshing on off camber turns? It will roll.

 

[quickfarms]

I think 44k is way over kill for the rear axle but if you guys seen it done so be it. There's a reason why the government has a weight limit on axles on big trucks 12k front. and every other tandem axle after that is 34k. I know I know thats mostly highway trucks but just saying be careful

You are quoting the bridge law for the 12k and 34k for a tractor trailer. This changes based on axle spacing. With a permit you can exceed this. When I was driving we used to scale at 60k for a three axle. I have a friends that legally weigh 70k on a properly specified straight dump truck.

The 44k is design capacity and is very common on construction trucks.

This application is for off highway.

 

[andy3]

What kind of terrain are we talking about?

 

[hklvette]

Level ground and slow, not a problem. Get it sloshing on off camber turns? It will roll.

This applies to any tanker truck unless it has a baffled tank. Anyway, It probably wouldn't hurt to have the water tank as far forward on the chassis as possible to distribute some of the load to the front axle. The biggest limiting factor I think you'll find is what the wheel (not the tire, just the wheel) is rated for. A wheel failure with that much weight would be very bad...

 

[VPed]

The Michelin XZLs in 395/85R20 are rated at 12300 lbs. each and they offer a slightly wider footprint.

 

[Gunzy]

I would only do this with duals(11.00R20) as they are a lot more stable under loads. The potato farmers in Idaho are stretching frames and removing the super single in favor of the duals for load and stability reasons. JMO

 

[quickfarms]

Google

"Water truck at burning man" and look at the photos to get some ideas

 

[m16ty]

I routinely haul 20 ton (40,000lb) on my M939 lime truck over some pretty rough ground. Only difference is the truck started life as a wrecker (M936) and has the double frame and heaver springs.

 

[jatonka]

5 Tons use a 20,000 front and 44,000 rears, on your farm, on your roads, you could carry 64,000 or more at controlled speeds and moderate grades. When I was in school, water weighed 7.98 pounds per gallon, when did that change? JT out

 

[Keith_J]

231 cubic inches per gallon, cubic foot of water is 62 pounds, that works out to 8.28 pounds per gallon. Unless it is salt water, then that is 64 pounds per cubic foot which is 8.55 pounds per gallon. Now if you are hauling deuterium oxide, it will be a bit over 9.2 pounds per gallon

 

[ke5eua]

I just went off what the almighty google told me.

8.34 lbs at 70 degrees