Towing running gear with pickup

[GuidoSarducci]

Hey fellas,

Feel free to move this post to the right spot if this isn't it.

I just bought an 8 ton running gear from an auction house about 55 miles from the farm. It looks like it's in great shape and assuming thats the case how well do these tow behind a pickup on the highway?

Can I run 55mph safely or should I plan on taking backroads at slower speeds? Should I just grab a car trailer and strap it down? I don't have a trailer that size so that's an additional cost if necessary.

Any advice is appreciated.

Fr. Sarducci

 

[RandyT]

Part of that decision will need to be determined by the speed rating of the tires on the trailer. Farm tires not rated for highway speeds. The other thing is they tend to bounce around when on rough roads, as well at the side to side snaking when being towed.

 

[RickB]

If the steering is tight and the bearings are good 55 is no problem.

 

[GuidoSarducci]

Part of that decision will need to be determined by the speed rating of the tires on the trailer. Farm tires not rated for highway speeds. The other thing is they tend to bounce around when on rough roads, as well at the side to side snaking when being towed.

I have an old flat bed GMC 1 ton. I wonder if it's easier to separate the 2 halves and load it on the back. I can take it off with my FEL and then reassemble.

 

[fishheadbob]

I'm voting for backroads at lower speed. You just don't know this gear, anything might happen, hopefully nothing.

 

[CobyRupert]

I agree with the backroad folks, or disassemble.

I assume we're talking about wagon running gear.

Some wagons can get squirrely at 15mph, others you can take right up to 55+ and they'll run true.

Some wagons will go from one condition to another depending if you're accelerating, minimally pulling, or decelerating.

Seems like it's hard to predict just by looking at their condition. I've got some running gear from the 1950's (I think), it has mismatched tires (and mismatched SIZE tires), the tongue is misaligned at least ~10 degrees off to the side when you're driving straight (this make backing up REALLY hard); yet she'll go down the road 55mph+ with no weave. Don't ask me how or why a wagon with a crooked tongue does that.
When I buy hay from farmers and tow their new (newer) wagons, sometime I have to stay below 20- 25mph and you can still watch them weave a foot or more side to side.

 

[Big Barn]

I have an old flat bed GMC 1 ton. I wonder if it's easier to separate the 2 halves and load it on the back. I can take it off with my FEL and then reassemble.

Since you don’t know for certain how it would track, I would separate it and load it on the flat deck. But then that’s just me....

Plus around here without license/registration insurance and lights etc you’d end up with your azz in jail. IF you towed it on back roads with a tractor and slow moving vehicle emblem you MAY get away with it.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Are you talking about a long wagon frame? I had a friend tow this horst 12 ton running gear made into a trailer with his half ton as I drove a Dakota!

 

[LouNY]

I would check the wheel bearings maybe even grease them a bit.
Towing it with a pickup if it has a SMV on the rear it is not supposed to exceed 25mph,
without a SMV you can be ticketed. I have towed many at 25-30 without problems.
Personally I would not run 55 the tires are not rated for that, they are not balanced and
with no suspension she would bounce all over.
So I'd say 30 mph with a shiney new SMV or load it and haul it.

 

[aczlan]

I have an old flat bed GMC 1 ton. I wonder if it's easier to separate the 2 halves and load it on the back. I can take it off with my FEL and then reassemble.

Since you have a flatbed, I would bring an angle grinder, a breaker bar, a ratchet, a set of 6 point sockets, a set of wrenches, a couple good size hammers and some long punches. I would give it a try to unbolt things, then grinding one end of the bolts off and push them out with the hammer and punches.
It should take less than half an hour to get them apart and then you can go from there.
I would also bring a set of magnetic lights in case you're too long or too wide for the bed of the truck.

Aaron Z

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Are you talking about a long wagon frame? I had a friend tow this horst 12 ton running gear made into a trailer with his half ton as I drove a Dakota!

I also have one Horst running gear... It tows perfectly, Horst are made in Canada and of VERY good quality…

SR

 

[oosik]

I bought brand new ten ton Horst running gear to build my farm wagon. It was not assembled - so it was just, load the pieces in the pickup and drive the 320 miles home. The build was fun. I seem to remember something in the Horst OP Manual - "not recommended for speeds over 25mph".

Anyhow - here is my green farm wagon. The color is the result of a few cans all mixed together.


View attachment 583876

 

[Industrial Toys]

I think it's more a matter of whether you think you can stop, excercising common sense of course, more than how well it might tow. And that also encompassses road conditions. We have a freezing rain warning here today. I would not tow anything if I had the choice today, even with brakes! A friend builds wagon racks for large trailers and pulls many running gear only and completed wagons a long way with his F350.

This is how I got my Horst Running Gear Home. As Johny Cash Would say "I went right to the factory, it's cheaper that way"

 

[Farmer495]

If it's just the gear, separate at gear pole and load on pick up. If you do tow, check there isn't 50 PSI or something crazy in the tires or they will bounce like a ball over any bumps.

I've towed wagons (running gear plus body) 55 MPH no issue, another one would pull perfect behind tractor at 20 MPH, but would jump violently a 35 MPH behind a truck.

I pulled a silage wagon I bought 25 miles behind pickup, did 40 MPH no issue, 50 MPH it would sway and since it was a box..it would start to get tipsy.

 

[MHarryE]

Towed a gravity box with that type running gear 450 miles 2 years ago. It has used truck tires so speed not an issue. Depending on the road it was 15 mph to 55 mph. This year bought a used hay rack 100 miles away and it also towed without sway. Farmer had installed used light truck tires so again no speed issue. Nice thing with the large truck tires is the load capacity is huge and I have an unlimited supply from our county highway department as they change out at 50% and want to get rid of them.

 

[Wood_Butcher_Dav]

Since some of you own these types of wagons, how is your experience with these backing up? I can back a car or cargo trailer with no problems, but the double pivot points on them farm wagons, forget backing any more then a few feet.

Dave

 

[CobyRupert]

Since some of you own these types of wagons, how is your experience with these backing up? I can back a car or cargo trailer with no problems, but the double pivot points on them farm wagons, forget backing any more then a few feet.

Dave

Same logic and actions as backing a trailer (but with different responses): Just move the tongue in the (left-right) direction it needs to go!!......just like if you were pushing it by hand. Anybody can do that right?


It only gets really tricky when your backing a wagon up that's hooked behind another one, or behind a baler, chopper etc... Then one can only go a couple lengths before the S.H.T.F.

Obviously tongue length plays a part, just like with trailers. I was also going to say the turning radius of the vehicle you're doing the backing with plays a big part in how tight you can turn when backing a wagon, but I don't think this is 100% true (say 98%), but it does effect how fast (shortest distance) you can make reactions.

 

[pmsmechanic]

Since some of you own these types of wagons, how is your experience with these backing up? I can back a car or cargo trailer with no problems, but the double pivot points on them farm wagons, forget backing any more then a few feet.

Dave

We learned to back these wagons up as kids. A tractor was easy but my uncle taught us how to back up using a 1 ton truck. Just move the top of the steering wheel the same direction the wagon moves in the mirror. We could back up 30 - 40 feet without too much trouble.

 

[LouNY]

Same logic and actions as backing a trailer (but with different responses): Just move the tongue in the direction it needs to go!!......just like if you were pushing it by hand. Anybody can do that right?

It only gets really tricky when your backing a wagon up that's hooked behind another one, or behind a baler, chopper etc... Then I can only go a couple lengths before the S.H.T.F.

Obviously tongue length plays a part, just like with trailers. I was also going to say the turning radius of the vehicle you're doing the backing with plays a big part in how tight you can turn when backing, but I don't think this is 100% true. But it does effect how much space you need to get to and recover from the minimum turning radius that the wagon allows (if that makes sense).

It can get interesting!!!!!

I have always found that the shorter and tighter turning the tow vehicle is the easier to back up.
The big 4wd tractors can't correct as easy as a shorter tight turning 2wd,
the 2 easiest tractors I've used to backup with have been the Farmall 560's with the narrow front ends and
the Ford 8000 which has the set back front axle.

 

[CobyRupert]

It can get interesting!!!!!

I have always found that the shorter and tighter turning the tow vehicle is the easier to back up.
The big 4wd tractors can't correct as easy as a shorter tight turning 2wd,
the 2 easiest tractors I've used to backup with have been the Farmall 560's with the narrow front ends and
the Ford 8000 which has the set back front axle.

Another reason to have brake steering! (-as asked on other threads)