Re: Trailer Safety Chains

["Joe Long" <jlong@mti.net>]

On Fri, 3 Jul 1998 06:42:43 -0700 (PDT), Niccolai Murphy
<niccolai_m@yahoo.com> wrote:

>I won't argue about that the gooseneck doesn't have advantages over
>the bumper tow either. There's little doubt that it is more resistant
>against jack knifing than a bumper tow all other factors being equal.
>Pity the bumper tow guys put so little effort into designing a stable
>platform.

You know, it's no accident that the trailers of 18-wheelers mount
directly above the rear axles of the tractor, very similar to the
location of goosneck hitches.  Long experience has shown this to be
the most stable and safe method.

As far as a gooseneck rolling the tow vehicle, when you consider how
much shorter the verticle distance is from the axle centerline to the
ball, compared to the track (distance between the wheels), and that
the ball&socket does not allow any torque to be trasmitted from the
trailer to the tow vehicle, any force coming from the trailer is far
more likely to *slide* the tow vehicle than roll it.  I would venture
to say that in any accident with a gooseneck where the tow vehicle
rolled, something other than the trailer caused the rollover.

-- 

Joe Long
jlong@mti.net
Business Page  http://www.mti.net
Personal Page  http://www.rnbw.com