Does Anyone Run Side Dumps?

[RowdyRebel]

The company I'm leased to has bought a couple dozen of 'em...and me being me, I like to be versatile and keep my truck set up to run any and all of their equipment. When I bought the truck, it was set up to run just about anything hydraulic...but I had been on tanks as a company driver so I pulled the wet kit. When I put it back on, I simplified it considerably.

Right now, it is sort of a cross between this:

and this:

I have the hoses coming out of the hydraulic pump in the 3-line dump set-up, but I have the return line from the pump run to a T where it splices into a return from a trailer connection and through a filter before getting back to the tank like in the live floor set-up.

I have a valve in the garage that WAS on the truck...4 ports, 2 large ones with 2 slightly smaller, one of the large ports stamped "pressure". It's also got a solenoid with 2 air fittings...one on either end. I can post a pic if it would help...just gotta go out to the garage with the camera and snap one. I'm thinking it would be used to set the wet kit up like this:

What I need to know, is how do I go about checking this valve to see how all it works...how to go about hooking it up...and what all it will be capable of doing? I have no paperwork, and cannot find any markings on it indicating a manufacturer or model number.

The other question is, how would this valve NEED to work in order to run a side dump trailer? I've been searching the interweb for 2 days now and the best I've come up with is SDI's web site which says "2 Directional Hydraulic Flow is required for operation of SDI Side Dump Trailers. If tractor is not equipped with 2 way flow wet kit, then SDI's Air / Hydraulic Valve option must be added to trailer."...but I can't find anything to tell me what that means. The company trucks pulling the side dumps have 2 hydraulic lines going to the trailer...does it pump hydraulic fluid both directions? Or is it two separate push lines that, like the end dump, allow the trailer (and gravity) push the hydraulic fluid back the way it came?

If the valve I have will work, I can set the truck up for the meager cost of a couple hydraulic lines and a few fittings. If not, I can quit worrying about it because I'm not going to spend an arm and a leg trying to set the truck up to pull trailers I may never get to pull. RIGHT NOW most of the work for them is too far north for me to be dispatched on 'em...but I figure since they HAVE the equipment, the possibility exists that they may bid jobs that need 'em around here in the future and I'd like to be ready to roll with 'em if that day ever comes.

I just need to know how the hydraulic system needs to be set up to run a side dump....and figure out how the valve I have works

What I'm THINKING is that I could easily add 2 more fittings to the bracket that currently is bolted to the truck, routing one line from each of the smaller ports on the valve each to it's own fitting. Right now, there's just a pressure line and a return line. I would imagine I would connect the pressure line from the pump into the valve at the port stamped "pressure" and out of the valve at the other large port before re-connecting to the current pressure line to my end dump trailer. If I were to pull a trailer that used the smaller ports, I would couple the pressure line that currently goes to the end dump trailer to the current return line so that when I moved the current control switch to the "raise" position that would send hydraulic pressure to the valve it would have someplace to go while "holding". I've got a 3-line air feathering valve...air in plus two air outs. I figure the air outs would run to the air fittings on the solenoid. I guess what I'm HOPING is that the solenoid would change the direction of flow through the smaller ports (which loop to the trailer to operate the side dump/belly dump/etc), with the pressure in port supplying hydraulic pressure and the return port giving the hydraulic fluid someplace to go when it gets back to the truck. I'm guessing that's what they are talking about when they say "2 way flow wet kit".

Anyway, that probably doesn't make any sense to anyone....I've just got a 3 day weekend and I'm TRYING to do something useful with it.

[hatcity]

A local compny runs a side dump. I'll see if the gate is open and take a look today.

Seems though that the hyd. cylinders are two way. Power needed both to dump and to return.

The combo pic you have also looks to show two way via the air valve.

How well do you know the mechics at the company? They may be able to help you.

[RowdyRebel]

A local compny runs a side dump. I'll see if the gate is open and take a look today.

Seems though that the hyd. cylinders are two way. Power needed both to dump and to return.

The combo pic you have also looks to show two way via the air valve.

How well do you know the mechics at the company? They may be able to help you.

The yard I run out of hasn't seen any of 'em yet...but at the safety meeting, it sounded like a few would be heading their way eventually. Once they get some there to look at, they'll know more...

[Bullheaded]

I don't know much about them but a contractor I had my dump truck hired on with leased a couple of them for themselves. I don't think you need anything too special to run them because their tractors only pulled end dumps. And when one was down for service they just stuck any highway tractor with a wetline they could find under them. Maybe some side dumps are different though because I don't believe theirs were powered down.

Be carefull if you do pull one though. I have pics of a brand new Paystar like mine laying on it's side with one. We were hauling blasted rock and they put a big nugget in it and over she went when he dumped.

[Gambi80]

I wonder if there are two (maybe more) ways to run a side-dump...the first being with a typical wet-kit in that the dump controls are on the trailer itself and the other where you are set up to have pressure through both lines from the truck.

I would bet that if you have your own truck and assume many others do with the same company, also in the name of simplicity...your company would have it set up the simplest way to run it with a typical two line wet kit.

Personally I have no experience with a side dump trailer, so take it with a grain of salt. But I've never heard anything good about a filter in-line on your wet kit and don't have one on mine. Just change the oil once in a while. I use used hydraulic oil out of our farm machinery...once there's enough in the barrel I'll drain mine and refill.

[RowdyRebel]

I wonder if there are two (maybe more) ways to run a side-dump...the first being with a typical wet-kit in that the dump controls are on the trailer itself and the other where you are set up to have pressure through both lines from the truck.

I would bet that if you have your own truck and assume many others do with the same company, also in the name of simplicity...your company would have it set up the simplest way to run it with a typical two line wet kit.

Personally I have no experience with a side dump trailer, so take it with a grain of salt. But I've never heard anything good about a filter in-line on your wet kit and don't have one on mine. Just change the oil once in a while. I use used hydraulic oil out of our farm machinery...once there's enough in the barrel I'll drain mine and refill.

I haven't seen the side dumps being pulled by any o/o trucks yet...so far only the company trucks have 'em. They are set up a little different than the end dumps...best I can tell, they got 2 lines to the trailer instead of just the one. On the company end dumps, they only have 2 hydraulic lines...one from the tank to the pump, and one from the pump to the trailer....they don't have the return line from the pump like I do, and they don't have a return line from the trailer like I do either. Supposedly, the side dump trailers will dump to either side...but I have only seen 'em going down the road, so I don't know if they have to do anything more than moving a switch one way as opposed to the other, or if they have to get out and move some pins around like you would on an end dump to switch the 2-way tailgate from a top hinge to a side hinge.

As for the filter, I know you don't want the filter in front of the pump, because if it gets plugged you'll be sucking a whole lotta nothin' and you'll burn up the pump. You also don't want it in a pressurized part of the system, as the filter ain't made to withstand the 2000+ psi of the pressurized system. So far, I haven't had any problems...it's in the return line, with a short little hose from the output of the filter back to the tank. There isn't enough pressure in the return line to even budge the needle on a gauge even with the filter there. Right now, the only time oil passes through it is when I have the PTO engaged and the control in the "hold" position. I figure SOME filtration is better than NO filtration. I already had to buy a new pump once to get going on dumps (the one on the truck when I bought it was only putting out 1200 psi)...don't want to have to buy another one for a while.

[Gambi80]

So what did you come up with?

And also, so I don't have to post on two topics, how'd the 'lectric tarp deal work out?

[RowdyRebel]

So what did you come up with?

And also, so I don't have to post on two topics, how'd the 'lectric tarp deal work out?

I think I'll be up near a yard that has some tomorrow...I need to swing in there anyway for a trailer light that fell out (center marker light in the rear), so I can ask them how they are set up. I may throw my valve in the truck to ask 'em whether they would have any idea how it works and if it's what I'd need to work their trailers...

As for the 'lectric roll tarp, I've put that on hold for the time being. I've got prices, and it looks like it'll run me a hair under $200 to get set up with it. First things first, gotta make it through the winter. Hopefully it'll pick up next spring (like it SHOULD have LAST spring) and I'll have the extra cash to throw around then. Even if I already have the right valve for the side dumps, I will probably hold off on setting it up...probably going to need at least $100 in hoses and fittings...plus it's too darned cold outside to be fooling around with stuff I don't need to be messing with. I'm pretty much just trying to figure things out now...do the research...so when the time comes to move on it, I can get things set up quickly.

[Double L]

It's suppose to be down to near zero last I heard, I don't want to see poor Rowdy frozen solid working on the dog.

[RowdyRebel]

It's suppose to be down to near zero last I heard, I don't want to see poor Rowdy frozen solid working on the dog.

go read the thread I just started

[Double L]

go read the thread I just started

Already beat ya.