Set up of fenders, fifth wheel and camel suspension heights

[Gmerrill0516]

Ok, I've got the B-815SX and I want to make it a tractor as I never did want a dump truck. I see many different set ups for height of the fifth wheel. I see pictures of them spaced up 4-6 inches. I am also wondering how to set the fender heights. I want to buy or make a set that looks like the front fenders. They would cover both sets of rears and have angled then vertical ends...no rounded ones. So how high do you set the fenders up from the wheels and how high do you set the fifth wheel so it all works. I may eventually haul some stuff but I have no way to see what the road bumps and weight to squat the suspension will do. The rears are something like 65,000# units so I don't expect a bunch of squat but have to allow for something right?

I may bring a tape measure to the next truck show but figured this is a good question for the masses on BMT. If there are any good rules of thumb, I'd appreciate them.

Thanks for the help.

Greg

[Lmackattack]

It really depends on how tall your 5th wheel is and what type of trailer you will be pulling. Camelbacks have lots of articulation so you want to find the happy medium between the top of your tires and 5th wheel surface. If you have a hi mount 5th wheel and plan to pull flatbed,end dump,or tanker trailers the fenders can sit up high as those type of trailers tend to have much more clearance betwwn the tires and bottom of trailer. If you plan to pul van trailers you need to really check for proper clearance below the 5th wheel.

I set mine up to pull lowboy and end dump. They sit kinda high and when I have a van trailer hooked to it I have to be real carful.

As far as mounting them. I jacked up each rear axel and measured the max amount of wheel travel they had above the frame. When I mounted the fenders I set them about an inch higher. If I recall I had about 6" of upward travel at each axel when making contact with the frame stops.

[Gmerrill0516]

Ok, that makes some sense. I was thinking about the need to jack the axels to get that number as a starting point. My plan is to find a vintage lowbed at some point and use that to lug some of Dad's tractors around with when we want to hit a local show or pull event. He's a John Deere two cylinder guy. I don't see any real need or posibility of hauling van type trailers for anything.

So with that plan in mind I can set the fenders to clear the tires and when I have the fifth wheel I can space that up if I have needed to make some room to ensure everything clears the fenders. I didn't know if there was more to the story or not. Measure twice and cut once right?

Appreciate the guidance very much.

Greg

[Lmackattack]

If you pull a low boy the trailer neck is narrow and will not cause interference with the fenders unless you are making a sharp turn on an incline. That's where you have to be carefull. This is where a hi mount 5th wheel helps get the space needed between wheels and trailer bottom. Another option is that Some people run half fenders on the truck and half fenders on the trailers goose neck.