Improvements to a sliding sub-frame for heavy-duty vehicle suspensions include torque boxes, an air slider-pin system, and a heavy-duty shear-off nut. In the prior art, all four sliding pins are linked together with bars so if one sliding pin is stuck they are all stuck. Here, each sliding pin has a dedicated air assist bladder and is independent and can release on its own. That way, if one sliding pin is stuck, it is a much easier job to get it unstuck by moving the vehicle. The torque box relates to stress-relief measures of shear strains at critical fastened (eg., bolted) connections. The shear-off nut has a break-neck flanked between a hex head and collet nut. The clearance between the outside sidewall of the collet nut very nearly fully spans the space between the flats of a hex socket for the hex head, thereby providing light on-axis support.

A vehicle mounted storage device for the ball mount and spring/torsion bar component of a trailer weight distribution system when the equipment is not in use. The storage device is comprised of a horizontal channel where the spring bars can be inserted, a vertical channel, where the ball mount can be inserted, and a horizontal tongue separating the two channels. When the spring bars are inserted into the horizontal channel with the heads of the spring bars resting on the tongue area and the ball mount is inserted into the vertical channel with the hitch ball directly above the spring bar heads, the spring bars are securely confined to the device. Once a locking device has been affixed to the ball mount, the device deters theft of the spring bars and ball mount.

A method for designing a main body of a trailer, trailer chassis, or like transportable load-supporting system includes selecting a known design of a transportable load-supporting system's main frame. The method includes developing a monocoque main beam having moments of inertia that are respectively greater than or substantially equal to the moments of inertia of the known main frame. Deflections of the known main frame and of the monocoque main beam in response to application of a torsional load, a vertical load, and a lateral load are then determined. Cross-members can be added to the monocoque main beam until the deflection of the monocoque main beam is less than or substantially the same as the deflection of the known main frame. A monocoque main beam designed according to the method is also disclosed.

An adjustable trailer hitch and king pin assembly that may be moved longitudinally to adjust the position and weight distribution of a trailer relative to a truck. The disclosed assembly may allow a trailer to be utilized with various different sized and configured trucks while maximizing the cargo carrying capability and efficiency thereof. In one example, an adjustable trailer hitch is provided having a slidable king pin assembly that may be adjusted forwards or backwards to move the king pin to the desired location relative to the truck and trailer. In another example, a removable king pin may be provided that may be removed and moved to a different location according to the weight and desired weight distribution of a truck and trailer combination.

A semi-trailer for transporting a load to be moved has a wheeled front module having a right-hand front row and a left-hand front row of front bogies each provided with a respective hydraulic suspension driven by its own hydraulic cylinder; a wheeled rear module comprising a right-hand rear row and a left-hand rear row of rear bogies each provided with a respective hydraulic suspension driven by its own hydraulic cylinder; a coupling unit of the wheeled front module for the coupling to a tractor and comprising a pair of hydraulic jacks for transferring a part of the load to be moved to the tractor; a first hydraulic unit interposed between the hydraulic cylinders of the front and rear rows of bogies and configured in such a way that the sum of the instantaneous load-supporting pressures acting on the hydraulic cylinders of the right front row and of the cylinders of the left-hand rear row is equal to the sum of the instantaneous pressures controlling the cylinders of the left-hand front row and of the cylinders of the right rear row; and a second hydraulic unit configured to control the hydraulic jacks based on the sum of the instantaneous load-supporting pressures acting on the hydraulic cylinders of said right front row and of said left-hand front row.

A winch assembly for moving a first fifth wheel outwardly from a first trailer and engaging a king pin on a second trailer. The winch assembly includes a pair of parallel, spaced apart rails mounted on the underside of the first trailer. A slide out frame is mounted between the rails and attached to a front axle and a real axle, with wheels. The slide out frame includes the first fifth wheel adapted for engaging the king pin on the front of a second trailer. The first fifth wheel is attached to a pair of first cables on winch drums, driven by winch motors. The winch motors are used for rotating cable drums for retracting the first fifth wheel along a length of the trailer. Also, a pair of second cables on winch drums, driven by winch motors, are attached to the slide out frame. The second cables are used to extend the first fifth wheel outwardly from the rear of the first trailer for engaging the fifth wheel to the second trailer.

An adjustable trailer hitch and king pin assembly that may be moved longitudinally to adjust the position and weight distribution of a trailer relative to a truck. The disclosed assembly may allow a trailer to be utilized with various different sized and configured trucks while maximizing the cargo carrying capability and efficiency thereof. In one example, an adjustable trailer hitch is provided having a slidable king pin assembly that may be adjusted forwards or backwards to move the king pin to the desired location relative to the truck and trailer. In another example, a removable king pin may be provided that may be removed and moved to a different location according to the weight and desired weight distribution of a truck and trailer combination.

A chassis portion, for a vehicle chassis, including a chassis rail 33b, a cross member 35a, a suspension hanger 51 integral, fastened or fastenable to the cross member, and an arrangement for clamping, a portion of the chassis rail, between a portion of the hanger and a portion of the cross member.

A slider suspension system for a heavy-duty vehicle includes a slider assembly with a main member that is movable relative to a primary frame of the heavy-duty vehicle in a first direction along the extent of the main member. The main member has a first portion and a second portion extending transverse to the first portion. A friction reducing slider wear pad is fixed to the main member and interposed between the main member and the primary frame. The friction reducing slider wear pad has a first segment fixed to the first portion of the main member. The friction reducing slider wear pad also has a second segment engaging at least a part of the second portion of the main member to inhibit movement of the friction reducing pad relative to the main member in a second direction transverse to the first direction.

A trailer configured to transport a load includes a bed including an upper surface configured to support the load, a first rotation pin configured to move along a slot in the bed, a second rotation pin coupled to the bed, and a winch assembly positioned in the slot and coupled to the first rotation pin by a first rope. The winch assembly is configured to pull the first rotation pin toward the second rotation pin.