Calculating Vehicle and Trailer Turning Radius

<...a truck pulling a 26" trailer...>

Is that a typo? 26 inches?

sorry it was 26ft

Maybe 26" wheels (a twin bicycle trailer?)

Maybe it is feet. Is it length or width?

One answer to pulling a trailer through a confined space is to use dual axles on the trailer, and separate them. Then allow steering on the front axle. At Disney World in Florida they use a tram system to bring visitors from the parking lots to the entrance. The tractor is a short wheelbase heavy duty custom chassis. the passenger carts seem to be about the same wheelbase as the tractor. I don't know for sure the exact number of passenger trailer cars they pull. But 5 or 6 seems right. The drivers of these trams must make 50 to 60 runs on a busy day. They weave around curves, narrow roads and turn around at least twice per run. The trailers seem to follow in the exact tire tracks of the tractor.

A similar system is used on airports to move luggage carts around. Not quite as precise as the Disney Trams, but close. The trailer carts are again split axles with a steering axle up front. The only name that I can give you is Tug, who manufactures the tractors that pull the airport carts. Clark used to make airport tractors. Not sure if they still do.

The tractors used by Disney were made directly, or indirectly by General Motors. They had Detroit Diesel engines, Allison transmissions, and the switches and gauges came from GM. Happy hunting, and good luck.

I do not have the luxury of changing the trailer. This is the customers trailer and is a 26' tandem axle enclosed.

Ouch. That is going to hurt. Can you use rear steer on your "tractor", as is done on forklifts?

If you can allow as much overhang behind the axle as possible. that should allow better tracking around corners.

The tractor is a commerical chassis. I do have a rear steer luxury

As the back of the tractor steers "wide" into a turn, the front of the trailer will steer wide with it . That will help bring the trailer closer to the same tire track as the tractor.

If you make scale models, and ink the tires, you should be able to get some close figures. Fix the trailer wheels as the existing trailer is and move the variables till you get the compromise you want. Curiosity demands to know the use of the setup.

The minimum turning radius of a truck pulling any trailer is the same as the truck without the trailer as long as there is no interference between the two units. If the trailer is long enough, and the truck's turning radius was tight enough, one or both trailer wheels would even turn backwards during the maneuver.

Is this the old one about "see if my back wheels are going forward"

The radius for the road depends upon the speed of the vehicle, and inclination permissible and is governed by the formula

tan α = V ²/(R x G)

where V is the VELOCITY of the vehicle in Metres/Second,

R is the Radius of the Road

G is the Acceleration due to gravity in M/Sec.^2

and ‘α’ is the angle of Inclination of the road. This equation is derived on the basis of centrifugal force and cetripetel force is in equilibrium.

And this subject is dealt in the Mathematics DYNAMICS chapter, under the caption Banking of Vehicles. Hence for a given speed, the inclination is calculated. If the speed is high and vehicle is taller than then the vehicle may get toppled due to centrifugal force.

DHAYANANDHAN.S

THE FEDERICO GINER SA LUGGAGE TROLLEYS (youtube.com)