Truck suspensions

[CascadeScaper]

Quite a few trucks here are running air bags. A good friend of mine just picked up an '89 Pete 379 with air. He said he doesn't mind it, although he agreed that walking beam would have been a little better for the long run. Just remember to dump the bags before raising the box.

 

[crash935]

http://www.novitruck.com/Used_Trailers/Mac_002416lead.htm


Heres a link for a pic of a Mi gravel train.

 

[jperfect]

hey thanks crash. are you guys busy on that side of the state.nothen over here

 

[crash935]

My brother was the one who ran the train for about 10 years (drove for Cordes), he just talked to another driver from there and they are pretty slow right now, hauling scrap mostly right now plus the frost laws are in effect. give them a couple of weeks and things will get busy again.
But were busier than we want to be pulling 53' vans running to PA and IA. Got a truck with a sleeper? call me, ive got work.

 

[2109 Stang]

Hi folks ,as an owner poerator of a small dump truck compay and been in this bussines for 20 years I can say that I have plenty experience on this matter. currently I have a KW T800 H with new way air suspension that it's rated at 46K # the ride can not be better and when Im off roading ,if I lose traction I'll engage the diff locks and am good to go ,I still havent seen a truck with walking beam that does not have the diff locks ,so if I have it I'll use it ,I had a Pete 378 with low air leaf 40K# and I miss that truck a lot My other truck is a 378 with chalmers and im willing to swap it for the air leaf any time ,I also challenge anybody to replace a boken spring from a walking beam on the road side in 20 minutes like I can replace an air bag on that time with hardly any tools ,witch I never had to do because air bags dont brake as usual as spring leafs and let me point that my trucks are try axles with a pay load of 23 tons thats running 100k miles a year.

 

[Bob Horrell]

2109 Stang - Did the 378 Pete with the low air system have ground clearance problems off road? I have heard they are limited off road because of ground clearance but ride real well on road. I have a friend that runs a number of Pete transfer units and goes off road a lot and won't run the low air system because of this. He says the air leaf system is OK off road.

 

[Ford LT-9000]

The toughest suspension is the solid mount that Hendrickson makes for the ready mix trucks. Second toughest is Mack Camel back you have very little problems with that type of suspension. The Volvo T ride is a vairation of the Camel Back. The Hendrickson spring is the most common suspension for us here be it standard spring or ext leaf. Some trucks have rubber block they make your teeth fall out.

The Tuff Track made by Freightliner isn't too bad. The cheapest and easiest suspension to work on is a walking beam.

 

[2109 Stang]

2109 Stang - Did the 378 Pete with the low air system have ground clearance problems off road? I have heard they are limited off road because of ground clearance but ride real well on road. I have a friend that runs a number of Pete transfer units and goes off road a lot and won't run the low air system because of this. He says the air leaf system is OK off road.

Bob they all have the same gound clearance ,what you provably ment is that the air track has very low clearance betwin the frame and the axles ,thats the only thing

 

[OD Load]

air ride off road is not built to handle the wear and tear
the leveler valve will not keep up with the uneven ground and you will wear it out faster i run a highway truck and replace it about once a year and when i am off road i need to lock the axles in to keep moving the valve will not adj fast enough to keep the air bags where they need to be

for off road i would stick with what works

 

[Countryboy]

Welcome to HEF OD Load! :drinkup

 

[KRiS_660]

can the air be lowered on all standard fld120 trac/trucks ,or is it installed with dump conversion ?

 

[Countryboy]

Welcome to HEF KRiS 660! :drinkup

 

[KRiS_660]

thanks Countryboy!!

 

[Jeff D.]

can the air be lowered on all standard fld120 trac/trucks ,or is it installed with dump conversion ?

Welcome Kris,

Most semi tractors have a dump valve for the air suspension factory installed. They're used quite often while hooking and unhooking from the trailer.

An FLD120 tractor could be originally spec'd without a dump valve, but I'd think it rare.

Jeff

 

[KRiS_660]

if it isnt installed how hard would it be to install a dump valve to FLD120 ?

 

[Jeff D.]

if it isnt installed how hard would it be to install a dump valve to FLD120 ?

I honestly don't know for sure.

I'm guessing it would consist of routing the smaller hard plastic air line(commonly used in air routing where ever movement isn't a factor) from the height control valve in the rear up into the dash, installing a dash valve, and possibly a different style height control valve.

That's only a guess though.:beatsme

 

[Ross]

What are the pros and cons to air suspensions on dumptrucks?

Pay less road tax here (UK) if you have air suspension.

 

[Ford LT-9000]

You want a decent dump truck suspension see if you can retrofit the truck with Freightliner Tuff Trac. Its a rubber ride suspension its far better than air bags it allows the axles to walk over rough terrian. Had experience with it with a 2004 Sterling tandem dump truck walked out of a bad spots like nothing. If you found a wrecked truck in a junk yard you could take the hole rear frame clip with axles and all and put it into the truck you have.

I imagine you have 40,000lb high ratio axles which are not very good for a dump truck to start with. Get off road with the truck in soft ground with a load you can hear axle shafts snapping already.

 

[Tacodriver]

Here you go the best of both worlds http://www1.raydanmfg.com/dotnetnuke/Products/Suspensions/tabid/187/Default.aspx
I have never seen one up close but it looks like it would work.

 

[Squizzy246B]

Here you go the best of both worlds http://www1.raydanmfg.com/dotnetnuke/Products/Suspensions/tabid/187/Default.aspx
I have never seen one up close but it looks like it would work.

Thats what we call a Meritor system. Our block guy has it on his DAF 8 wheeler (dual steer). It sure beats the hell out of any other system. We run that truck into sites with 51,000 lbs of blocks onboard until its bogged, unload it and then skull drag it out again and its handles it beautifully...very stable, and its amazing how far it will get over rough ground until it does get stuck. Very often I can just stick the mini pushing up his..err......rear end ...and the skid with a long chain and pull him through the soft stuff (it does have diff locks). We had a new Mack cement truck last month that couldn't get halfway into the site that the DAF/Meritor had been in and out of twice without spinning a wheel.

*Warning*....the above actions are undertaken by highly skilled trained professionals....cough splutter.....do not try this at home or without expert supervision