Truck suspensions

[nedly05]

I like the tuff trac for the high arch it has and the air can mounting. The cans arent out where they can get covered with black top or knocked off by a big stone.

 

[KRiS_660]

i've still had no luck sourcing tuff trac, Had sleeper removed and will be shortened this week to fit 17ft dump bed, would of been great if i found it before.
HELpPPPP :beatsme
Looks like i'll have to buy cut off tandem with hendricks spring and axle specs i need.

 

[Ford LT-9000]

Hendrickson Extended leaf walking beam suspension is fine it works it rides fine. The reason why I suggested the Tuff Trac is it does ride a little smoother.

I wouldn't delay putting the truck together if you can't find the Tuff Trac. The only Hendrickson suspension you really don't want is the solid mount and the rubber block (pad) suspension. Good stability but man o man if you have any loose teeth they will be on the floor of the truck if you don't have loose teeth they will be. Hendrickson rubber block suspension rides pretty rough especially if you have a light weight box and one out of round tire. Good with a load but empty :eek2

Hendrickson suspension is easy to install prolly alot simpler than Tuff Trac or Chalmers.

As for Raydan suspension only one truck here has it and its a Mack. Never driven the truck but have followed behind it with a load and it doesn't lean like a full air ride dump.

 

[Tacodriver]

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

It says on one of the pages raydan licenced the system to Meritor for world wide distribution.

 

[busdrivernine]

Just bought a 88 379 pete and it has the pete leaf air ride not my 1st choice but for the price it will do as a starter truck . Pulled the 5th wheel today and sleeper will come off this week and day cab kit done and then the 24 will have 15ft Daivs dump installed anyway and having a dump vavle installed and we are going to use the 5th wheel slider as the dump valve switch .

 

[Countryboy]

Welcome to HEF busdrivernine! :drinkup

 

[busdrivernine]

Thanks !!! lot of good info here been out of trrucking about 10 years due to cancer been driving school bus last 5 forund this old Pete and knew that I really wanted it lot of recent work done on truck so maybe it will hold together for a couple of years . Think this picture will sow

 

[Countryboy]

Pretty sharp looking truck you got there. :thumbsup

 

[Bob Horrell]

I have a 15 foot high side (17 yard) Davis dump on my Western Star. It is a good bed. Good luck with yours.

 

[busdrivernine]

Thanks! really sad to have to take sleeper off

 

[LowBoy]

:my2c

I think the answer is like any machine - depends on the application. Walking beam is the best for a construction truck that is going to spend 20-30% of its time off-road. The other 70-80% of the time the dump is running inner city not over the road. The ride is important but you need the ability of a walking beam off-road. If I was running asphalt, dense grade or contract hauling primarily on the road I would go with air ride for two reasons: ride quality and it is easier on the truck.


Also most of your used dumps with air-ride are over the road trucks converted to dumps. Over the road trucks are spec'd different than construction trucks. The trans., gearing, suspension, ect are usually not as heavy spec'd as a construction truck. This could be contributing to the problems some folks have with air ride dumptrucks.

I couldn't say it any better myself. It's all about application. Up here in New England, guys spec new trucks from the factory to serve a dual purpose. 5th wheels in the winter to haul trailers to survive, and dump bodies in summer to pave with. Mostly all are airride, but not really off-road much paving. There's really no substitute for a Hendrickson or Chalmers suspension once you leave the pavement. The question lies in the percentage of time the truck will be on-road vs. off. Air will certainly increase the longevity of the vehicle's life, keeping shockloads to a minimum.
I'm off road constantly with a 46K Pete Airtrac setup with a 55 ton airride lowbed, and I can't move without locking the power divider in once I get in the soft or uneven tourain. Also, I dump the suspension whenever loading/unloading on both truck and trailer, because when unloading especially, you can watch the airbags stretch out to their maximum and the shocks do the same, if you don't dump the air; thus damaging those components prematurely. That's what the chains and/or limiter straps do on newer style suspensions; keep air springs and shocks from stretching all the way, but every one of mine (nylon straps,) have broken so far on this 2007 trailer because of extreme stretching, angles, dropoffs under tires, etc.
So, it's a decision based on where, how much, and how often you're going to be I assume.:thumbsup

 

[Ford LT-9000]

For a lowbed truck having air ride makes things a little easier breaking the gooseneck on the trailer etc.

For a truck that spends 90-100% of the time on the road especially truck tractors a walking beam suspension would make the truck shake apart.

With that Pete in the picture above that will be a pretty short wheelbase dump even with the sleeper taken off.

 

[LowBoy]

Ford LT-9000;45118]
For a truck that spends 90-100% of the time on the road especially truck tractors a walking beam suspension would make the truck shake apart.

I know for a fact that a couple million of them had walking beam suspensions from Canada alone, and I never saw one "shaken apart"...

 

[JCoates]

Air Ride Sus

Air Ride Suspension is pretty much a personal Pref,.....We have 2 Peterbilt one steel body one aluminum and both have no problem going off road, key is, take your time and things won't break, one other key to Air ride Suspension in that application is this - Make sure you have a power lock divider and a Traction Locker, what this does is not only lock the front drives together but locks the front with the rear and off roading problems go away. Always dump your air bags when dumping with a dump truck, doesnt matter if you weigh 73,280lbs or 150,000lbs your chances of upsetting the truck on it side are greater if you don't dump the air!

DKinWA - there are all kinds or different Air Ride Suspensions out there, Henrickson, Rockwell, Pete Air Ride, Pete Lowleaf Air Ride, Kenworth does offer a nice 8 Bag Suspension which i think is Hendrickson, Airliner Air ride which is a knock off Hendrickson used in Freightliners. If you typically use your truck for off road use you would be better off with a spring suspension, however the down fall to that is you get the seat pounded in your behind to get from job to job. If you use the truck hauling paving aggregates, stone, sand etc, i would say have air ride. If it was me no matter what the application calls for i would have air ride!!

Always remember to drop the air when dumping specially on a lean, trick of the trade is, on a lean leave the lift axle down for stability an dump the drive axles down.

 

[farmboy555]

Thanks for all of the replys. My Parking Lot (car hauler / day job) has air ride. My single axle dump has springs, with my equipment getting bigger I'll probably will go with a tandem for my next dump truck. I planon converting a road tractor and most of them have some kind or air ride. Thanks again. dennis

 

[Willis Bushogin]

suspensions

What are the pros and cons to air suspensions on dumptrucks? I've been looking off and on for awhile now and found a 1994 Kenworth W900 that looks to be in good shape and in the price range I can afford. The only downside if there is one would be the air suspension. I'd really like to understand the differences, but I'm not finding much with my google searches.

Its already been said, but I have 2 converted road tractors (air ride) and one with Hendrickson. As stated if youre staying on road most of the time, air ride will ride better, but I dont plan on buying another air ride, they are too much trouble, the converted trucks are not built heavy enough for most off road work and you have to stay on the newer drivers all the time about dumping the bags. As far as spreading rock, with the air ride, Im sure there are people that does it, but I dont, its too scary to raise the loaded bed and pop the tailgate and start moving, I have tried it and body just rocks too much for me. If I had a LoLo tranny, it may work better, but most road tractors dont have LoLo trannies and high geared rears (4:30+)
I would rather ride a little harder and use the Henrickson, it works with all applications
Just my 2 cents worth

 

[TRSmith]

Someone told me that a chalmers suspension is hard on the driver, in a dumptruck running off road...Can anyone comment on this?

 

[Willis Bushogin]

dump trucks

Someone told me that a chalmers suspension is hard on the driver, in a dumptruck running off road...Can anyone comment on this?

I have had chambers on a few road tractors, but I have always been told to stay away from chambers (road tractor style) in a dump truck. They dont hold up and they beat you to death

 

[Bob Horrell]

I have a chalmers suspension on my Western Star dump truck. I like it. I do a lot of off roading to job sites and in these situations it is excellent for traction and stability. It rides very smooth when loaded, but empty it certainly isn't "air ride quality". However, with an air ride cab and air ride seat, it doesn't feel that bad.

 

[truckboy]

the newer trucks have a completely different suspension design along with rack and pinion steering. with your truck you won't even come close to that ride. if you want better handling though, try bilstein shocks, replace your pitman and idler arms because they're probably shot. and check your ball joints and tie rod ends, they're probably junk too because of the age. then have it aligned, making sure camber and especially caster are perfect, because caster really has an effect on the steering stability of these trucks.