I’m seeing some mixed reviews in reading about pros and cons of various dump truck suspension types. Traditionally, it seems air ride is not ideal for rugged construction sites. But it seems like there are some contradicting reports about newer air ride systems. Have they developed better technology or are construction dumps still better suited to the traditional suspension types?
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Newer air ride dump trucks in rough terrain
- Thread starter 4seasons
- Start date
Truck Shop
Senior Member
I'm a die hard-Hendrickson built the RTE for one reason, and it wasn't a soft ride. Want that buy a Cadillac.
Nige
Senior Member
Air ride is not intended for off-road use IMHO - off-road defined as anything that is not an asphalt or concrete surface. If the suspension manufacturers want to say different then they are bullsh1tting..........
https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/threads/commercial-suspension-lift.77208/page-2
https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/threads/commercial-suspension-lift.77208/page-2
Truck Shop
Senior Member
Pandering for sales.
Nige
Senior Member
Trying to convince people who don't know any better more like.
Spud_Monkey
Senior Member
You can only inflate a balloon so many ways and only so many PSI.
Thanks guys good info. I saw the tippy picture above and it reminded me of a dream I had last night , I bought a new truck and kept flopping it over every time I dumped. Lol.
I found a 2022 HX 520 but it’s air ride. Obviously not much availability out there but I’ll have to skip over the air ride.
I found a 2022 HX 520 but it’s air ride. Obviously not much availability out there but I’ll have to skip over the air ride.
cuttin edge
Senior Member
All our tractor trailers are air ride, both truck and dump trailer, and float trailers as well. Mind you off road to them is a gravel haul road, and you still need a level spot to dump a trailer. The bags on the trailers dump when you open the tailgate, I always dump the bags on the tractor, but not everyone does. Not so much for stability, but I don't like the idea of all that weight coming off the bags at once. A few private owners have air ride on strait trucks. We have one converted tractor that still has air ride. I am always careful where I dump a trailer, but I have no fear of dumping a leaning strait truck, as long as I know the gate is open. As an after thought, all the wood haulers here run air ride as well, and they are always wallowing in the mud. As far as spring suspension goes, I am with Truck Shop, there is nothing like the old Hendrickson suspension with the extended leaf, and top it off with the old 6 spoke wheels. I don't know if any of these young guys at the tire shop even know how to put a spoke wheel on straight anymore.
If you're wanting air ride just for a better ride I think you will be disappointed, they don't ride much better. The key to a better ride is air ride cab and a good seat. As far as air not holding up in off road conditions, never once had an issue or any trucks i've hired and i've hauled to some pretty rough dump sites, those air bags are tough as hell. Of the newer dump trucks around here i'd guess 75% are air ride at least. Guy who does all my trucking has 10 Kenworths all air ride no complaints at all.
A big bonus to air ride is loading height, not a big deal if loading with big equipment, but if you are loading with small stuff it can be the difference between being able to load the truck or not. But unless that is a huge priority I don't think I would go with air ride, it's more things to go wrong. But if the truck was everything else you wanted for a good price, I wouldn't pass on a truck just because of air ride either. It's just every few years you might be dealing with a extra air leak. Only real concern could be if you plan to haul asphalt, got to keep it off the bags, but other then that they are tough as hell.
Only thing I will say though, if you get spring suspension, make sure it's not on 24.5 rubber and/or a really tall box. Some genius at Western Star here was rigging light specs up with all 3, the side of the box height is just stupid, over 1' higher then most trucks, even with my 210 it's a nightmare to load them you can't see over the tailgate.
A big bonus to air ride is loading height, not a big deal if loading with big equipment, but if you are loading with small stuff it can be the difference between being able to load the truck or not. But unless that is a huge priority I don't think I would go with air ride, it's more things to go wrong. But if the truck was everything else you wanted for a good price, I wouldn't pass on a truck just because of air ride either. It's just every few years you might be dealing with a extra air leak. Only real concern could be if you plan to haul asphalt, got to keep it off the bags, but other then that they are tough as hell.
Only thing I will say though, if you get spring suspension, make sure it's not on 24.5 rubber and/or a really tall box. Some genius at Western Star here was rigging light specs up with all 3, the side of the box height is just stupid, over 1' higher then most trucks, even with my 210 it's a nightmare to load them you can't see over the tailgate.
cuttin edge
Senior Member
Mack Camel back, makes my back sore. I find a box with the connection points at the bottom of the chimney a lot more stable than a single point at the top like in the picture. Most of the full time dump trailer haulers say to make sure the load is in the center, so a good loader man is a must. Eyes on the gate, it only takes a second to make sure it's open. Watch your back wheels, you can tell when too much weight goes on them, or off them. If you are half way up, and she starts to go, floor it, putting it down won't always stop it, and chances are once the segments start to bend, it won't come down, and the inertia will take her over, gettin the weight off her is your best hope, and if it's stuck up top, she's going anyway. There must be truth to it, because I have only seen 2 upset in my life, and I have done the put her up, not down trick a few times myself.
So you're saying because a converted tractor on air ride isn't a good dump truck, air ride dump trucks are awful? There is a reason why they make different models of trucks, because they are made for different purposes and in no way is a tractor on air ride with a dump box thrown on the same as a factory purpose built dump truck on air ride.
Anyone who can lay a tandem dump truck on it's side air bags or not isn't smart enough to drive a smart a car, you can dump on a mean angle without a concern with air ride, IF it's an actual dump truck and properly built. In all my years of driving both types of suspension, never a concern of the truck going over, it's the concern of not wanting to dump on too much of a side slope because it's hard on everything, but the truck going over with a 15' box? Not going to happen.
cuttin edge
Senior Member
A little grumpy are we?
dieseldog5.9
Senior Member
The Hendrickson Extended leaf rides better empty at least. My problem with Hendrickson is the specialty tooling to change bushings. Camel back is expensive to work on, and the trunnion stand is the week link.
I take Truckshop's suggestion for Hendrickson and raise him one to the Chalmers suspension.
I take Truckshop's suggestion for Hendrickson and raise him one to the Chalmers suspension.
cuttin edge
Senior Member
Truck Shop
Senior Member
You ain't going to raise me nothing-chalmers is good suspension. Hendrickson beams are easy to remove.
dieseldog5.9
Senior Member
A friend of mine had the press for changing the bushings in the truck which helped. The Hendrickson HX got rid of the bushings that require the press.
The Chalmers suspension requires an air ride Cab in my opinion. I have the rare truck Mack Granite with Chalmers suspension.
Loggers here swear by the Airliner suspension which comes in Freighliner and WesternStar, Not sure how it is dumping, but it works well in a 10 wheeler tanker.
I was recently looking at a Kenworth triaxle dump truck until I saw the 8 bag kenworth suspension, NOPE!
The Chalmers suspension requires an air ride Cab in my opinion. I have the rare truck Mack Granite with Chalmers suspension.
Loggers here swear by the Airliner suspension which comes in Freighliner and WesternStar, Not sure how it is dumping, but it works well in a 10 wheeler tanker.
I was recently looking at a Kenworth triaxle dump truck until I saw the 8 bag kenworth suspension, NOPE!
Tenwheeler
Senior Member
I totally thought the same way. Never saw one but in the parts book is a Hendrickson walking beam set up with an air bag pivit in the middle of it.
Chalmers and camel backs are tough. Have some of them around.
Seeing more and more air rides in rough places. Some of them surprise me. Newer Petes are quite tough. I read that the Western Stars are the same. The KW 8 bag truck can drive circles around the Freightliners stuck in the mud and leave. Single axle air ride Mack spreader truck held up well. However in sugar sand it could wheel hop so bad forward movement was impossible. However in reverse it would go through the same place fine.
The one in Truck Shops picture is hard to beat.
Truck Shop
Senior Member
In loose/muddy ground the thing about walking beam is on uneven surface-one axle is always forcing
the other axle down. I drove a 86 Pete dump with 46K extended leaf with front and rear lockers pulling
a 3 axle pup, it was a great machine.
the other axle down. I drove a 86 Pete dump with 46K extended leaf with front and rear lockers pulling
a 3 axle pup, it was a great machine.