Dump truck suspension,,AIR, LEAF, OR RUBBER?

[canada]

Hi, I'd like your honest opinion on a new dump truck suspension.....what is the best overall, air, leaf, or rubber.....in terms of cost, and maintenance...I hear Hendrickson rubber is good.

Cheers!

Canada

[Kranky]

Any type except air ride.

In my experience, air ride and a dump truck is not a good combination.

[ben45750]

why is that? don't know anything about dump trucks.

[Malaki86]

why is that? don't know anything about dump trucks.

My guess would be because of the body-roll of an air-ride suspension. The center of gravity in a loaded dump-truck is very high, hence the need for a "tighter" suspension.

[jorlee]

AR2 nuff said!!

http://www.hendrickson-intl.com/prod...detail/ar2.asp

[Kranky]

why is that? don't know anything about dump trucks.

My guess would be because of the body-roll of an air-ride suspension. The center of gravity in a loaded dump-truck is very high, hence the need for a "tighter" suspension.

That is one concern.

Another problem with air ride on a dump truck is that whenever you leave the pavement and venture into a job site, you must lock the inter axle power divider.

This is because the air ride suspension does not "articulate" or allow the drive wheels to stay in contact with the uneven terrain encountered in off road job site situations, causing one or more drive wheels to lose traction and spin.

When the spinning drive wheel does again regain traction, it sends shock waves thru the driveline, something on the order of a magnitude 8 on the Richter scale!

Locking the power divider prevents the tractionless wheel(s) from spinning, but at the same time it is placing twice the torque load on the axle that does have traction.

On a truck with air ride, raising the dump body on anything less than perfectly level ground can lead to a hair raising experience!

A few years ago I bought a chassis with air ride and made it into a dump truck.

It didn't stay around here long!

[Mackman]

Hi, I'd like your honest opinion on a new dump truck suspension.....what is the best overall, air, leaf, or rubber.....in terms of cost, and maintenance...I hear Hendrickson rubber is good.

Cheers!

Canada

My old mans old pete had air ride it did allright off road just have to lock the diffs alot. Now on his new pete he has hendrickson rubber and he loves it it beats you up alittle more then the air ride does but off road it will do alot better.