Ride height valve replacement

My ride height valve is making noises every so often and I think it's leaking. This may be the cause of my intermittent bounce above 65mph as many people have mentioned.

If I buy a new valve is it just a matter of putting it on or does it need to be adjusted so the ride height is correct? Is this something I can do?

[allan5oh]

The control arm is the adjustment, not the valve itself. I doubt your valve will come with a control arm. If you change it, little adjustment would be needed. Adjustment should be checked about once every 3 months anyways.

Sometimes air lines can be a real bitch, sometimes they're ok.

Just a matter of swapping out the valve. Should be fairly easy on your truck, IIRC the valve is easy to get at(compared to a volvo).

PS... Get stainless bolts for mounting. I never use the bolts that come with valves.

I have a feeling the ride height is off anyways but can't find out how to adjust it.

Funny you should mention stainless. Everything I've done on my truck so far has been replaced with stainless steel. They laugh at me at the hardware store asking what I'm replacing this time!!!

[allan5oh]

Good stuff!

You'll see the valve, a horizontal arm, then a vertical arm coming off that horizontal arm to some part on the suspension.

That vertical arms length determines ride height.

[SilverWulf]

Give any good Western Star shop a call and ask the service department what the ride height should be. They will be able to look it up if you give them the VIN.

Make sure and ask where and how the ride height is measured!!!

Unfortunately it won't be as simple as 'from the ground to the bottom of the frame rail'. At least that hasn't been the case on any other trucks I've had to adjust.

Good Luck,
Dan

[allan5oh]

No it isn't as simple as from the ground to the bottom of the frame rail, because there's too many damn tires out there!

[Maniac]

They laugh at me at the hardware store

Buying from a "hardware store" can be a costly mistake, there are different grades of bolts, whether they are stainless or not.

Putting the "wrong" grade bolts in high stress areas is a recipe for disaster.

Here is a website for you to look at http://www.boltscience.com/.

Most "hardware" store stuff is low grade garbage, I would'nt use it on a shopping cart.

If anything buy from the truck dealer, and let them know what you are doing with it and they will give you what you need.

Now back to your question, you will need to cal Western Star and get the ride height and where to measure it, ALL the manufactures are different.

If your trailer has the "Intraxx" air suspension it is 14" ride height set from the centerline of the forward axle to the frame directly above it.

[allan5oh]

most if not all "high stress" places in a truck there are good quality bolts there. I don't mess with those.

It's the other bolts, like the ones that hold air valves to the frame. They rust like crazy, sometimes even causing the valve to corrode.

Or the ones holding the steps on, or fenders, on and on.

Generally those bolts are low quality at truck dealers, because they're never stressed. But boy to they rust!

Ya, I'm familiar with stainless and use Grade 8 so I know it's stronger than what was in there. We have lots of experimental aircraft in the local area so there's a big call for Grade 5 and better.

I doubt if the dealer is going to give me step by step instructions on how to adjust the ride height. I think I'll do a little searching and see what I can come up with.

[allan5oh]

Actually they will, they'll have a book on it. Just get them to photocopy the page or two on setting ride height. It's real easy.

I know on the volvos there's about 6 different settings, depending on what diffs you have, thickness of the frame rail, and spread of the drive tires.

Ok, thanks, I'll give them a try.