I was just wondering if you were able to get your shocks changed out and if that solved your problem, heavyhaulerss?

 

No I have not had a chance to get the shocks on. it has rained for almost 2 weeks straight. & now that this week has been dry, I have more loads than I can handle. I am going to try & get it in my shop this wknd. I put 1 chain around each axle to the frame above it, with enough slack for the air ride, but will prevent the bags from stretching over their limit. the chains seem to work well so far. as easy as the shocks appear to replace, if I do it during the week I would have to give up a load & I dont want to lose any $$. been doing a lot of 120-150 mile runs & the time it would take me to install shocks, I would have to give up a load. if freight stays like it has for me this mon & tues, I'll just have to run 18 loads a week for 1 year to make up for what I have not earned in the past 14 months. last week I had 3 loads all week. so far this week I have 5 loads done & its only tues night. sooo maybe fri or sat I will do some work on equip.

 

Put two quick release valves on the trailer, one for each axle.

The only thing your doing with the chains is stopping the trailer from raising up real high giving you the impression your bags aren't getting over inflated, when in fact they still are!

 

If the chains he installed are preventing the air bags from physically extending past their maximum rated height, then it would be physically impossible for the air bags to "Hyper extend".

As for being over inflated, the term "over inflated" means that the pressure is in excess of the air bag's rated P.S.I. capacity.

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Guess you didn't get the point. Oh well not my bags or crossmembers getting beat up.

Although I do have one question...does anyone have an air gauge on their trailer? If so,, watch it when they pull a big coil off and let me know what the air pressure goes up to. I'm just curious as to if it goes up alot?

 

When you suddenly take weight off an air suspension the air pressure in the air bags will drop, not rise, because the bags will extend further as the weight is removed, increasing the inside volume of the bags, and no more air is being introduced into the bags. At this point the ride height control valve has sensed an increase past the normal ride height and is actually exhausting air from the bags to bring the ride height back to normal.

But if the air suspension is "dumped" before unloading, hyper extension of air bags is a non issue.

 

Exactly! The airbag is rated to handle the air pressure thats in it even if its extended all the way. Now none of us like this to happen but the bag should still handle it.

Where I see people make mistakes is putting the bags on crooked or twisted and this can cause problems and a shortened life of the bag.

Like you said a dump valve is the best option. Or if you have a good leveling valve (not the cheap crappy plastic slow ones)and two quick release valves with 1/2" air lines, you can go without the dump valve and the airbags will last a long time.

 

But if the air suspension is "dumped" before unloading, hyper extension of air bags is a non issue.

I have used the air dump. it does nothing for the axle that has no air dump. the axle with no air dump still raises the trailer & then lifts both axles up, stretching the all the air bags.

 

I do have new, but cheap plastic leveling valve on trailer. it is what truckpro sold. if I can get a better one, that I knew for sure would work better I would. maybe for some reason the air is not being dumped quick enough. though I know this is not a prob that I just discovered, as I notice more & more flats, with the chains attatched.

 

Then you should re configure your plumbing so you can dump the air from both axles while unloading.

We have some dump trailers with air ride where I work, and they are set up to dump the bags whenever the air operated tailgate is in the "open" position. Since the tailgate is opened when unloading, the air suspension is "automatically" dumped. (Unless the driver f's up and forgets to open the tailgate, but that's a whole 'nother set of problems if that happens.)
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