RowdyRebel Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 I would really like a better "off-road" suspension at some of the job sites I find myself in from time to time...better articulation on the drives without losing contact with the ground......but the best "off-road" suspensions are not practical for my use. First because I have an air gauge running up from the air bags in the air-ride suspension that I use to judge the load I have on the truck (dual needle gauge, second line running to the truck from the trailer air bags)...most places that I load at aren't fancy enough to have scales on the loaders (and even if they have 'em, they aren't always very accurate) and it takes way too much time going back for more if you are light or dumping a little off if you are heavy. Second, because a lot of the time (especially on tanks), I am loaded one way, empty back...so the ride quality would suck pretty bad +50% of the time in a non-air-ride truck.Something like this appears to be a pretty danged good "compromise"...walking beam style axle articulation with air ride quality ride & the ability to use air pressure to estimate my weight...http://www.hendrickson-intl.com/pdfs/Truck_PDFs/AR2/45745_225d.pdfI probably can't afford to do anything with it now....just getting ideas in mind for if/when I have the means to put any non-essential money into the truck to make it work better for me... Quote When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gambi80 Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 You're going to get bombarded by the camel-back nazi's...And my experience with end-loaders with scales...it's the operator at fault most of the time. They're WAY too lazy to use them the right way...and most are assholes to begin with. We've got an auger cart with a scale on it and use it only in the fall during harvest...every time we hook it up prior to harvest, it's dead nuts on. Quote Ever wonder how a blind person knows when to stop wiping? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyRebel Posted February 4, 2010 Author Share Posted February 4, 2010 You're going to get bombarded by the camel-back nazi's...And my experience with end-loaders with scales...it's the operator at fault most of the time. They're WAY too lazy to use them the right way...and most are assholes to begin with. We've got an auger cart with a scale on it and use it only in the fall during harvest...every time we hook it up prior to harvest, it's dead nuts on.If they come up with an air-camelback system between now and when I'm ready to start "upgrading", I may consider it...until then, Quote When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAD DOG Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 Here in Ontario the truck driver,and the loader operator is also liable for a fine as well as the person operating the scale at the pit for over loads if they let you go out over weight. Air ride with pressure gauges sure makes it easier to guess you weight or even know you're loaded properly though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyRebel Posted February 4, 2010 Author Share Posted February 4, 2010 Here in Ontario the truck driver,and the loader operator is also liable for a fine as well as the person operating the scale at the pit for over loads if they let you go out over weight. Air ride with pressure gauges sure makes it easier to guess you weight or even know you're loaded properly though.Around here, it's the driver that gets the ticket...and the mine/quarry doesn't like it because if a few trucks get busted the cops start looking harder at the trucks leaving their facility...and the company doesn't like it because their equipment is being "abused" and if too many of their trucks get caught, cops start looking at their trucks closer & harder...not to mention if the driver wrecks while overweight, the driver, the company, and the mine can all be named as defendants in a law suit.We load some places that have no scales...not even on the loader. You don't know exactly what you have until you get to the other end and weigh in. Without the air gauges, there would be no way to have any clue how much we had on the truck. Quote When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gambi80 Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 We load some places that have no scales...not even on the loader. You don't know exactly what you have until you get to the other end and weigh in. Without the air gauges, there would be no way to have any clue how much we had on the truck.Isn't that a treat? Who gets the ticket then? There have been times where I've gotten loaded and never knew exactly what I've weighed...hauling asphalt grindings for example. You know you're overweight but most of the time there's no scale available. That's half the reason I bought the short dump I have...half-round 23'...less volume. Guys on the same job with 24-28' trailers with 60" sides get filled to the max...wayyyy overweight. Quote Ever wonder how a blind person knows when to stop wiping? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HK Trucking Posted February 5, 2010 Share Posted February 5, 2010 You're going to get bombarded by the camel-back nazi's... Quote "If You Can't Shift It Smoothly, You Shouldn't Be Driving It" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyRebel Posted February 5, 2010 Author Share Posted February 5, 2010 Isn't that a treat? Who gets the ticket then? There have been times where I've gotten loaded and never knew exactly what I've weighed...hauling asphalt grindings for example. You know you're overweight but most of the time there's no scale available. That's half the reason I bought the short dump I have...half-round 23'...less volume. Guys on the same job with 24-28' trailers with 60" sides get filled to the max...wayyyy overweight.eh....yer only in trouble if'n ya git caught Quote When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
other dog Posted February 5, 2010 Share Posted February 5, 2010 Having to go back and dump off or shovel a little bit out the back door was a big hassle the short time I pulled a dump trailer. When we load at Gerdau-Ameristeel in Petersburg they get your axle weights when you pull on the scales. I had to leave a load going to Saginaw, Alabama Monday because I was too heavy to load it, and the loads were coming out heavy anyway because the beams were full of snow.Had to take a lighter load to Baltimore instead, not on my list of favorite places to go. Quote Producer of poorly photo-chopped pictures since 1999. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
other dog Posted February 5, 2010 Share Posted February 5, 2010 eh....yer only in trouble if'n ya git caught took a load of pulpwood to Covington once and weighed in at 97,460. Didn't get caught, or I might still be in jail Quote Producer of poorly photo-chopped pictures since 1999. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klharper Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 Hi I will throw in my two cents, and I think you are on the right track with the word compromise. If you are looking for better unloaded ride, an air suspension is hard to beat. Given that I would look at 2 different Hendrickson suspensions. The Primaxx and the AR2. The primaxx will give you better all around ride, The AR2 has better articulation and this is just a guess but it looks more durable for the more extreme areas. I do like the Primaxx for most applications though.KLH I would really like a better "off-road" suspension at some of the job sites I find myself in from time to time...better articulation on the drives without losing contact with the ground......but the best "off-road" suspensions are not practical for my use. First because I have an air gauge running up from the air bags in the air-ride suspension that I use to judge the load I have on the truck (dual needle gauge, second line running to the truck from the trailer air bags)...most places that I load at aren't fancy enough to have scales on the loaders (and even if they have 'em, they aren't always very accurate) and it takes way too much time going back for more if you are light or dumping a little off if you are heavy. Second, because a lot of the time (especially on tanks), I am loaded one way, empty back...so the ride quality would suck pretty bad +50% of the time in a non-air-ride truck.Something like this appears to be a pretty danged good "compromise"...walking beam style axle articulation with air ride quality ride & the ability to use air pressure to estimate my weight...http://www.hendrickson-intl.com/pdfs/Truck_PDFs/AR2/45745_225d.pdfI probably can't afford to do anything with it now....just getting ideas in mind for if/when I have the means to put any non-essential money into the truck to make it work better for me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackcl96 Posted February 13, 2010 Share Posted February 13, 2010 This Hendrickson AR2,,, looks to have the same theory as Mack's other vendor suspension used allot in Canada......... http://www.raydanmfg.com/?page=products&CategoryId=12 Quote Thanks for hearing me out.You can have the soap box now---------JIM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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