Air-ride cab question

[sodly]

I guess I'm one of the lucky/unlucky few who grew up driving trucks without air suspension or air-ride cabs.  Heck, no p/s or a/c either, for that matter.  I've always wondered how big a difference the air-ride cabs make on a Mack.  For instance, will an air-ride cab Superliner II be a big improvement over a solid-mount Superliner I cab... assuming both trucks have camelback suspensions?  How big a deal is the air-ride cab by itself?  Has anyone compared with/without?

Then, to take it a step further, how big a difference is an air-ride cab truck with a Neway air-ride rear suspension vs the same truck on camelbacks?  Is that like night and day?  How about bob tailing?  

I've always been curious to know if all this air-ride stuff is that big of a deal or not.  To be honest, I've never even ridden in an air-ride truck of any sort so I'm completely clueless.  

[carlotpilot]

make a long story short  air susp along with air suspended cab  like riding a cadilac as     opposed to a john deere tractor  with steel wheels

[ranchhopper]

I bought a superliner 2 cab to put on my superliner 1 they sent the airbag and valves with the cab but I may not use it as its going to be a straight truck now. I'm going to remove the new way and slide a camelback suspension under it I'm probably going to do that over the long weekend next week.

 

[Lmackattack]

I replaced my RS700L's rubber mount cab set up with a superliner air bag set up.

The difference was huge. It took all the bad bucking out of the truck. My truck is camelback and with the rubber mount cab if I was bob tailing the cab would get in a shaking rhythm that drove me nuts. The air cab set up removed that issue and when I hit a bump the rear of the cab just absorbs it.

That being said I think when a truck is loaded some of the air ride rear suspensions ride worse than a camelback.

I drive a pete right now on air and that truck bucks worse than a camelback

 

 

[Underdog]

I replaced my RS700L's rubber mount cab set up with a superliner air bag set up.

The difference was huge. It took all the bad bucking out of the truck. My truck is camelback and with the rubber mount cab if I was bob tailing the cab would get in a shaking rhythm that drove me nuts. The air cab set up removed that issue and when I hit a bump the rear of the cab just absorbs it.

That being said I think when a truck is loaded some of the air ride rear suspensions ride worse than a camelback.

I drive a pete right now on air and that truck bucks worse than a camelback

 

 

Over the years I find an air-ride trailer makes all the difference. Even camelback is not too bad. It's the trailer that bucks you in the ass.

[theakerstwo]

Air ride anything makes a cab its self last so much longer.

[keg1]

My Superliner had a solid mount under the cab when I got it and I changed to air ride mount and it made a big difference.

[sodly]

Thanks for the comments, guys.  I have heard that the trailer makes  a big difference.  I've never had a camelback truck but I have had Hendricksons and Reycos and they're not the smoothest thing out there, that's for sure.  

[Timmyb]

If I may weigh in on this topic. When I drove my dads valueliner across Aus it had no air in the cab air bags (aftermarket, 2 air bags, cab and sleeper on rails). It was rough, as you are well aware. 

I played around with it, got air in it but ride height valve was working properly. Was still rough. 

Finally put a new ride height valve on it and made a huge difference. Going over speed bumps I couldn't barely feel the camel back kick. Multi leaf springs in the front still made for a hard ride. 

So my .02c is they seem to work good when operating as they were designed. 

[wingman]

Airbag ride height adjustment is critical on both suspension and cab, but when they are right there is no comparison!

[Underdog]

Airbag ride height adjustment is critical on both suspension and cab, but when they are right there is no comparison!

Many try to alter the ride quality by adjusting height. No, no, no! Wrong! There is a specific height spec measurement for every type of air suspension that must be maintained.

[Timmyb]

On my dads truck the bar between the valve and the cab was missing. No way to exhaust or inflate when required. 

I replace ride height valves every few years because they become unresponsive. An air bag with no way of exhausting or inflating is a lot like a rubber block. 

[mrsmackpaul]

I thought all R model cabs were air ride from the mid 70's onwards in Australia, when the cab was extended the cab went onto become air ride but I may have that wrong 

 

Paul

[steve p]

no paul   my 797 is a 3 rd mth 78 was solid mount and my 685 12 th mth 79 was also solid mount ,so 80/81 airbag came out here

 

[Lmackattack]

I agree that air ride cab was a add on option. I know most of the early-mid 80's R models I drove were fleet spec with solid cab mount. Seams the R models of the late 80s early 90s it was more common to see air ride and less common to see rubber mount.

 

[Lmackattack]

23 hours ago, Underdog said:

Many try to alter the ride quality by adjusting height. No, no, no! Wrong! There is a specific height spec measurement for every type of air suspension that must be maintained.

Very correct. I measured a superliner air bag when inflated and it was about 6" top of frame to bottom of cab. My RS700L cab sits about 5" off the frame rails. The air bag set up I used from a superliner II bolted right up to my cab. However the lower part of the bag mount I had to make work as I did not have a frame cross member to mount it to. When I installed it I had to get the lower bag mount as low as possible to gain that extra inch. I think these bags have a internal bump stop so getting the right bag height is important.

anyone looking to convert their R models to air cab... dont forget you have to make new radiator supports so you can remove the X brace from the firewall...

 

[thomastractorsvc]

Both of mine are solid mount cabs one on newway second on 44 camelback both with air ride seats.  I guess since I don't own a Cadillac can't compare but they seem to ride okay.  The camelback is definitely no issues with a trailer and rides nice when bobtail can be a little rough ride on a few of the old concrete roads on asphalt smooth.  The other truck rides good loaded or empty.  

Ride is better than my old B

[m16ty]

We converted a '83 FL from Rayco suspension to air ride. It may have helped the ride a little but it wasn't enough to be worth the trouble. I think a air ride cab Would make much more difference.

Our RD822 is rubber mount cab on walking beams, about as solid as you can connect your butt to the road. If I run accross a air cab setup, I'm going to put it on there.

[BillyT]

The best riding  cabover.iv'e ever driven was an 85ml600 mack single axle spring ride ,much better than new air ride internationals. Strangely spec'd truck 300 6 speed with lo hole.probably used as a mini wheeler dump.Down here in gator country you are allowed 44000  on an axle group.therefore you can haul 73280 on at tandem trailer and a single axle tractor.I pulled a 50 aluminum drop deck used as a hotshot.the mack had little air bags. On the cab.