How To Get the Most Out of Your Truck Suspension

Most people may claim that they know something about truck suspension, but it is one of those things about which everything is not known. On the surface level it is easy to decipher whether or not your vehicle goes up and down properly, but to understand the mechanism of your truck suspension, you need to consult an expert always.

Basically, both the suspensions of a truck, the front and rear, must work in tandem. The front and the rear are programmed in such a way that the action in the front suspension will get transferred instantly to the rear suspension, and vise versa. It is dangerous to do just the front, and neglect the back while replacing existing worn out components.

The two major functions of truck suspensions are:

1. To support the weight of the truck, and

2. To absorb the inconsistent terrain conditions while you safely enjoy a smooth ride.

What are the components of a truck suspension and how to get the most out of it? The 4- robust strong S - springs, shocks, stabilizer bars, strut tower brace - constitute a truck suspension.

Springs

Springs are the central part of a truck suspension. They are engineered to absorb and store road shock caused by bumps. When a car's wheel goes over a bump, the spring absorbs the tension, keeps the road shock from transmitting to the chassis, and makes sure the tire remains intact.

There are four types of spring systems: coil springs, leaf springs, air springs, and torsion bars. They are used either in single or in combination depending upon the application.

Coil springs are commonly used in passenger vehicles.

Springs also hold the other suspension components like tires, shock absorbers, ball joints, and control arms. Naturally, if a spring wears out it will eventually affect the performance of all the other components.

Shock Absorbers

A shock absorber is a little less involved than springs; they play a minimal role in absorbing impacts taken by the suspension.

A shock absorber is designed to do two functions: prevent excessive car body roll and eliminate spring oscillation. If not for a shock absorber, the transmitted energy will be released by an oscillating motion at an uncontrollable rate. It dampens road impacts by converting the up and down movement of the spring into thermal energy; for which it is nick-named as dampers by experts.

The spring continues to bounce at its natural frequency until all the energy originally put into the spring is used up by friction. This effect can be quite detrimental to the stability of a vehicle. Shocks and struts help control the speed at which the suspension is allowed to move, which is important for keeping the tires in contact with the road.

Stabilizer Bar

Stabilizer Bar or anti-roll or sway bar works by equally distributing the weight of a cornering vehicle to its opposite side. Its function is mainly to reduce swaying.

A stabilizer bar runs from one side of the vehicle to the other, attaching to the frame and control arms via a simple bushing arrangement. When the car goes through a turn, the bar begins to twist, but resists motion. This resistance distributes vehicle weight more evenly from side to side, lending the vehicle more stability.

Strut Tower Brace

A strut tower brace is a simple metal bar that stretches across the front strut towers, thus increasing rigidity.

Conclusion

Always make a conscious effort to keep your eyes on the road, and keep away from potholes for a long lasting suspension. Replace the springs and shocks after 60,000 miles of average use or 5 years whichever comes first.

Medium and Heavy Duty Suspensions

The ratings of a medium duty and heavy duty trucks are distinguished by its Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW). All trucks are more or less similar in many basic aspects, but the difference lies in the construction of heavier chassis, strengthened suspension, and lower transmission and drive-axle ratios to cope with hilly terrain.

Medium Duty trucks: The gross vehicle weight of a medium duty passenger will be anywhere between 6,001 and 8,500 pounds and are engineered for hauling in urban environments; it is agile, comfortable, offers a low step-in height, an enhanced heating and cooling system, a spacious interior and guarantees a noise-proof ride. It belongs to a division of heavy duty vehicles, and all large sports utility vehicles and passenger vans are examples of medium duty trucks.

Medium duty trucks are ideally used for business solutions varying from towing, pickup and delivery, grocery, beverage distribution, emergency services, garbage collection, etc.

The medium duty truck suspensions with its oversized air bags and high range of travel are designed to provide a soft, smooth, safety ride both for the driver as well as the cargo, and the capacity of a medium duty suspension range between 10,000 to 40,000 pounds.

In addition these suspensions are versatile; although these suspensions are custom made for each application, it can be adapted to many medium duty vehicles. The double-bonded rubber bushing of the suspension spring as well as the pivot point serves as a lubricant; therefore, no other form of lubrication is needed. Insofar as the quality of the suspension is concerned, it is a light weight construction but yet is capable of performing heavily. The suspension's single-leaf design and optimized geometry provide inherent roll stiffness and maximum stability during acceleration, braking, and other handling.

Heavy Duty Vehicles are vehicles that weigh 8,501 pounds and higher in Gross Vehicle Weight and are equipped with heavy duty engines. Heavy duty trucks are designed to carry freight or heavy articles and find use in transportation of goods and machinery. All off-road vehicles like large pick-ups, buses, delivery trucks, recreational vehicles, and semi trucks are examples of heavy duty vehicles. We cannot imagine any industry without these heavy duty trucks.

Feature of a heavy duty suspension: The suspensions used in heavy duty trucks are rubber suspensions, air suspensions, spring suspensions, and solid mount suspensions. Suspension capacity ranges between 40,000-120,000 lbs. Heavy duty suspensions are available as both conversion or complete kits.

The major strength of a truck's suspension comes from its springs which support the vehicle's weight on all four-corners. Leaf and coil springs used in heavy duty suspensions are engineered for exact bolt-in replacement and combined with the state-of-the-art polyurethane bushings. Leaf and coil springs are stiffer than stock spring which essentially is capable of raising or lowering your truck acting both as traditional spring and as an anti-roll. The moving joints are sealed in rubber elastomers so that there are no lubrication points or adjustments required and provide a markedly quieter operation.

As a last word, although a finely tuned suspension system is essential for the smooth operation of your motor vehicle, people are increasingly focusing on fuel efficiency and are taking measures to reduce the carbon print.

Conclusion:

To conclude, the thought of boarding an overloaded airplane will instantly make us shudder - so why on earth would we risk driving an overloaded truck? Your life may depend on you driving within the limits of your equipment and your capability. Always weigh your rigs on a public scale and if they are overweight, go out of your way to bring them back to its specified limits.

Truck Suspension - What You Need to Know About Custom U-Bolts

Truck suspension parts are integrations of rubber springs, shock absorbers, custom u-bolts, spring pins, spring bushing, shackles, hangers, leaf and coil springs, and more.

U-Bolts are designed for an extensive range of products inclusive of domestic, commercial buildings, industrial building applications, automobile industries, marine and fishing, and off-shore and coastal operations. Custom U-bolts that are available in the market vary in their characteristics such as shapes, sizes, materials and grades depending on its utility.

In automobiles, custom U-Bolts have many functions, they are used to hold springs to the front and rear axles of cars, heavy trucks, off-road trucks, etc. Generally speaking, U-bolts hold truck bodies to frames, rigging applications, and anything that may need clamping force between two or more pieces of material.

The U-shape helps keep the bolt firmly in place so that it will not pull away from its fittings easily, adding uncompromising security and stability. The strongest known metal - steel - is used commonly in manufacturing the U-bolts which keeps the fastening resistant toward any kind of corrosion and is also a rust-proof material. Custom U-bolts are also available in other materials like low carbon steel, plain finish, hot dipped galvanized, zinc plated, Teflon coated, hot dipped galvanized poly-coated.

What are the elements that will help you in differentiating one U-bolt from the other?

When you are looking for a custom U-bolt, all you will have to consider is the size and shape:

o Size: The thread size of your U-bolt, rod sizes, inside width of your U-bolt, inside length of your U-bolt.

o Shape: The shape of bending in the U-bolt also helps in identifying the difference; the top may be round, square, or semi-round.

Problems with the U-bolt could result in loss of control at its worst maximum, broken springs at the least and the exerted pressure having a direct impact on the tire.

The added advantage of the U-bolt is that it can be re-tightened according to its usage and load conditions based on its specification.

Never take your chances, always refer to the manual or go by the judgement of an expert so as to save your truck from over-tightening; over-tightening of U-bolt is equally harmful. Never use old U-bolts, when you are re-tightening old nuts, the nuts tends to grab the old worn out threads directly affecting the socket to rod position.

When you subject your vehicle to frequent bad roads and overloading, the U-bolt tends to get stretched from its original position separating it from the spring and its axle will yield to the pressure thus taking a toll on the suspension compressing it beyond its limit and affecting the traction position. The wear and tear stretches the legs of the U-bolts from its original position, although it is made of the most foolproof metal and mechanism. It is advisable to go in for U-bolts with torque value, in which case the U-bolt will stretch within its elastic limits and rebound to its initial point without any damage. Therefore, even if the axle twists from the leaf spring of the suspension, the elasticity will bounce back protecting it from any mishap.

To conclude, here are a few tips on U-bolt.

o Never ever flip a U-bolt without crossover steering or interference problems.
o Re-tighten as per the spec after a few hundred miles.
o Always check them before venturing out on a trail trip.

How Does a Truck Suspension Enhancement System Work?

Suspension enhancement system or kits are designed to supercharge the performance of the suspension in a heavily loaded vehicle. Suspension Enhancement Systems are designed to work in conjunction with a truck suspension that is in good condition, i.e., if you have a badly sagging truck suspension, a SES is installed to uplift the suspension and a stable, smooth, safe ride is guaranteed. It is engineered in such a way that the hollow rubber cushions absorb road shocks and automatically adjust to uneven loads or road conditions.

The core functions of SESs are:

1. To carry heavy weights over the roughest roads with ease.

2. To reduce excessive trailer sway.

3. To improve stability when cornering, swerving or in high wind situations.

4. To protect truck suspensions from sagging.

5. To improve body rolling or weight transfer.

Let's probe the engineering behind the core functions in detail. When the truck is loaded, the springs are responsible for absorbing all of the shocks like bedrock and provide a smooth ride. This will cause the vehicle to feel unstable during cornering, and it is therefore advisable for a spring to be placed at an appropriate vehicle rate height. The more distance a spring compresses or extends, the more the vehicle "rolls" around on its suspension and causes instability. This rolling is called weight transfer, and it is caused by centrifugal force acting on the weight of the vehicle as it goes around a corner. Weight transfer can overload a tire's grip, which ultimately hurts traction, and therefore handling.

Suspension Enhancement Systems are mounted between the chassis and the axle of the truck. They can be installed easily with the help of basic hand tools within few minutes. They work in concurrence with the existing suspension to improve the ride of the vehicle and to protect the springs against overloading, road shocks, bottoming out, swaying and spring failure, while at the same time maintaining the factory ride when unloaded.

Like all other components of a truck, the SES also has a full stabilizer kit meant for specific applications. They range from the smallest utility vehicle to giant heavy duty applications.

Towing and Plowing Applications:

o Once you have a suspension enhancement system installed on to your tow vehicle you can ride with peace of mind knowing that your suspension can handle the extra stress.

o Suspension Enhancement Systems are designed to provide a safe and level ride for plowing snow in the toughest of environments, be it a pickup or a highway truck.

The capacity rating of the suspension enhancement system is equally proportionate to the approximate capacity of the rubber springs. The rubber springs are capable of absorbing most of the road shocks that are being generated by the road surface. The spring rate of the SES provides an incredibly smooth ride when loaded as well as when empty.

SES are low in maintenance, no holes are drilled while installation, and therefore there are no airlines or fittings to allow leaks.

Conclusion:

Always fix the load carrying capacity of your truck; even after you have added an SES to your trucks suspension, ensure that the truck does not exceed the specified Gross Vehicle Weight.

Truck Suspension and Level Ride

It is very important that your truck is fitted with the best truck suspension to ensure smooth journey and avoid wear and tear which might result in costly maintenance. To reduce truck suspension fatigue, springs are used to keep the vehicle at level from sagging under loads, relying on air bag suspension.

How Does Air Suspension Level Rides?

Air suspension which replaces conventional steel springs uses air bags to pressurize the air and uses compressed air as a spring. The air cushion produced by the spring lessens and softens contact between the axle and the spring. It stabilizes the vehicle and levels it providing a proper and safe headlight aim. The air pressure is adjusted to compensate for loads. Hence the vehicle is leveled and sway is eliminated giving vent to a smooth ride.

How do Air Bags Help?

The air lift air bags and the air spring kits are used to level trucks reducing the vehicle's sag and sway for a smoother and safer ride. The air pressure is adjusted with rugged, durable components which can be installed easily and quickly with the help of common tools.

Air bags which have replaced the standard coil springs at each wheel have sensors to maintain the truck at level and especially at sharp turns.

When the truck faces obstacles and inconsistencies on the road, air suspension is adjusted to allow the truck to sit low and rise to levels higher enough to be maneuvered. This air adjustability tunes your truck suspension under any circumstance when heavily loaded and on any type of road conditions.

Remember to add air when loading or towing and remove air for a softer ride when unloaded.

Three Types of Air Lift Leveling Systems

i) Air Lift 1000 gives your truck an extra rear support with massive backwheel tracking when fully loaded. It can shoulder a capacity of 1000 lbs loading

ii) Ride Control has quality and gives a sturdy support of towing and hauling up to a capacity of 2000 lbs. Yet it delivers the perfect balance of a smooth ride

iii) Load Lifter 5000 is of higher strength and gives your truck the massive support to handle the heaviest loads handling up to 5000 lbs

Benefits of Air Lift Leveling Systems

• It is a digital electronic system that manages air pressure.

• It is filled with air. So its goodbye to sags, sway, bottoming out, rolls, and rough ride.

• It controls the firmness of air bags and air suspension.

• The durable air springs maximize your truck load capacity through the use of air pressure.

• The air spring keeps your vehicle's front-end down.

• It fills both sides of your truck evenly or when you have off-centre load bolstering one side.

• It adds more air when you tow or haul and lets the air out when you are commuting.

• It is built with superior natural rubber or polyurethane that is molded tough.

• It is leak-free, non-corrosive, and easy to connect.

• It adjusts self-leveling springs.

• It helps to increase load capacity.

• It gives you total control of your hauling.

• It has auto-level feature.

• It gives you maximum control of your ride.

• It lends a perfect, smooth ride comfort.

• It reduces suspension fatigue.

• It increases vehicle comfort and stability.

• Your truck can carry loads from 1000 to 1500 lbs.

Truck suspension with air springs offers a comfortable ride, and increases truck control, monitoring and adjusting air pressure to automatically maintain a level ride

What Are the Truck Suspension Enhancement Systems For a Snow Removal Truck?

The truck suspension enhancement systems have proved to be a reliable mechanism in a snow removal truck, especially in areas of heavy snowfall. The snow removal truck has been specified by the Highways Department, the Municipality, and the State as the safest level ride to plough snow in the toughest terrain.

How Does a Truck Suspension Enhancement System Help?

Truck suspension system is designed to enhance the performance of your snow removal truck. The truck is made to carry heavy loads with ease. The system reduces sway and improves roll stability as it absorbs road shocks and automatically adjusts to uneven loads and road conditions. It minimizes wear and tear and minimizes maintenance costs. If you have a good quality truck suspension system installed then fear no road, terrain, or climate.

Installing the Snow Plough

Usually, when the snow plough is fixed in front of the snow removal truck, its weight will sag and stress, causing damages to the front end due to uneven weight distribution. Moreover, there is less power transfer from the rear tires.

Front application kits with front mount accessories like the plough, grill or bush guards should be fitted to your snow removal truck. Powerful hollow rubber springs can help the plough to carry additional weight. These absorb load shocks and provide a cushioned ride. The rubber springs will always bounce back to its original position. Hence, your truck suspension will last longer.

Solutions to Problems

The snow removal truck may face problems, such as load capacity, damaged suspensions, instability and unleveled ride, sags and stress in front, and bottoming out due to uneven weight distribution.

The following might help you to handle these problems.

• High performance suspension enhancement kits are specified for use.

• Your snow plough should have a high center of gravity.

• The truck should possess a complete line of front and rear suspension stabilizer kits.

• Added leaf springs are to be used to carry the rear load.

• Each spring should work independent of other springs to handle off-center loads in the truck.

• A single bolt should hold the mounting bracket and rubber cushion tight with small unit. This unit will absorb the additional weight to keep the vehicle at level.

• Leveling the vehicle increases stability and handling, especially when hauling the snow.

• In case the snow plough is removed, the normal activity of the suspension will not be hampered - it does not affect the unloaded ride of the vehicle.

• The weight will be distributed to the rear tires without any strain and without any front damage.

• The drivers are facilitated to maintain a safe ride.

• The suspension prevents bottoming out of the truck.

• The vehicle suspension's lifetime is increased as the rubber springs become the shock absorbers.

• The vehicle is allowed to use its own suspension when unloaded.

• It facilitates high-speed maneuvering without any compromises on the quality of ride

Benefits of Truck Suspension Enhancement System

It increases spring life and load capacity, maintains a smooth level ride at all times with trouble-free maintenance. It is easy to install, guarantees satisfaction and ensures a lifetime warranty.

The truck suspension enhancement system reduces maintenance cost especially when the rubber springs bear up with the added load in the snow removal truck. And best of all, its simple installation which can be done in one hour gives you peace of mind and the confidence to face all roads, terrains, and climatic conditions.

Are There Specific Heavy Duty Suspension Systems For Off-Road Trucks?

Some of you might be interested in off-road trucks. When you say off-road trucks, you must prepare yourself and your truck to handle all kinds of terrains and roads. Heavy duty suspension systems ensure smooth journey and so make sure that your truck is installed with the best heavy duty suspension systems to handle all kinds of roads and terrains; in short, your truck should be well equipped as a heavy military vehicle would to face all terrains, roads and climate.

Well, if you are contemplating off-road trucks with a combination of long-term survival and self-sufficiency, reliability, durability, safety, capability, and comfort, then the following points might help you.

How does it Work?

Heavy duty suspension systems for heavy duty, off-road trucks incorporate unique axle connections that distribute the load more evenly, over a wide footprint. They are designed for durability and a better ride and are engineered for all standard heavy duty trailer applications, including platforms and drop decks, dump trailers, and fixed-axle vans. Its tri-functional bushings at pivot points improve ride stability and driver comfort. An induction hardened camshaft system produces less suspension wear and longer operational life.

These heavy duty suspension systems are manufactured for heavy-haul vehicles such as those used in logging and mining, but the suspension is also appropriate for tankers, livestock and grain trailers, and container chassis. Its beams and axles are designed to live longer in off-road and other applications.

Braking systems are critical components with heavy duty, off-road vehicles and these customized suspensions include brake shoes as standard equipment. The suspension lift kits also minimize front-end dive caused by heavy braking. It is extremely important for it to have front lift kits which increase the off-road trucks center of gravity and cause extra body-roll.

For a street-driven application emulsion shocks are more than enough, but in off-road conditions a reservoir shock is recommended which subjects the shocks to excessive heat by increasing the oil capacity. The four corner shafts will help give more resistance to compression and act more like an air spring in heavier trucks whether it is in the desert, dunes, mud, or on the trail.

Coil over shocks are customized shock absorbers for desert cars, pre-runners, sand rails, rock crawlers, dune buggies, and many more off-road and racing conditions. A coil over shock has more easily adjustable features than standard suspension, and the reason they are so popular is that they can be finely tuned and adjusted accurately. Most people like the smooth ride a coil spring can provide.

If you have larger tires or upgraded power and gearing, you will probably need the optional replacement leaf springs. It all depends on how you like your truck to look. If you prefer it to be level, then stick with the 5" rear blocks. If you prefer the raked look, then you can choose shorter blocks.

Bump stops are a great way to smooth out even the harshest hits while protecting your chassis from the extreme energy transfer impact.

Generally, off-road racing shocks need to be charged with nitrogen only. DO NOT USE compressed air as it can cause a number of problems. The oxygen and moisture in compressed air will corrode ferrous materials. Not only that, nitrogen is more stable through a greater pressure and temperature range.

With the significantly increased oil volume and a large diameter piston head these shocks can just about take any suspension!

Beat all terrains, roads and climate with the best suspension systems. Make your journey a smooth one with an intelligent choice of suspension systems