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The semi-tractors have had air bag axles, air ride cabs and air seat for decades. Our pickup trucks are rated for larger trailers and payloads each model year. Why aren't we copying how semi trucks are made? Larger trailers and payloads also means more rear axle squat and more axle travel between empty and loaded. That difference between a loaded and empty truck, changes the pinion angle effecting the drive shaft alignment with the end of the transmission. When the angle from transmission to rear differential isn't at the proper angle, your truck will buck, shake and pitch. If too straight, you'll have vibration. This is a growing problem in the last 10 years with truck manufactures trying to split the difference in pinion angle from loaded to empty by shimming the differential angle with blocks between the springs and axle. This is not a good fix for the problem, but a band aid. The right way to solve the pinion angle problem is a total air bag suspension that self levels to keep pinion angle the same all the time automatically. Whether you are hauling 1 horse or 4 horses, the truck will be level. www.LBCTrailers.com
Auto Flex can dramatically improve your trucks ride and handling. Keeping your truck level automatically, with better braking, and handling curves flatter. Headlights won't be star searching and oncoming traffic won't be flashing you. Have you ever had your truck full of feed or a slide in camper and the truck squatted and wandered, making driving work? The suspension your truck came with is a compromise. I tow trailers across the country, mostly on Interstates. While we seem to be always driving in road construction during the summer, even the normal asphalt is rough with potholes, washboards and patches. I've broke battery cases, headlights and blown tires on Interstates. You'd think you were on forgotten county roads instead of federally funded super highways. Auto Flex on my F250 is the cats meow. I might even take some shortcuts cross country on the next trip. We also added Auto Flex to my Safety Hitch giving me air ride on my auxiliary axle. This summer we'll add Trailer Flex to my gooseneck. Then I'll be floating on air on these off-road Interstates. Everything should last longer including me. I'll miss seeing my belly bounce. Why do you think semi-trucks went air ride on trucks, trailers, seats and cab? Truckers knew the Interstates were getting worse each year with less road tax being used to keep the roads maintained. If we can't elect officials that will invest in infrastructure, we better get air ride. Install:
We installed two Auto Flex Systems and
tested on different trucks, both diesels both
3/4 ton's that tow trailers as part of their job description, both
had aftermarket air assist. One was a 2006
Ford F250 diesel, 129,000 miles new front brakes. Second was a 2006 GMC 2500 diesel, 104,000
miles new front
brakes.
Also comes with new hydraulic shock absorbers. The factory gas shocks come off, air bags only push up, need hydraulic shocks to dampen the suspension.
Locking nuts on the bows, 3/4 in grade 8 bolts.
The air lines are 3/8" just like the semi-trucks. That keeps them
from freezing as well as the compressor tank and brass drain
petcock.
My old system aftermarket air bag helper springs would freeze the 1/4
air line each winter. Then they stopped working until they thawed
out, and you couldn't do anything to speed that up. AutoFlex was
developed in the cold part of Canada, if they don't freeze there, I
should be in good shape in Colorado.
Auto Flex and Trailer Flex are manufactured by LBC Trailers. They've been making logging trailers with lift-able axles since 1998. Fourteen years building semi trailers with air suspension, I'd call that well tested. Bow framework on top fits F250-550 and 2500-5500, just different air bags, lower trailing arm attaches to truck axle. Lower arm pivots at axle. Bushings in trailing arm are greasable. Rubber bushing in tracking bar for quiet and rubber bushing with steel sleeve for trailing arm keep the suspension tight. The lower arm oscillates for uneven roads. Auto Flex single stage air bags self center, are a rolling bag to give on corners. Double bellows used in after market air assist products, just support weight, aren't a real suspension. Auto Flex is not an add on, but leaf spring replacement. No drilling, welding or cutting your truck means is doesn't' affect you warranty. On-board air compressor adjust the pressure inside the air bags to match a truck’s load.
If
compressor or air line failure, each bag has a valve for filling or
shutting off bags. Rubber stops inside air bags are
incase of air loss you can still drive to get repaired. Automatic leveling valve You don't have
to think about it. Just enjoy it.
Results:
During acceleration, the air bag pushes up on the truck
body pushing down on the axle for more traction and better fuel mileage.
If your trucks loaded and squatting, your drive
shaft angle to transmission and differential is in a bind and will
cause vibration, bucking and wear. Wheel hop and pinion angle
deflection are hard on U-joints.
Imagine always being level in your truck, no sagging, being level
with different trailers and heavy loads.
you don't always haul the same load with
your trailer, so sometimes, the trailer is level and sometimes it
goes down hill. Brakes on your trailer work best when equal load is
on both axles. The dump valve will lower your truck 5 inches to get under
your gooseneck without as much cranking on the trailer jack.
The steering problems are not just from the front, with a loose rear suspension, the truck can wander. Auto Flex takes the slack out of the rear suspension. The two test trucks we used had over 100,000 miles on them and dramatically improved handling and steering after Auto Flex was installed. If you race your truck or just accelerate when passing or the on ramp to the freeway, you've experienced axle rap from flexing both sides of the axle on leaf springs. This air suspension eliminates axle rap. when the rear of the truck squats, this changes the frame angle which changes the drive shaft angle to the pinion. Adjustable tracking bar makes for tighter suspension. Your rear end won't be doing the Elvis pelvis action. Auto Flex air bag is behind the axle for leveraging the trailing arm and is as wide side to side as leafs for stability and less teeter toter action than you get with after market air assist bags that are inside the leaf springs. Aftermarket air assist bags puts pressure on one spot on the axle and frame. With Auto Flex, the air bag pushes on the replacement bow not the frame.
We used an accelerometer to test
movement. Auto Flex
had a rounding impact smaller range verses a sharper spike with leaf
springs. This could be a big improvement in the RV market
especially Class C motor homes.
GMC Test Truck
And the truck will stay level loaded or empty
We're going to test Auto Flex on a new truck next, to see the difference. www.LBCTrailers.com 1-807-623-0590 Auto Flex: http://www.lbctrailers.com/autoflex-suspension.html Trailer Flex: http://www.lbctrailers.com/trailerflex.html |
