Heavy-duty truck suspensions have a thankless task. If they work correctly, they largely are forgotten in day-to-day fleet operations. It’s not until a suspension fails, or a driver starts complaining about his back, that many fleets pause to consider their suspension specifications.
But there are many good reasons for fleets to review their suspension specs and consider changes to better meet their application requirements as new designs are developed to complement today’s equipment trends. Today’s automatic lift-axle and tag-axle control systems can provide savings on tire life, fuel efficiency and vehicle downtime.
“Fleets should take the time to review the spec to be aware of any new efficient products that might not have been around when they first spec’d the suspension,” says Mike Lambie, marketing department manager for Meritor Wabco. Lambie suggests fleets should examine their operations to see if conditions have changed in any meaningful way.
[gtblockquote quote_text_size=”16″ quote_text_style=”normal” quote_text_color=”#ADADAD” border_size=”4″ border_color=”#E6E6E6″]“Fleets should take the time to review the spec.” – Mike Lambie, marketing department manager, Meritor Wabco
“Maybe you’re now doing more drop-load operations,” he says. “From there, it’s very simple to determine if there are new suspension technologies available that would make this operation more efficient.”
In both on-highway and vocational applications, weight savings are critical for both improved fuel economy and greater payloads. “The correct suspensions can save hundreds of pounds on a vehicle,” says Ashley Dudding, director of engineering for Hendrickson.
With emissions and brake regulation changes, many tractor configurations have been forced to go to higher axle capacities such as 13,200 or 13,300 pounds, which frequently drives the cost up, Dudding says.
