Air ride question

[Nobby]

I have a couple questions. 1st , If I put a schrader valve in the airline from the pump to the tank(in case I have to fill tank manually) will it backfeed into the pump and damage it? 2nd, My digital pressure gauge is going nuts ,it constantly reads different pressure.Has this happen to anyone? One more,when you haul your truck on a car hauler do you guys air it out are leave a little air in.I was just wondering if it was hard on the suspension with the truck sitting on the snubbers because when I'm hauling I don't slow down for bumps

[rddiaz]

hey nobby, not sure about the first couple of questions, but .I know my buddy that has b/d chevy, that he hauls to shows and he puts blocks of wood under the frame then he lays it out.

[RunninLo]

1)Any good compressor will have a check valve in the feeder line off the head so probably not

2) I know Dakota digital guage (and a lot of others) use VDO sending units. Dakota offers two ranges and you need the senders that go with your guage. Also they're resistance based so if you have a short it may go wonky, Also it is possible to have different pressures at each bag and still be level. Say if I put my fat butt and some cargo all on the driver side it will take more pressure in the drivers side bags to level it out.

3) my personal preference is to set the frame on some 2x4 or 4x4 blocks and deflate the system then chain her down tight. Keeps the frame off the deck, the suspension off the snubbers and no worries about air leaking out and chains coming loose.

Josh

[N2TRUX]

I think they have answered your first throw questions, so let my throw my opinion in on the third one.


I suggest you leave the vehicle being trailered at ride height and let the suspension do it job. When securing a vehicle to a trailer, leave it at "ride height" pressure and suck the front down with with your straps criss-crossed. On the rear, strap the axle down and leave the body free. This will allow the rear suspension to absorb the bumps and give you a controlled tow.

[LowSmoothCool]

N2TRUX is right you should not air your truck out when on a trailer it should be kept at ride height.....

[Nobby]

Originally Posted by LowSmoothCool

N2TRUX is right you should not air your truck out when on a trailer it should be kept at ride height.....

Thanks for all the feedback everyone.Now I just need to figure out my gauge problem.
Hey Jon would you happen to know why my gauge is blinking different numbers.I have the ART ride pro 4000 kit.Is there a trouble shoot section on air rides website? Thanks

[RunninLo]

no offense to N2 or LowSmooth but how is carrying a rig lay'd out on blocks any worse than trailoring a load of sheetrock or bricks or dirt? A load is a load and that is why the trailer has a suspension. I have tried both ways and trailering adjustable suspension vehicles over 10 years and countless miles; blocked is way smoother than aired up AND you never have to worry about slack from the suspension losing pressure. Also if you look at most commercial car haulers they try to suck as much of the play out of the suspensions as possible. Could you imagine a 20 car hauler with all 20 suspensions working in unison.... bet it would look like Tacoma Narrows bridge. DANGEROUS!

I don't wanna pick a fight just my experience.

Josh

[N2TRUX]

Yeah, I knew this would get the "different opinions" flowing. Josh, your way may have worked for your application, but it's not always the optimum way to go. If you are using a light duty truck to tow on the typical tandem axle trailer, the trailer has very little ability to absorb bumps in the road.

Using your approach, the load becomes dead weight and the trailer suspension has to absorb "all" of the load. Using my theory, the trailer suspension only absorbs a portion of the load, and the rear suspension of the towed vehicle absorbs the rest.

Just like you, I have towed vehicles across the country using this method. I learned this it from a buddy that built cars for a living then delivered them to customers across the country.

You can't really use what commercial car haulers do as an example. They have an adjustable suspension to compensate for the additional weight. Your typical tandem axle trailer does not.

I have no doubt that your way of doing it works, because I have tried it that way. I also know how well leaving the rear suspension free works.

[RunninLo]

fair enough...
no harm no foul. just have my way and it's benefits for me. I guess it just boils down to personal preference.

Josh

PS in my over 15 years of hauling many various show vehicles with static, air, and hydraulic suspension my "application" has had many variables ( weights, trailers, tow rigs) the one "constant" is a secure load has always towed better than one that can move independent from the trailer.

[N2TRUX]

Josh, I think it depends on the application. I have never towed with a one ton truck, or an enclosed trailer. All of these make a difference.

What I can verify is that towing with a 1/2 ton pick up on a bumper pull tandem trailer I had much more of a controlled load with the rear suspension of the towed vehicle free.

I will freely concede that what works best will depend on the application.

[Tony@AirRideTech]

Whenever trailering a vehicle I will always recommend to trailer it at ride height. When it is at ride height the suspension is doing its job and is absorbing the dynamic load. As far as leaks are concerned, you should have it leakfree enough to not have to worry about it bleeding down on the straps. If you dont then you should spend a little time with some little kids bubbles and hunt em down. If you are trailering deflated then the 4x4's or what ever you have on the trailer deck are taking the load, if it is an enclosed with a wood floor you will probably be replacing floor pieces after a while or ... if you have it deflated on the suspension components themselves, you will end up breaking s**t.

[RunninLo]

Originally Posted by Tony@AirRideTech

Whenever trailering a vehicle I will always recommend to trailer it at ride height. When it is at ride height the suspension is doing its job and is absorbing the dynamic load. As far as leaks are concerned, you should have it leakfree enough to not have to worry about it bleeding down on the straps. If you dont then you should spend a little time with some little kids bubbles and hunt em down. If you are trailering deflated then the 4x4's or what ever you have on the trailer deck are taking the load, if it is an enclosed with a wood floor you will probably be replacing floor pieces after a while or ... if you have it deflated on the suspension components themselves, you will end up breaking s**t.

Tony, As a valued ART customer for many years I will always trust your advice but this time I have to disagree on a couple points. I will go along with the idea that a good air system will hold air longer than ANY segment of a road trip but the wierdest things can happen and a sudden loss of pressure can allow dangerous slack in the tie downs. The purpose of the blocks is in fact to keep the suspension from being bottomed out and prevent breakage of components. The blocks have not had ANY adverse affect on either of my trailers and both have their original decks. My 8x16' utility has 2x10" pressure treated lumber in place since I built it in 2001. My 8x16' tilt deck has 2x8 pine boards and only suffers from oil stains since the early '90's. Neither is enclosed.

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

Josh, I think it depends on the application. I have never towed with a one ton truck, or an enclosed trailer. All of these make a difference.

What I can verify is that towing with a 1/2 ton pick up on a bumper pull tandem trailer I had much more of a controlled load with the rear suspension of the towed vehicle free.

I will freely concede that what works best will depend on the application.

Both trailers are 8000# tandem alxe with leaves running titan ST 15" tires and pull off the bumper/hidden hitch.The most amount of miles towing to shows has been with a lowered 91 chevy half-ton with a c-notch and air shocks. Some of the duty was done by a 92 1-ton crew cab dually on air bags, some with my 88 1-ton crew-cab 4x4 stock suspension, and most recently my '89 GMC 2wd 1-ton dually with factory tow package rear.

All of those different tow-pigs with about 10 different show vehicles ranging from stock suspension to static drop, air, and hydraulics. It has been my experience and OPINION that on the blocks has proven best for me and the guys I show with that tow the same way.

One LAST point from me I promise: I have a CDL and did a short stint driving commercial truck. ANY professional trucker will tell you that they will take a secure load over a shifting load everytime. I'll let the trailer suspension do it's job.

I've run the risk of this becoming a round in circles argument and I don't want that at all. N2 thank you for keeping the discussion in the realm of respectable debate. I've seen a lot of these things degenerate to simple name -calling and such. I wanted to clarify my experiences and opinions one last time. I'll continue to do what has worked for me. I'm glad you have found something that works for you. To anyone that has continued to read this far try it both ways on a shorter trip and see what fits your needs.

Josh

[wicked_sky_gazer]

I personally pull said tow vehicle onto my trailer (8 X 16 tandem axle bumper pull) set the parking break and use wheel ties similar to that of a u-haul tow dolly. They work amazingly allowing both suspensions to perform properly. Like previously mentioned part of your decision comes down to what vehicle you are using to tow with. I have worked in loading docks and yards many years and can vouch that semi’s generally prefer a static load (a load that doesn’t shift) however their trailers have considerably different suspension then most of our personal trailers. I prefer the wheel ties personally because the suspension on the towed vehicle in no way effects the tension on the strap and if there is a suspension failure at some point you do not have to worry about a loose load. I tow vehicles once a week or so from my shop to a buddy’s across town (20 mi roughly) and have found this to be the best for my application.