Air Ride Suspension Install

[tonkadoctor]

For those of you looking to step up to a medium duty truck, there are tons of trucks on the market at great prices right now but for medium duty class 4 - 6 trucks it is difficult to find one with air ride, especially if it has hydraulic brakes.

There are several options out there to installing air ride on one of these trucks ranging from a used air ride system off of a doner, to new systems from Kelderman, Hendricson, Reyco etc........

Over the next few days I'll be installing an air ride system on my Ford F-800 Haul and Tow RV delivery truck.

For those of you that have questions, fire away, please bear in mind that I am an over the road driver and this is a working truck and I am usually out 3 - 4 weeks at a time running 14,000 to 15,000 miles a month when freight is available. Once I pack up and hit the road in about a week, it may take a few days or so before I reply but I will answer your questions, especially when I am up in Canada and using my air card costs me the National Mint.



I have chosen to go the route of a used air ride system frame cut from a low profile IH 4300 or 4600 (can't remember which) I found on evilbay for $600. I am using a VIAIR constant duty 12v air compressor and tank and will have it set up to dump the air from the suspension from the cab using air operated controls supplying pilot air pressure, not electric solenoid valves.

Now $600 might sound like a steal, but upon close inspection yesterday morning, I find the leveling valves, pilot dump valves, air bags and shocks are garbage......... So off to the Navistar dealer I go....... $800 later I came home with an invoice for......

2 - air bags
100' 1/4" Parker air brake tubing
4' 1/8" Parker air brake tubing
4 - leveling valves (only need 2, I have other plans for the other 2)
Dash mounted dump valve
3 - gallons of Fleetgard coolant (gotta do some minor repair and PM to the cooling system)


Yikes, for about $500 more (when including the initial $600 system purchase price) I could have bought a brand new $1700 Kelderman system and been done installing it in a day, so a used system really isn't the most economical choice when time is money....... Oh well, I'm home this week anyways and this gives me an excuse to buy more tools....... like the 3/4" Air Impact and 30mm impact socket for the lug nuts, some new fittings and hoses for the air compresor etc..... I'm sure I'll need more goodies later .


Anywho, I'll get started later today, hopefully I can get back to sleep and get a little more shut eye tonight.

 

[towcat]

tonka-
by the time you get done with this, you will have touched every nut and bolt on this damn truck. you sure you want to dump it next year?
oh yea, for $400 you can get one of these bad boys to deal with the lug nuts.

 

[tonkadoctor]

I ain't gonna buy another truck yet but am planning for the future, I won't be buying anything until I can pay cash and have enough parts and cash to jam the next truck together in about 2 weeks. Most of the stuff I am buying now or planning to buy / fabricate will be transferred to the next. I figure I will be in this F800 another year.

Right now I am taking a hard look at the Sterling Acterra's, yes they were discontinued but with Freightliners parts network and the vast similarities with the M2 business class parts shouldn't be a major issue for several years... They use the big truck cab and will work nicely with the 42" stand up Aerobullit sleepers that were used on the Ford Aeromax. That should really help clean up the aerodynamics of these travel trailers on the deck.

For now it's just planning and prepping. Who knows, I might just end up making my Ferd so comfy that I'll actually enjoy driving it, instead of dreading every little crack in the road.



Did some shopping today and came home with a pair of 150 gallon freightliner fuel tanks for $500....... you won't wanna be behind me waiting in line to fill now

Air ride installation starts tomorrow.


P.S. I picked up a $169 Farmhand 3/4" Impact at Tractor Supply and it had no problem breaking my 30mm lugs loose that were put on with a 1" Impact like the one you are showing.

Of course the Pistola in the background might be a lot more fun to use on the lug nuts .......... Just watch out for the ricochet

 

[nevrenufhp]

Sounds like a great project sirrr. Close ups are great! hint...hint.

 

[tonkadoctor]

Sounds like a great project sirrr. Close ups are great! hint...hint.

Is this close enough fer ya ....... Ya gotta love what you find on the camera after your kid gets their hands on it.

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Here's the first eye candy, no closeups yet.


Frame cut

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New tanks

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http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s190/carolinapowerstroke/tow haul/IMG01631.jpg

 

[Exekiel69]

I thought You meant 150 gallon combined. Filling those up with a regular nozzle can take an afternoon. Hope one day You need a hand near MD so I can get to look at that beauty You built.

 

[tonkadoctor]

Flinging Lucas Girling Brakes...I hate these brakes ....... Stick a fork in me, I'm done.

I have a major clearance issue with the parking brake chambers that can't be overcome even with flipping them to opposite sides with the chambers to the front of the axle with this air ride system so it'll have to wait for the next truck which WON'T have these very expensive to repair brakes.

Never again will I buy a truck that has Lucas Girling brakes.... NEVER!!!!!!


Well on to mounting the fuel tanks this thread is dead.

 

[tonkadoctor]

I thought You meant 150 gallon combined. Filling those up with a regular nozzle can take an afternoon. Hope one day You need a hand near MD so I can get to look at that beauty You built.

Nope, 150 each Anyplace that doesn't have high speed truck pumps and ain't trucker freindly doesn't deserve my business.

I avoid running the states north of Virginia and east of Ohio like the plague.

 

[spg]

Did you ever do anything with the transmission yet?