Product Focus

Feb. 1, 2007
Kelderman suspension for Ford pickups Kelderman says its air-ride suspension for Ford F-450/550s is a smoother-riding replacement for the factory-installed

Kelderman suspension for Ford pickups

Kelderman says its air-ride suspension for Ford F-450/550s is a smoother-riding replacement for the factory-installed version. Simply convert the suspension to Kelderman's bolt-on air ride system, custom-engineered to make the F-450/550 ride smoothly and a full 2" lower than the stock suspension.

The kit comes standard with an electronically controlled automatic height control unit with air dump. Other features include using the factory sway bar, a parallel trailing arm system that eliminates axle twist, minimal pinion angle movement, and a low-profile four-bag design that allows the truck to run 2" lower than the factory height.

The kit includes wiring harness, bolts, compressor, and instructions. Access www.keldermanmfg.com for more information.

AIRman offers ACE air control assemblies

Suspension dump and fill, lift axle operation, tailgate latching, and free wheel are provided by AIRman as individual control systems or as combined arrangements. These controls can be operated manually, electrically, or by air pilot from the cab, outside on the vehicle, or all of the above. Enclosures can be outfitted with gauges, external control knobs, and automatic reset. AIRman can provide a system from its growing line of standard control arrangements or custom-design an air control enclosure for a specific requirement.

ACE air control assemblies include rugged and reliable control valves. DOT-approved fittings and tubing are carefully routed for compact, space-saving efficiency. Each system comes with a schematic and operating instructions.

These complete control systems comprise the assembly labor that OEMs typically have to incur while building trailers and bodies. Now AIRman provides a total controls package ready to mount, plug in, and operate.

Enclosures are heavy-duty, high-impact molded fiberglass with stainless steel hinges and hardware. A NEMA 4 watertight rating and a lockable clasp keep out contamination and unwanted adjustments. ACE air control enclosures eliminate corrosion concerns and provide an attractive appearance wherever they're mounted. Bulkhead porting is available for convenient connection to ride bags, lift axle systems, or tailgate latching actuators. Other options include a variety of colors and observation windows.

E-mail Chad Dusseau at [email protected] for more information.

Trailer suspension weighs less than 900 lb

Ridewell Suspensions has developed a new self-steering, liftable auxiliary axle suspension system for trailers.

The Model RSS-232T has a capacity rating of 13,200 pounds and is available in ride heights ranging from 10½" to 18¾". The system includes a lightweight, fully integrated axle and weighs less than 900 pounds. The suspension's simple structure reduces complexity, increases strength, and optimizes weight reduction. Key features of the 232T include:

  • A compact mounting envelope as low as 21.7" for mid-mount and high-mount versions and 22.0" for the low-mount version.

  • 13.5" of total axle travel.
  • Long-life urethane bushings.
  • High tensile steel.
  • 28 degrees of wheel cut.

E-mail Kristin Persson at [email protected] for more information.

RollGard reduces heavy-vehicle maladies

The RollGard stabilizer from Amtech Corp improves safety and reduces wear and tear on fleet vehicles. Designed for vehicles with rear leaf spring suspensions, the RollGard stabilizer uses patented Counter Spring Technology (CST) to counteract excessive suspension movement of the leaf springs, thereby reducing sway, bounce, and other maladies.

Independent testing by Texas Proving Grounds Services LLC (TPGS) of D'Hanis TX concluded that the RollGard not only improved vehicle stability, but also shortened braking distances by preventing excessive “brake dive.”

On average, TPGS found that the RollGard reduced braking distance by 4% to 5%, and a 10-passenger Ford E-350 van experienced a 37% reduction in vertical acceleration (bounce) when evaluated on rough surfaces.

RollGard has been approved by the Department of Transportation of both North and South Carolina, and is used in public transportation agencies in California, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia. For further details, access www.amtechsprings.com.

Narrow-Top fills wide range of needs

Ridewell Suspensions' RAR-200 Narrow-Top trailer suspension comes in a 23,000-lb-capacity rating. Weighing less than 244 pounds depending on ride height, the Narrow-Top is lighter than Ridewell's RideLite due to its narrow hanger and trailing arm.

The Narrow-Top is equipped with the new FiberTech bushing at the pivot. Front and rear wings are integral to the hanger and provide lateral stability, easy installation, and direct integration to the frame crossmembers.

Additional features of Ridewell's 200NT include:

  • Non-captured axle
  • Pre-located height control valve mounting
  • Patented contoured axle seat
  • Axle alignment adjustment capacity ± ¼" at the hanger
  • Mounting heights from 14" to 17"

The Narrow-Top is designed for tanker, flatbed, grain, container chassis, and bottom-dump trailers.

E-mail Kristin Persson at [email protected] for more information.