If you’re a serious towing enthusiast, you probably already know the reasons why you should add a truck air ride suspension system to your heavy duty truck a quality truck air suspension system helps by cushioning a bumpy ride, leveling your vehicle, reducing wheel hopping, limiting trailer bucking and adding stability during braking. And, an air ride suspension system helps you protect your investment in your heavy-duty truck by preventing the harsh wear and tear caused by heavy towing.

But, before you make a decision to buy a product that can have such a significant impact on your truck, your trailer and your load, there are several factors to take into consideration, including load capacity, manufacturing quality, ease of installation, adjustments to your vehicle, warranty, and much more.
Here are a few tips for serious shoppers who are looking for optimum performance and value in a truck air suspension system.

All Truck Air Suspensions are NOT Created Equal

As you start shopping around, keep in mind that there are two main types of air suspension systems on the market:

• Adjustable “helper” springs. This type of system is generally comprised of an add-on helper spring that aids in leveling the truck and reducing vehicle bounce, dip, or bottoming out when hauling a heavy load or towing. The air springs can be adjusted, often with a service station air hose, to the truck’s load condition for more control and leveling support.

Disadvantages: The helper springs are bolted directly onto your truck’s factory leaf springs. Unfortunately, factory leaf springs deflect and twist under acceleration and braking. This axle “wind-up” not only makes the truck drop when you accelerate, but it also makes the truck dive forward when you apply the brakes, throwing nearly all the weight of the truck and trailer onto the front suspension and brakes. Helper springs also tend to distort the natural spring frequency of the leaf springs, actually making the ride worse in certain situations. This type of air suspension system is best suited for leveling the ride and light or occasional towing.

Advantages: initial cost is less expensive. (Note that additional equipment may be necessary over time, offsetting the cost).

• Complete towing suspension system. This type of system is designed to both level the truck and improve the overall ride. Installing these kits involves removing the steel leaf spring on the truck and replacing it with an entirely new air spring. Some manufacturers also replace front and rear shocks for optimum performance.

Disadvantages: More expensive. (Note: if you purchase a quality kit that comes complete with all the bells and whistles for long-term performance, it may offset the initial expense)

Advantages: Truck’s steel leaf spring is removed and replaced with a new spring, which allows for greater handling and control, stability, and safety, even when hauling the heaviest loads. Sometimes the manufacturer will install front and rear shocks to match the frequency of suspension.

Compare Important Features and Options

As with any product, each truck air suspension system claims to have the “latest and greatest” features and benefits. It’s easy to get caught up in all the hype, but when you come right down to it, there are a few things that are more important than others. Here’s a list of major features and options to consider when comparison shopping.

• Quality of materials. Does the manufacturer use high quality premium parts that will hold up over years of heavy hauling? Avoid plastic fittings and lower grade materials that may wear out or need to be replaced. Quality materials translate to greater reliability and a longer life for your air ride suspensions system, even under the harshest towing conditions.

• Ease of use. Is the system easy to use? Can you easily adjust your suspension level? Are there in-cabin controls to help you determine air pressure and load information? An air suspension system that’s difficult to level and adjust will cause you added stress and unpredictability.

• Articulation. Articulation, which is the up and down tilt of the axle, is a critical feature to consider. If you should have an accident and your trailer winds up in a hole, you want the axle to have maximum up and down movement. Most systems have heavy linkage between the front spring and the axle, which prevents adequate articulation.

• Towing capacity. Look for the towing capacity of the air suspension system and be sure it can adequately handle the load you plan to tow. When it comes to towing capacity, the bigger the air spring, the more weight it can handle. Keep in mind that your truck and trailer load should never exceed the gross combined weight rating (GCWR), which is the total weight of the trailer under fully loaded conditions, including food, water, gear, etc.

• Installation options. How is the system installed? Does your truck’s frame need to be altered to install the system? Do holes need to be drilled? Can the system be removed if necessary? Before you buy, be sure that installation won’t be a problem for your or your truck. Find out if you can install the system yourself or if it will require manufacturer assistance. If assistance is required, does the manufacturer provide you with a manual or access to a dealer or installation specialist?

• Warranty and risk guarantee. Does your system provide a warranty that won’t expire before you’ve had time to really test your system with a long haul? Does the manufacturer stand behind the product? Does the manufacturer offer a no-risk guarantee if you are not satisfied with the system?

Buyer Beware

Buyers need to especially beware of the claims made by many helper spring manufacturers that their systems are designed for heavy loads. In spite of the claims, the fact remains that these helper springs are bolted directly onto your factory leaf springs, which are NOT made for heavy towing. With this type of system, you run the risk of the leaf springs twisting under heavy acceleration and braking. In turn, this axle “wind-up” can make the truck drop when you accelerate, as well a throw the truck forward when you apply the brakes, throwing nearly all the weight of the truck and trailer onto your front suspension and brakes. If you merely want to level your ride, the helper spring makes a fine choice, but if you are serious about towing heavy loads, you need to consider a total performance towing suspension system.

Do a little research up front and you’ll avoid unnecessary wear and tear on your truck – and costly repairs down the road. Your main consideration should be overall ride performance, safety and stability during heavy towing. If you’re serious about towing, you need to be sure you are buying an air ride suspension system that can do more than level the ride; it needs to be suited for heavy towing. Like many things in the automotive industry, using an inexpensive aftermarket part often yields less than optimal results.

General Motors will produce for the 2009 model year special fuel economy models of four of its biggest, thirstiest trucks, the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups and the Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon SUVs.

Grouped under the moniker XFE, which Chevrolet has already used on a high-mpg version of the Cobalt small car, the trucks will return 15 mpg in the city and 21 on the highway. That represents a single mile-per-gallon improvement for both city and highway, compared to non-XFE versions with the same 5.3-liter V8 engine.

Unlike the two-mode hybrid versions of the company’s big trucks, the XFE models use totally conventional means to achieve their improvements. All XFEs will use six-speed transmissions and a 3.08 axle ratio, and the Silverado and Sierra XFEs get aluminum lower control arms for the front suspension, and an aluminum spare wheel and aluminum 17-inch wheels wearing low-rolling-resistance tires (with higher recommended tire pressure). To improve aerodynamics, the pickups’ suspension has been lowered and the XFEs carry deeper front airdams and soft tonneau covers.

The SUVs get the same mechanical changes as the pickups.

The XFE suite of equipment is offered only on two-wheel-drive versions of the trucks and SUVs and only in pickups in the crew-cab body style.

GM has not announced pricing on the models. They will be in dealership showrooms in the fourth quarter of this year.

Volvo Trucks North America has received a 100-truck order for VNL 300 Daycabs and Mack Trucks Inc. has received a 100-truck order for Pinnacle Axle Back DayCabs under an initial phase of the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach Clean Trucks Program.

The program calls for 16,000-plus drayage units currently serving container operations to eventually be replaced with modern, environmentally friendly trucks.

The Volvo VNL 300 Daycabs will be delivered to qualified fleets and independent operators selected by the ports. The trucks are equipped with very fuel efficient, productive and clean Volvo D13 engines rated at 405 hp. The Volvo D13 also meets the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) low-NOx idle requirements through its certified sub-30 g/hr NOx emissions. The Volvo VNL 430 has also been selected as one of the approved models drayage operators may select as part of the Ports’ program.

The Pinnacle DayCabs are equipped with a MACK MP7 engine rated at 395 hp and certified to CARB??s requirements. The MP7 is very fuel efficient, with up to 5% better fuel economy on highway than previous engines. In addition, the Mack Pinnacle Axle Back model with 48-inch sleeper will also be available for selection by fleets and independent owner operators operating at the terminals.

According to the ports, beginning October 1, the Clean Trucks Program will bar 1988 and older trucks from entering shipping terminals. By 2012, all 2006 and older trucks will be banned from the Ports, and replaced by a new fleet, reducing truck-related pollution by 80%. To help truckers quickly replace their older vehicles, the Ports are providing financial assistance for the acquisition of newer, cleaner trucks.

Drayage (the transportation from port to receiver of intermodal shipping containers) is a very demanding truck application, with heavy urban-cycle, congested conditions and frequently tight quarters during pickup and delivery of shipping containers. The Volvo and Mack trucks have the visibility needed in such conditions due to the high seat position for the driver, huge windshield and sloping hood. Volvo’s 50-degree wheel cut and setback front axle also give the tractors maneuverability.

A nice and cozy car with spacious interiors at a reasonable price. You may not be familiar with the Hyundai Azera because of it being one of the new cars of 2006. But aside from its BMW 5-series styled trunk, Hyundai Azera SE has a lot of good things to offer.

Others maybe a little crowded in terms of the interior but Azera is not. It is perfectly made for comfort as it has spacious head, shoulder and leg room. The seats are covered with cloth. Actually, the SE comes in leather-faced seats however, it is a limited offer.

It also has two cup holders in front and a pair of these in the rear and mounted on the armrest. It is suited for those who love drinking coffee while driving. Azera is also made with features pleasurable for riders. Below the HVAC system is a nice shelf where you can put on objects.

An ashtray is found at the bottom of the center stack. A size that fits all cell phone holders is also useful for, well, of course, cell phones. It also has a console ion the center with 12 volt outlet for rear passengers. Pockets are also included on the doors with fold hard sides.

Hyundai made a great decision with Azera, replacing XG350 as the flagship sedan of the Hyundai line last year. In fact, Azera was qualified to be among one of the midsize cars that was released to compete with Honda Accord, Ford Fusion and Toyota Camry.

The Hyundai Azera also made a special visor for extra sun protection. The HVAC system cools the car quickly on hot seasons. Azera also comes up with a hood with 263 HP double overhead cam V6 that gives it more power. It is not like any other kind of engine. It weighs 3,600 pounds, powerful enough to run a 5-speed automatic transmission on a manual shift mode. But, Hyundai Azera is not a performance car; it is more like a comfortable sedan which makes paddle shifters unnecessary.

It is also available for upgrade. You only need to purchase specific auto parts for advancements. Where to get them? The availability of Hyundai parts is extensive so worrying about where to get them is never a problem. There are a plenty of dealers even on the net. In just a click away, you can have the auto parts you need in your doorways.

Hyundai Azera may not be that flexible but it is an excellent car that does its job well. With its reasonable price, you can never complain.

Volvo AB’s second-quarter net profit rose 28% as the Sweden-based truck maker’s sales growth in Eastern Europe, South America and Asia offset a slowdown in Western Europe and the U.S.

Volvo said net profit rose to 5.13 billion Swedish kronor ($855.7 million), compared with four billion kronor a year earlier. Revenue increased 13% to 80.43 billion kronor from 71.45 billion kronor.

However, Volvo, the world’s second-largest truck maker by sales after Daimler AG, warned that truck demand is weakening in Europe, its biggest market, even though demand in Eastern Europe remains strong.

“In Europe, the trend that we noticed in the first quarter, toward increased caution among our customers and in certain markets, strengthened — which was reflected in order bookings in the truck operations,” Chief Executive Leif Johansson said. “However, demand for long-distance transport remains high, but there is a weakening in construction transport and construction equipment.”

European truck sales rose 7% to 30.05 billion kronor, but orders fell 54% from a year earlier to 21,948 trucks — hurt by increased uncertainty about the economy, high fuel prices and a slowdown in the construction industry.

In North America, truck sales rose 14% to 6.94 billion kronor, while in Asia they gained 54% to 8.17 billion kronor. Demand for heavy trucks in North America is also slowing because of the weak economy, soaring fuel prices and the weakening housing-construction sector, Volvo said.

Last month, Caterpillar Inc. of Peoria, Ill., said it will stop supplying heavy-duty truck engines in North America by 2010, instead entering a partnership with Navistar International Corp. to make engines for trucks used in areas such as road construction.

In a conference call with reporters, Mr. Johansson said Caterpillar’s exit from this market improves the picture for Volvo trucks in the U.S. “From our point of view, I don’t think we can say it’s anything but good news,” he said. “It means that the marketplace looks a little more positive than before.” Construction equipment, the company’s second-largest unit, saw an 18% rise in revenue to 16.73 billion kronor. Demand for heavy, compact and road-machinery equipment softened in Europe and North America but was strong in other markets.

Rising raw-materials costs have hurt the construction-equipment unit more than other divisions, Mr. Johansson said. “We need to offset that with price increases,” he added.

Volvo’s stock price fell 2.3% to 73.50 kronor Wednesday.

Daimler is scheduled to release quarterly earnings Thursday. Scania AB is due to report results Friday.

Union says slashing output of pick ups and SUVs will eliminate 300 jobs

The storm battering Detroit intensified yesterday with Ford Motor Co. offering a bleak sales outlook and its second major production cut in less than a month, which will wipe out 300 jobs at its Canadian operations.

Ford said it will delay introduction of a new generation of its F-series pickup by two months, cut production of trucks and truck-based sport utility vehicles even further than it announced less than a month ago and will have difficulty meeting its previous target of breaking even on a company-wide basis next year.

It also reiterated earlier plans to boost output of smaller cars and crossover utilities, including the CUVs made in Oakville, Ont.

“We view the move to smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles as permanent and we are responding to customer demand,” Ford president Alan Mulally said in a statement.

Union officials said slashing output of trucks and SUVs means 300 jobs will be lost at the company’s Windsor, Ont., engine facility, which puts together V-8 and V-10 engines for pickups and SUVs.

There are about 2,500 Canadian Auto Workers members now at Ford’s engine plants and joint ventures in the city and 738 on layoff, Mike Vince, president of local 200 in Windsor, said yesterday.

The crisis in Detroit is spilling over to parts makers in Canada as well, with Magna International Inc. announcing this week that it will slash 400 jobs or one-quarter of the work force at a plant in St. Thomas, Ont., that makes frames for GM’s pickups. GM revealed in turn that it is delaying development of its next generation of pickup trucks to focus more of its resources on cars and other vehicles that use less gas.

Magna’s U.S. plants will take a hit with the Ford announcement because the parts giant makes many components for heavy-duty pickups assembled at one Ford plant in Kentucky and frames for the Explorer SUV built at another plant in that state. Output is being throttled back at both plants. It will trim a shift of Explorer production and cut the assembly line speed at the pickup plant.

Previous cuts by the Detroit Three are one of the causes of parts sector employment in Canada plunging by more than 20,000 jobs to 81,676 workers last month from a peak reached in 2001, industry analyst Dennis DesRosiers said in a report yesterday.

The parts sector will not disappear, said Mr. DesRosiers, president of DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc.

“The remaining parts sector should be able to recover as the cyclical downturn in the industry recovers,” Mr. DesRosiers said.

The Ford announcement capped a brutal week for the Detroit Three that included forecasts by several Wall Street analysts and the chairman of Chrysler LLC that sales in the U.S. market will plunge to their lowest level this month in more than a decade.

Underlining the growing danger to Detroit was Ford’s new statement that its perennially profitable credit arm will report a pretax loss this year and will not pay a dividend to its parent company.

Regulator filings show Ford Motor Credit Co. has posted a profit annually since 1989, which is as far back as Securities and Exchange Commission documents go.

Two influential U.S. ratings agencies added to the pressure, with Standard & Poor’s Corp. placing ratings for all three companies on credit watch with negative implications and Moody’s Investors Service Inc. cutting Ford’s outlook to negative from stable.

Both rating agencies are worried about the cash drain the severe slump in truck and SUV sales is causing.

“We have renewed concerns about all three auto makers’ future cash outflows in light of the prospects for U.S. sales for the rest of 2008 and into 2009,” said Standard & Poor’s credit analyst Robert Schulz.

Deteriorating fundamentals could reduce liquidity to undesirable levels by the second half of next year, Standard & Poor’s added.

As Ford delays the launch of the new Ford F-150 pickup, 260 UAW members who weld that truck’s frame in Elizabethtown will be out of a job by Sunday. The mass layoff leaves just one shift of 475 workers who will still earn an average of $15 per hour at the plant a half-hour drive south of Louisville.

Some of the workers to be laid off at Dana include assembly line and skilled trade hands hired in January, UAW Local 3047 recording secretary Wayne Kolley said Tuesday. But then gas hit $4 a gallon, truck sales plummeted, and Ford announced drastic action to temporarily close or take its F-150 plants down to just one shift through the third quarter.

“We were having a hard time finding people to work back in January. It turned around rather quickly,” Kolley said Wednesday. “Now we see the writing on the wall. This is an indefinite layoff, unless business picks up and the economy gets better.”

Dana Corp., based in Toledo, Ohio, just emerged from bankruptcy court protection late last year. From her office in Maumee, a suburb of Toledo, Dana spokeswoman Jamie Bibbs said the auto parts supplier is trimming production to cope with lurching change in the auto industry.

“We are adjusting our production for the market,” Bibbs said.

Dana’s contract with UAW Local 3047 grants workers paid health insurance for three months following the layoff, Kolley said. Unemployment benefits, he estimated, will provide workers with about $400 a week.

There are many types of trailers, just as there are many types of semi trucks. Some drivers have a preference of trailer while others simply take what they can get. If you are planning to break into the trucking industry, either as a lone driver or as a larger company, it is important to understand that different trailer manufacturers are like the many different truck producers. Each one will have a specific little something about it that makes it special. Understanding the different brands of trailer, and particularly understanding what each does is important.

Once you have decided which trailer you need, for example a reefer or refrigeration trailer for hauling foods, then you should begin to gather information about the price of specific trailers. You have two options when looking for trailers for sale. You can buy new either from a dealer or straight from the manufacturer, or you can search for used models. Both are an excellent choice and the decision actually depends more on your available budget than anything else. If you have the money to purchase new then you should begin looking at dealers or websites that offer new models. If however, money is tight then try an online search of a site that sells used trailers. Chances are good that you will find one in excellent condition and you can save potentially thousands of dollars by purchasing used over buying new.

Whichever you decide, know that it is important to inspect any trailers for sale that you may find. If you are using an online site for your search, be sure that pictures are included so that you can check for yourself to see the condition that the trailer is in, along with specifications such as length, suspension and any extra features that it may have. Most people who offer things for sale online will provide contact information just in case you have questions. Buy wisely wherever you decide to purchase from.