Abigroup maintenance fleet rolling easy on air springs

4wd helper suspension suits hard-working town and country use

Fleet operators, especially those in heavy industries, need assurance that vehicles operate reliably and efficiently throughout their service life.

Abigroup Contractors Pty Ltd has made certain that its 4WD maintenance fleet keeps rolling under even the most rigorous circumstances by retrofitting them with Ride-Rite supplementary air suspension systems.

The Ride-Rite kits, incorporating Firestone air springs adjustable from within the vehicles’ cabs, are used in six Abigroup Toyota HJ78 Landcruiser tabletops equipped with custom-built toolboxes, air compressors, oxy-acetylene equipment, hose reels and work vises.

The rugged vehicles – a type widely favoured in the construction, civil engineering, farming and mining industries - are used by Abigroup mechanics and fitters in remote areas to service the company’s earthmoving machinery. They must be capable of operating in open country and extremely rough terrain.

“Downtime is very costly in our business and we have to be sure that when one of our big Caterpillar or Komatsu machines breaks down, the repair crew can reach them as quickly as possible,” explained Workshop Supervisor John Bolcina.   “We’re currently working on the new $230-million, 110km Bauhinia coal rail link between Rolleston and Blackwater in Queensland and on the $1.5-billion, 40km M7 Westlink tollway in Sydney, where schedules are tight.   “When the Toyotas are loaded with tools and half a tonne of parts, they can become unstable and difficult to steer. Using the Ride-Rite system, the driver levels out the vehicle and takes the load off the rear springs and shock absorbers. This immediately makes these Toyotas more comfortable and safer to drive in all conditions.

“The suspension is not stressed and retains the normal level of travel, isolating the chassis and vehicle occupants from shock. “Chassis and suspension components are not damaged by bottoming-out and we rarely have to replace springs and shackle rubbers, despite the extreme conditions. A big bonus with the air suspensions has been a noticeable improvement to the way the Toyotas ride and corner in towns and on the highways when they are not loaded.”

Mr Bolcina said the Ride-Rite system represented excellent value for money for anyone operating vehicles over rough roads and on construction sites.

“We began using this versatile air suspension system on our maintenance fleet some years ago and are so impressed with its cost/performance advantages that all new vehicles now are fitted with remote control Ride-Rite systems before delivery.”   The Ride-Rite air helper kits used by Abigroup were supplied in NSW by All Air Suspensions, which works in conjunction with national air suspension specialist Airbag Man. In addition to providing Ride-Rite kits for most popular working vehicles with leaf springs, they provide coil spring kits and full air conversions. The airbags used in the Ride-Rite kits such as Abigroup’s are fully adjustable.   By simply adding or removing air they can maintain the same vehicle height under different load conditions. This gives ideal performance and safety from empty to full.

All Air Suspension Sales Manager Mr Simon Agar says Ride-Rite’s air helper springs work with the existing suspension to re-level loaded vehicles to their ideal configuration, which is with frame and body parallel to the ground, as in an unloaded vehicle.

He says Ride-Rite kits also have benefits when the vehicle is empty, because the air pressure takes the strain off existing leaf springs, preventing sagging and helping them to last longer.

Ride-Rite springs are inflated by standard air compressors or optional onboard compressor systems. They can handle 0-7 bar (0-100 psi) and will support loadings of up to 1100kg each (subject to chassis gross vehicle weight limits). They are simple to install using ordinary workshop tools. Ride-Rite kits are available for a wide range of popular work vehicles including: Toyota (Hilux, Troop Carrier, Prado and Landcruiser) ; Holden (Rodeo, Jackaroo and Commodore ute); Nissan (Patrol and Navara); Mazda (Tribute and Bravo); Mitsubishi (Triton and Pajero); and Ford (Courier, Maverick, Transit, Falcon ute and F Series), plus many others. All Air Suspension also is NSW and ACT distributor for the Airbag Man coil spring replacement systems and other products. These heavy-duty, fabric-reinforced air springs offer infinitely-variable ride height flexibility under all loads and improved comfort and safety compared to the factory-fitted coils.

The Firestone air springs used in Abigroup’s vehicles - and in all Ride-Rite kits - are identical in construction to the Firestone air springs used in the suspensions of heavy trucks and semi-trailers, as well as luxury express trains and buses. Firestone is the world’s number one supplier of such air springs, which are used both as an OEM product and retrofitted.

Abigroup Constructions is a multi-disciplined engineering and construction group with civil, building, asset services and investment interests in the eastern States of Australian and in New Zealand. Established in Australia in 1961 as Abignano Pty Ltd, the Abigroup is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bilfinger Berger AG, a leading international multi-services organization. The Group has more than 3,000 full time and part time employees in Australia and an annual turnover averaging $700-million for the past three years.

For further information about this media release or the name of local fitting specialists, please contact All Air Suspensions, 137 Bowden St, Meadowbank, Sydney 2114 ph (02) 9807 7641, fax (02) 9807 7643 www.allair.com.au All Air can also supply contacts for national availability of the product.

All Air Suspension Telephone +61 2 9807 7641 Fax +61 2 9807 7643 e-mail sales@allair.com.au