| | Media release - All Air Suspension
- November 2003When bad roads, heavy loads stress your work vehicle, Ian
has infinitely comforting news
 Ian Murphy is painfully acquainted with the appalling condition of many
roads confronting contractors, couriers and tradesmen plying their wares
between Western Sydney and the Central Coast.
In particular, there’s this huge bump at the start of the F3 that was always a
painful reminder of the shortcomings of the road surface magnified by the
limitations of many delivery vehicle suspensions.
“You’d be driving along quite happily where the on-ramp from Pennant Hills
joins the highway then BANG! – it would hit you, a dip where two different
road surfaces meet. I’d have to grit my teeth, brace myself and get ready for
a kick in the backside,” said Mr Murphy, who drives a Toyota Hilux 2.7
delivering 1000-1500kg cargoes of oils and fats to clubs, pubs, takeaways and
restaurants.
In addition to a light front end and a feeling of impending instability when
his Oz Oils and Fats Pty Ltd vehicle was fully loaded, Ian Murphy was
concerned by wear and tear on the standard suspension – not to mention the
discomfort of a stiff, harsh ride when the vehicle was unloaded and he was
making the long trek home from his deliveries extending from Western Sydney to
the Central Coast.
“For reasons of safety, comfort, load carrying and mechanical sympathy, I had
to do something - and air helper suspension looked like good option,” said Mr
Murphy, after dismissing the option of using heavier leaf spring packs. These
would have made the vehicle even rougher riding with light loads or empty.
“With air helper suspension, you have infinite flexibility to adjust pressures
to suit the load and the road,” said Mr Murphy, whose solution to his problems
was a ride-on-air Ride-Rite suspension kit manufactured by Firestone and
available from All Air Suspension.
All Air Suspension has established a network of specialist fitters extending
from Western Sydney to the Central Coast to introduce Ride-Rite kits
throughout the region for people such as tradesmen, delivery men, couriers,
service drivers and farmers who are sick of rough-riding vehicles that
threaten to buckle under the impact of heavy loads and second-rate roads.
The expanded range of Rite-Rite Air Helper® spring kits is suitable for 2WD
and 4WD work and recreational vehicles fitted with conventional leaf-spring
suspensions, including utes, vans, light trucks, cars and vehicles used for
towing. Full air conversions are also available for a number of more popular
coil-sprung vehicles.
The tough but soft-riding Air Springs used in the Ride-Rite kit fitted to Ian
Murphy’s vehicle are identical in construction to the air springs used in some
of the most advanced pure air suspensions dominating world markets for
advanced 4WDs and utilities. Their construction is identical to the enormously
strong airbags used under heavy trucks and their comfort is such that they are
frequently used in stretch limousines.
Ian Murphy’s vehicle was fitted with rear suspension Ride-Rite springs
incorporating in-cab controls that enable him to provide adjustment for
different loads without leaving his seat. The kits can also be used to counter
unbalanced loads, including back-to-front and side-to-side loading problems.
“Every now and again the height adjustment available is useful to bring the
vehicle tray of the loaded vehicle up to the height of a loading dock – for
example, at the Ryde RSL, where I can pump it up 3cm to level it with the
docking area,” says Mr Murphy.
“But the main benefit is in vehicle stability and comfort. I always used to be
apprehensive when the front end was light, especially with power steering, but
now the problem’s gone.
“That horrible bump isn’t an issue any more – I just float over it like a car.
The handling is flatter and more secure. Whereas the journey home to Umina was
getting very uncomfortable, now it is no strain at all.”
Ride-Rite kits supplement conventional steel springs to help overcome
distortions in a vehicle's suspension that occurs as it is loaded. Increasing
weight causes vehicles to sag or lean, resulting in hazardous driving
conditions and wear and tear on the vehicle's tyres, suspension and frame.
Ride-Rite 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.
Identical in construction to the rugged Firestone air springs used on 40-tonne
semi-trailers, Ride-Rite springs are inflated by standard workshop compressors
or optional onboard compressor systems. They can handle 0-7 bar (0-100 psi)
and up to 1100kg each (subject to chassis gross vehicle weight limits).
Available from an All Air Suspensions network of agents extending from Western
Sydney to the Central Coast, Ride-Rite kits are available for a wide range of
the most popular work vehicles in Australia. These include Toyota Hilux, Troop
Carrier and Landcruiser HJ/75 HJ/60 ;Holden Rodeo, Jackaroo and Commodore ute;
Nissan Patrol; Mazda Bravo; Mitsubishi Triton and Pajero; and Ford Courier,
Maverick, Transit, Falcon ute and F Series plus many others. Kits for
different vehicles can be custom-fabricated.
Ride-Rite products and accessories include:
- Basic Ride-Rite kits for different types of vehicles, including two air
helper springs, air lines with separate tyre-type inflation valves, hardware
for proper installation and step-by-step instructions to permit installation
using simple hand tools.
- Ride-Rite Air Compressor Accessory kit, containing a 12-volt air
compressor, 2.25 litre tank, pressure switch and tubing to inflate not only
the air helper springs, but also tyres.
- Ride-Rite Dual Cab Control Kit, Single Cab Control Kit, Automatic
Control Kit and Level Command Kits. These can provide in-cab adjustment for
unbalanced loads, including back-to-front and side-to-side loading problems.
All Air Suspension is NSW State distributor for the Airbag Man group of
products. These include coil replacement full air systems especially designed
for Nissan Patrol and 80-100 series Toyota Landcruiser. Such systems provide
the ultimate in ride height flexibility by fitting a heavy-duty
fabric-reinforced air spring in the same position as the removed coil.
For further information about this media release or the name of local
fitting specialists throughout NSW, please contact All Air Suspensions, 137
Bowden St, Meadowbank, Sydney 2114 ph (02) 9807 7641, fax (02) 9807 7643
www.allair.com.au
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