Resources According to regulations, three-axis fence and compartment-style semi-trailers must be equipped with trail air suspension. This has caused confusion among many card enthusiasts who are used to using steel plate suspension: Is air suspension really good to use? What should be considered when choosing a car? Let's talk about the issues that need to be understood during the trail air suspension selection process.
Distinguish between European and American trail air suspension: each has its own advantages and disadvantages
Utility trailer air suspension mainly relies on airbags for shock absorption, but there are actually differences between "American" and "European" trail air suspension, mainly reflected in the guide arm (or drag arm). The guide arm of American trail air suspension is generally made of steel materials by stamping and welding, and generally has a "I-beam" design, which looks like a whole. The guide arm of European air suspension (also called German air suspension) is more similar to traditional steel plate springs, and is generally made by casting and forging. Due to the difference in structure, these two suspensions have their own advantages and disadvantages: the shape of the guide arm of European air suspension can be bent, so the stroke of the airbag will be longer and the shock absorption performance will be better; in addition, the guide arm of "steel plate spring type" itself also has good filtering and shock-absorbing properties, so European air suspension is more suitable for slightly worse road conditions.
Under the same configuration, the airbag stroke of American air suspension is relatively shorter. Since the contact area between the guide arm and the axle of American air suspension is larger, it will have better lateral support performance for the vehicle, and its own weight will be lighter than that of European air suspension. However, due to the relatively short stroke of its airbag, it is more suitable for better road conditions. Generally speaking, European air suspension will be equipped with a square axle with better load-bearing performance, while American air suspension will be equipped with a round axle, which is because they are suitable for different road conditions.
Trail air suspension that combines the advantages of Europe and the US
The anti-rollover air suspension equipped on the trailer combines the advantages of American and European air suspension. Its guide arm adopts an I-beam structure, so its own weight is lighter, and the lateral support effect is also very good. However, the I-beam of the trailer is different from the ordinary American suspension-it is not directly pressed on the top of the axle, but around the axle, so that the stroke of the trail air suspension can be extended, and better shock absorption effect can be achieved, which is good for complex road conditions. In addition, anti-rollover trail air suspension can also be used with square axles, which can also help improve the overall load-bearing capacity of the vehicle. For compartment trailer users, the types of goods and roads are not fixed, and air suspension can obtain both the lower weight and higher lateral support performance of American air suspension, and the better shock absorption effect of European air suspension, so the "tolerance" of road conditions and cargo types will be higher, which is exactly what compartment trailer users need for advanced trailer spares.
Trail air suspension software system is crucial
Of course, in addition to hardware and trailer suspension kits, the software part of utility trailer air suspension is also very important. In terms of specific functions, the system can adjust the height of the entire vehicle by controlling the air suspension height of the three axles, and the height can also be memorized. In addition, the system also supports lifting the first axle of the vehicle, and can also support heavy load lifting. In this way, when the vehicle is unloaded, lifting the axle can reduce tire wear and reduce fuel consumption; when facing narrow turning conditions, lifting one axle can also obtain a smaller turning radius, and the vehicle will be more flexible. In addition to these functions, the system can also automatically adjust the suspension height based on the vehicle speed to help reduce fuel consumption. Later, this system will gradually support functions such as vehicle self-weighing and operation analysis. With these functions, trail air suspension can greatly improve its practicality.