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First Gen Cummins air ride

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Old 10-19-2014, 02:41 PM
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I'm actually very interested. Thanks.


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Old 10-19-2014, 02:53 PM
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Freight train could we get better pictures of your air ride set up also. It'd be greatly appreciated. Thanks


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Old 10-19-2014, 06:14 PM
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Originally Posted by mknittle
My dad built a smaller copy of a Peterbilt air leaf for his 89 first gen W250. I had some pictures but I cant find them. I will get some later today if anybody is interested.
Well, it's YOUR dad, right ? Your fabrication skills are excellent. Can't wait to see what his are like...
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Old 10-20-2014, 08:15 AM
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Originally Posted by NJTman
Well, it's YOUR dad, right ? Your fabrication skills are excellent. Can't wait to see what his are like...
OOPS I forgot about the pictures Ill get some today.
My dad often asks me "Are you going to chrome that" when he sees me smoothing something that "nobody will ever see"
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Old 10-20-2014, 10:27 AM
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Originally Posted by Jim Lane
I would think that air ride suspension would be more important in the rear than the front.
Jim
When I had my Kelderman units installed, that is exactly what Jeff Kelderman told me -- approximately 2/3 of ride quality is related to rear suspension.


Originally Posted by Jim Lane
On the Kelderman front system, do they have you remove any of the front leaves to lighten the spring rate using the main leaf to retain the axle?
Jim
Yes they do. Several of the bottom leaves (three I believe) on the front spring pack were flipped -- flipping the leaves means they are taken out of the spring equation but remain in place for spacing purposes.


Originally Posted by freight train
Jim no they don't. I can say that I have the Kelderman setup on both of my 1st gens and they ride nicer than my 05. I had an opportunity to buy a rear setup and chose not to. The Kelderman setup is placed that it takes away your spare tire and heavy duty hitch (which is so important for what I use my dually for).
The old single-bag Kelderman setup on the rear supplanted the spare tire. My newer dual-bag Kelderman rear setup allows the spare to remain in place. My unit also includes a Class 5 trailer hitch as an integral part of the airbag mounting frame. It is a very clever design, which is one of the reasons the Keldermans are expensive.



And for what it's worth -- my truck still rides like a hay wagon. I suspect a set of modern thin-leaf springs with nylon inserts would do a better job of softening the ride than do my airbags.
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Old 10-20-2014, 04:50 PM
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OK finally got some.
Attached Thumbnails First Gen Cummins air ride-100_5308.jpg   First Gen Cummins air ride-100_5309.jpg   First Gen Cummins air ride-100_5310.jpg   First Gen Cummins air ride-100_5312.jpg   First Gen Cummins air ride-100_5313.jpg  

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Old 10-20-2014, 04:53 PM
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some more.
Attached Thumbnails First Gen Cummins air ride-100_5314.jpg   First Gen Cummins air ride-100_5315.jpg   First Gen Cummins air ride-100_5316.jpg   First Gen Cummins air ride-100_5318.jpg   First Gen Cummins air ride-100_5320.jpg  

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Old 10-20-2014, 05:09 PM
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James it may. I installed a different set of springs on my RC when I swapped in the Cummins. It is slightly softer than my W350 that I just added the air bag kit.

I can try and get better pics but once installed its kinda hard to see the mounts in a layout format.
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Old 10-20-2014, 05:17 PM
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Originally Posted by mknittle
OK finally got some.
Yeah, we know.... some of us are married too....


Thanks for the pics. All I can say is Holy...... "Something", but it would get deleted if I remembered what that something was....

Oh yeah....Sea monkeys.... Holy Sea Monkeys....


That looks really cool, although I've never seen the trailing arms (half leaf springs still in place) like that before. I guess it's based upon a Mack, peterbuilt, or Other setup ?
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Old 10-20-2014, 06:34 PM
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Originally Posted by NJTman
Yeah, we know.... some of us are married too....


Thanks for the pics. All I can say is Holy...... "Something", but it would get deleted if I remembered what that something was....

Oh yeah....Sea monkeys.... Holy Sea Monkeys....


That looks really cool, although I've never seen the trailing arms (half leaf springs still in place) like that before. I guess it's based upon a Mack, peterbuilt, or Other setup ?
Peterbilt air leaf.
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Old 10-20-2014, 07:31 PM
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Originally Posted by mknittle
Peterbilt air leaf.
Isn't that type of spring called quarter elliptical? I've seen off road guys use similars setups, less the airbag.
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Old 10-20-2014, 08:05 PM
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Originally Posted by MARF75
Isn't that type of spring called quarter elliptical? I've seen off road guys use similars setups, less the airbag.
Yeap that is what it is called. The ones I have seen are mounted the other way around. The cut off end was mounted to the frame.
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