Many entities with responsibilities for large-scale snow and ice management operate heavy equipment, with dump trucks and refuse vehicles often being pressed into service during winter months. Unfortunately, for those fleets running 315 tires, using tire chains can cause damage to a vehicle’s suspension and undercarriage due to inadequate clearance, the company says.
“Link’s new 52K Gen 3 has been reengineered specifically to improve clearance for 315 tires and chains while maintaining the exceptional ride quality long associated with our Air Link heavy vocational suspension line,” says Neil Mardell, Link manager, defense programs and heavy vocational products. “Hanger brackets have been lengthened, heavy-duty dampers have been moved forward, center bushings have been raised and the vertical distance between the trailing arm and walking beam pivots has been optimized.”
The 52K Air Link Gen 3 Tandem Drive Suspension also features larger, high-volume, low-frequency air springs that deliver a smoother ride whether the vehicle is under load or empty. Dual height-control valves maintain proper ride height, leveling the vehicle independent of load and maximizing its roll stability. Weighing in at about 875 lb., the 52K Gen 3 is now 50 lb. lighter than its predecessors, Link says.
The Gen 3 also has been engineered to enable easier service and to demand less maintenance. The suspension’s anti-corrosive polyurethane bushings require no lubrication and trailing arm bushings can be easily replaced with hanging brackets in situ. The suspension has been designed with a lower number of moving parts, extra-large bearing surfaces, brawnier main components and a higher level of load-bearing redundancy. Once wheel alignment is set on the Air Link, no future adjustments are required, the company says.
The 52K Air Link Gen 3 Tandem Drive Suspension offers numerous advantages compared to spring leaf or rubber block walking beam, two-spring “six-rod” and trailing arm suspensions, not the least of which is ride quality. The Air Link Gen 3 delivers a smooth comfortable ride, resulting in less driver fatigue and equipment damage. Link says high roll stability, coupled with equal weight distribution to both axles means safer operation on-highway, off-highway and in all weather conditions.
The new suspension’s ride, handling and tractive characteristics can make all the difference when a vehicle is transitioning from paved roads to off-highway conditions, such as worksites or municipal dumps, the company says. These attributes also play a significant role in vehicle control during snow and ice management duty. Because, like all Air Link suspensions, the 52K Air Link Gen 3 Tandem Drive Suspension is 100 percent off-highway rated it is not only well suited for the rigors of winter road cleanup; it was designed for, and can be employed to tackle, much worse.
“The Air Link suspension was originally developed to operate in extreme environments, such as Canada’s oil fields and remote northern logging areas and has also been proven in harsh military applications in the U.S., Canada and the Middle East,” says Mardell. “The 52K Gen 3 is the latest iteration of the air-over-walking-beam suspension design Link patented more than 26 years ago and is a sound and mature technology.”
The Air Link has three times more roll stability than any other vocational air-ride suspension, and it rides four times smoother than a conventional spring pack and 10 times smoother than a rubber block suspension, the company says. The Air Link retains the benefits of a walking beam suspension without any of the problems associated with steel or rubber walking beam suspensions.
All Air Link suspensions are treated with Link’s exclusive Link-KOAT migratory self-healing metal treatment. Link-KOAT provides unparalleled corrosion resistance and rust protection, even when surfaces are exposed to excessive abrasion, harsh chemicals and other severe-duty environmental factors.
“Until now, fleets managing snow and ice with heavy vocational vehicles were forced to choose between the benefits of air springs and the ability to use 315 tires,” says Mardell. “Link’s new 52K Gen 3 Tandem Drive Suspension makes their choice a lot easier moving forward.”
