Redi-Mix Airs Out Suspension Specs

Hendrickson Truck Suspension Systems enters 2006 with an extension of its Primaax heavy duty air suspension geared for rear discharge mixers. Combining

Hendrickson Truck Suspension Systems enters 2006 with an extension of its Primaax heavy duty air suspension geared for rear discharge mixers. Combining what product engineers note is robust design with performance enhancing features, the Primaax technology brings numerous benefits to vocational truck owners and operators. The rear-discharge mixer version, they add, gives concrete customers excellent ride, equipment protection and weight reduction without sacrificing stability.

After Hendrickson rolled out the Primaax design for front discharge mixers in 2003, the suspension was engineered into the specs of Indiana Phoenix, Oshkosh Truck and Terex Advance. Shipment of the rear discharge version beginning this month follows field testing by representative operators, including Redi-Mix Concrete of Carrollton (Texas), a key player in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex. The company has been running a pilot Primaax in a Kenworth T800-mounted McNeilus mixer for three years. It’s a well-performing truck and has proved itself in off-road conditions, notes Redi-Mix Vice President of Operations Tom Muscle. Drivers like the smoothness of the road ride and notice the traction and handling on job sites.

Through more than 80,000 miles, adds Mark Plummer, maintenance supervisor, The Primaax has been maintenance and trouble free. It has been easy to inspect and mechanic-friendly. Redi-Mix is adopting the Primaax in its specs, he adds, splitting 2006 mixer orders evenly between it and Hendrickson Haulmaax suspensions. The new trucks will join a fleet of more than 180 mixers serving 14 plants.

The Primaax model comes in single-, tandem- and tridem-axle ratings of 23,000, 46,000 and 69,000 pounds. Customers operating a wide range of vehicles have credited the suspension with handling, articulation, durability and stability needed for demanding conditions. We have been pleased with the growth of Primaax in heavy-duty applications. Our customers have found that this suspension provides good ride while maintaining the performance characteristics expected in the heavy-duty vehicle industry, notes Gerry Remus, vocational marketing manager for Hendrickson Truck Suspension Systems.

Primaax gained acceptance among front discharge mixer operators in a short period due to improved roll stability and a low-maintenance design that incorporates durable, lightweight components, Remus asserts. The suspension’s improved ride quality reduces noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), which promotes longer life for body equipment, electronics and other truck components. Fleet owners and owner operators confirm the benefits likewise of increased articulation and ground clearance.

Additional features Hendrickson officials cite for the rear discharge mixer-suited Primaax include:

  • Driveline vibration reduced or eliminated.
  • Up to 12.5 inches of diagonal wheel articulation for improved mobility.
  • Integrated stabilizer design results in greater stability than conventional air suspensions.
  • Suspension geometry reduces stress input to axle housing by transferring torsional forces within suspension components.
  • Premium, heavy-duty rubber bushings require no lubrication.
  • Air springs and shock absorbers designed to package within tire envelope for protection from external damage.
  • Quik-Align system simplifies axle alignment for longer tire life.
  • Heavy-duty torque rods and bushings are performance tested for longer service life.

The Primaax will be phased into truck OEM specs from the first through third quarters of 2006.

Hendrickson Truck Suspension Systems, 630/910-2800; www.hendrickson-intl.com