Huh....wouldn't of guess that.

The reason that the springride trucks are harder on drivelines/U-joints is because when you load a spring it lowers the back of the frame in relation to the differentials and just stays compressed until you unload it...Whereas an air ride suspension will compress when you load it and then level back out with increased air in the bags and recover it's original relationship with the differentials before you get moving.

 

U-joints get out of plane as suspension parts wear out. Henderson/Volvo air rides have a polyurethane pad between the spring hanger and the spring about 1 to 3/4 in thick. When it wears out the rear ends tilt up throwing the u-joints out of plane with each other. They vibrate like a rear going bad.
If you are losing u-joints most likely it's do to bad suspension bushings.

 

i think you are right as per the air/spring idea--but you are really making me think to much

 

I appreciate you members for sharing information on this stuff. I did not realize how critical u-joints were and how they effected the tires.

KH

 

Well its the shocks that affect the tires, the U joints will create vibration when they go bad, and it is vibration that can be felt through the whole truck.

If it is bad enough I guess it could affect your tires, it would have to go on for a substancial ammount of time though.

 

I had a bad air leveling valve that was hard to see/diagnose. What made my shop find it was when I complained of transmission noise. I thought I was eating a tranny up, but it was just from the driveline NOT being at the right alignment from the defective air leveling valve for the suspension.

 

Wouldn't a consistantly shaky truck eventually cause a "nervous breakdown"? As in shake the truck apart? I seem to recall Harleys having this problem.

 

I myself, always appreciate hearing some one else's experience. I love to learn. no matter how trivial it may sound. you would not beleive the thing I learned & taught myself over the years... .. yeah you probably would too.

 

Ya know there is alway's some one on here making sense.