Spring Suspension Tandem Dump Truck Ride

In all seriousness, your current setup is going to net you the best money in the industry of your choice. You pretty much have to stay with the walking beam system, but Hendrickson at one time, or may still make, the extended leaf system. When empty, the long leaf springs would lift the chassis off of the main stack and give some movement. Then when loaded, the long leaf would just remain in the sag position until the load was off.
There are dump and log trucks with air ride, but 99% are still on the walking beam. Debris in your business can cost a lot on air bag replacements, and you'll be down for that time. Even if you get good at changing out a bag, and you will with all of the experience you will gain doing so, it still could mean the difference of one or two loads a day missed depending on the job at the time. If you forget to dump the bags at a site when dumping, you run a high risk of tipping. This can and does happen a lot when the driver is either distracted or tired. Your current system is the most reliable and care free system for a dump truck.
A pusher axle is not going to help with the empty ride, and ride is not a good reason to install one, ROI is.
If your body can't take the abuse that dump trucks put on it, maybe consider a change toward local P&D. Peer pressure, or personal goals may make think it is a step back or that letting go of owner/op is a failure, but back surgery has a fairly low rate of success, and physical pain is real vs. psychological pain which is only perceived.
In my OPINION, which is worth every penny you sent me for it.

 

I kinda figured since you own the truck that delivery was more the work you do. I'm in western Oregon. Construction is still very hot. Every one that owns their truck mostly do the higher paying jobs like you are doing, rock/gravel delivery, and spreading, some site work when trucks are short.
But I am curious just what seat do you have? If the for/aft isolator doe not have rubber bumpers at the ends of it's stroke, it will kill anyone's back. If the isolator is dampened and bumpers at the ends, it is amazing how much difference it can make.
But yep, I understand, getting beat up for hours every day takes a lot out of a guy. Running old farm equipment is the same.

 

I think you need to do the ar2 conversion….that way you can let me know how it works. I personally don’t want to give up the off road mobility that the walking beam offers. I am building a w9 dump with airliner rear suspension and full lockers. I guess we’ll see someday how it gets around.

 

I’m in a semi tractor pulling long and short end dumps but yea same situation, 1995 w900b daycab, 3zj b model, love the truck but it’s Hendrickson Rte springs. It’ll go 80 mph down the road straight as an arrow no shake. Honestly it p!sees me off the most while bouncing around low speeds in quarries and job sites. According to my searching the ar2 would cost me roughly $8000 in parts alone

 

I know this is a few weeks old, but have you looked at Chalmers? (Rubber block over walking beam.) Very stable and rides very nice in my opinion. I have it in a T800 dump truck and really like it. Last truck was a Pete dump truck on air leaf and I like the ride of the Chalmers better.

If you’re set on air ride Neway might be worth looking at. A 4-bag air ride built for vocational trucks.