Link Mfg. has made the 85K Air Link Tandem Drive Chassis Suspension, which was developed for the military, available to commercial vehicle customers for heavy duty vocational applications. The Sioux City, Iowa-based company said this air spring suspension has the highest capacity in North America and provides a smoother, more comfortable ride for operators.
“The Air Link 85K has served its time in the military and is ready to do super-heavy duty in the commercial sector.” said Neil Mardell, manager of defense programs and heavy vocational products for Link.
Mardell noted the new offering was specifically optimized for select heavy vocational axles and “seamlessly interface[s] with tier-one online installation processes.”
The 85K suspension employs patented air-over-walking-beam technology, engineered 30 years ago for off-highway defense vehicles, which Mardell said makes it “one of the most resilient, able to continue functioning even if a loss of an air spring were to occur.”
Dual height-control valves also maximize roll stability in both full and empty conditions. This weight distribution functionality also provides superior traction for more control on rough terrain off the beaten path.
“With three times more roll stability than any other vocational air-ride suspension, the Air Link rides four times smoother than a conventional spring pack and 10 times smoother than a rubber block suspension,” said Mardell. “The Air Link also offers users all the advantages of a combined air spring and walking beam suspension without all the downsides of more primitive steel or rubber walking beam suspensions.”
Like any Air Link suspensions, the 85K tandem chassis suspensions, which come with an extended 3-year warranty, are treated with Link-KOAT migratory self-healing metal treatment to resist corrosion rust in harsh conditions and chemicals.
