Somebody could probably build the lightest, most durable, gold-plated trailer suspension ever seen, but in all likelihood nobody would buy it. While light and durable are desirable attributes in a suspension, 大多数车队可以不使用镀金部件——除非他们能够在某些特定的利基应用中证明它的合理性. 

例如，减少组件重量是大多数油轮车队的首要任务. More costly lightweight axles, suspensions and wheel-end components allow for larger payloads, increasing equipment productivity. 这些车队可能愿意为这样的暂停支付更多的费用.

另一方面，公路干式货车车队希望最大限度地减少维护和延长正常运行时间. 简单的弹簧悬架结合低维护盘式制动器是有吸引力的选择.

“目前，车队的首要任务是最大限度地减少运营成本和延长正常运行时间,” says Roger Jansen, product manager for trailer axles and suspensions at SAF-Holland. “Every product decision is measured by these metrics. Trailer suspensions are highly customizable, and depending on each fleet’s unique operating conditions, priorities for different equipment specifications vary.”

而悬架生产商也在不断升级和改进他们的产品，增加新的车型, overall trends in suspension uptake by fleets remain fairly constant. 但为了保持对更少维护和更长的维修间隔的追求, Jon Jefferies, director of trailer OEM sales at Hendrickson, sees a slight shift toward components with long-term benefits.

配备空气盘式制动器的新拖车的比例每年都在增长，没有放缓的迹象, and with the increased uptake comes a drop in the price. However, notes Jansen, “希望立即改用盘式制动器的车队正在考虑将弹簧悬架作为一种帮助抵消配置盘式制动器所需的初始投资的方法.”

重量轻，维护少，成本低是弹簧悬架的特点. And they aren’t as rare today as one might think. According to Geoff Williams, 车轴和悬架制造商Eveley International Corp .的销售和营销副总裁., “Spring ride continues to be a tried and true low cost option.”

威廉姆斯说，多式联运部分仍然主要使用弹簧悬架, and more and more fleets are developing business there. But at the same time, he notes that of fleets ordering their own intermodal chassis, more of them are spec’ing air suspensions.

Today, 空中飞行悬架通常比弹簧悬架轻，并提供保护货物的附加价值, reduced maintenance, higher resale value and extending the life of the trailer.

一件事所有条纹的车队需要考虑与悬架规格是轴的轨道宽度. 如果你计划使用宽单轮胎，但计划出售双轮胎的拖车，以获得最佳的剩余价值，这一点很重要. 悬架制造商和拖车制造商将有建议哪种型号的悬架与特定的轴使用.

“如果你使用的是宽轮距的单轮，那么带有更宽轨道的车轴可以优化轴承寿命,” notes Chad Bamberg, product marketing manager at Meritor. “A narrower track requires the use of offset wheels, which can affect the service life of your bearings, 但允许灵活性时转换拖车回双轮而不超过宽度在你的轮胎.”

Lift kits

Lift kits for trailer axles are becoming very popular, 不仅是那些大部分时间都处于空载状态的机队, but also with fleets in the truckload sector. The fuel savings and reductions in tire wear are well documented, 司机们说，即使是空拖车的重量只放在一个车轴上，他们也能看到操控性和制动性能的改善.

“The demand for lift axles in certain market segments such as LTL, beverage distributors, food delivery, and fuel delivery has increased significantly in the last few years,” notes Jansen. “卸载拖车时吊起车轴可以显著节省燃油, reduced tire wear, and reduced toll charges.”

通常它是前轴的串联，配备了提升套件. 他们可以从大多数悬架制造商，往往可以改造. 与节省燃料和轮胎磨损的好处相比，它们增加的重量很少. 随着各大车队关注减少温室气体排放，它们也越来越受欢迎.

“我们看到一些货车和冷藏车队客户在滑块上安装了凸起的轴，以减少滚动阻力，从而提高燃油经济性, as well as tire and brake wear,” Jefferies says. 

在考虑提升轴时，应特别注意悬架的轴行程. 詹森建议使用悬挂至少4英寸向上旅行. 他说，在崎岖不平的道路上行驶时，低于这个标准会增加轮胎漏气的风险.

班伯格警告说，任何辅助产品都需要一定的规格考虑和最终的维护.

“重要的是与拖车制造商密切合作，以确保提供正确的组件组合，为其应用建立适当的轮胎间隙，并了解可能需要的额外维护.”

In jurisdictions where higher gross weights are permitted, steerable axles are gaining some attention.

“由于重量和成本的原因，在不需要转向轴的情况下，很难找到一个商业案例,” says Neil Haslam, head of design engineering at Ingersoll Axles. “But they are easier on tires, and yield less wear and tear on the roads and the equipment, and less stress on the frame and suspension. 对于在城市中运行的拖车来说，可转向轴具有真正的优势, but it comes down to cost.”

For most fleets, the suspension equation is about lowering costs, improving reliability and reducing downtime. Fortunately, 随着监控维护成本变得更加容易，车队证明索赔变得越来越容易. 

“While the basic critical fleet metrics are unchanged, 远程信息处理和改进的服务管理工具等新技术的涌入提高了总拥有成本指标,” says Bill Hicks, director of product planning, Americas, SAF-Holland. “所以现在，供应商声称的改善TCO或ROI可以得到验证或确认.”

所以，如果有人给你一个镀金车轴，说这将节省你的钱，让他们证明这一点.