Airtex axle (from 2006)

[Towman26]

 

We had a truck the other day that had the Airtex axle. When my driver told me that I thought good we can use our Airtex forks. But then I had to go to the scene cause there was a problem. It seems that the customers local Volvo dealer had altered the front axle. It seem that since the trucks are single axles the front axles were shimming at 60 mph. The Volvo dealers solution was to install steering dampners on all of there trucks. So now the Airtex forks dont fit on the right side. So we got the owners ok to fork with the med short forks & went on the way. Has anybody else had this problem.

 

That was a 2nd gen. axle but they had another truck meet us to pu the trailer at the dealer & it was the 1st gen & it too had the stabilizer. So they would have had to drop the trailer. In this instance that was not an option at that location. But luckily it didn't matter. But on that 2nd gen. I had a friend in NC got one that bent. He didnt have the forks, & hooked it up just like we did, even put the glove in to help pinch it in. They had towed the unit 40 miles, & when they got to the dealer there was a kink in the axle. Volvo said it happened due to the loaded trailer & the pulling weight force on the axle.

 

Redwolf1357 said:

close fit on a airtek axle: We have talked about the axles coming in contact with the oil pan this guy normalily has 52,000 in the trailer. This was a tractor swap so it was rear towed

 

 

MTA415 said:

Towed a Volvo with an Airtek today broke down at the Flying J, 33,000 in the box. Dropped trailer (with permission of course) and towed from the rear. His had a Cummins but it was still rather close and even though I have the forks I'd rather not attempt it. A local tower/buddy of mine lunched one a few months ago, cost him a weeks pay to fix it. The bad part is all was wrong with it was a sensor and the road svc. truck did'nt wanna go back to the shop to get it plus change it on the side of the interstate so he called my buddy to tow it. Thats what we call "getting thrown under the bus".

 

 

Silverhawk said:

Volvo's the worst. Unless there is something wrong with the steer axle that prohibits towing from rear, we re-power with one of the customers units, or send a Landoll tractor to re-power and charge accordingly.

They don't want to do it this way, we have plenty other jobs to do.

 

Brain Bell said:

It's an Airtek So I would be scared to wrap a chain around it. It might damage it.. boy sometimes you can't win for losing. Oh wait yes you can win.... Split the unit tow trailer with tractor and rear tow truck with wrecker and charge accordingly, cause if'n you were to bust that oil pan you would be charged $781.30 

Mine wasn't a Airtek but it had the drain/fill fitting on the bottom and was the 1st pan I've ever touched. No use over

Thanks for the great pics. Hopefully it will save someone else some $$$

 

 

pttowguy said:

Brian, just be glad that oil pan was a Mercedes and not a Cat aluminum pan.

You would probably be out of pocket another $1000.

 

TOWAHOLIC said:

I understand what you are saying about repowering and towing from the rear. what if its on the interstate? patrol would have a fit around hear if i asked for assistance to shut the freeway down so i could turn around. I will just keep towing them by the front with the special forks or grids. if i break a pan on a t/t tanker or some other unit that shouldnt be seperated loaded. just like animal said tell them to talk to the manufacture. this is major BS. I havent seen anything from the manf. thats says you cant tow them from the front. theres just a few prodcedures you must follow to not hurt the axle.

 

MTA415 said:

The Volvo dealers here in Tx will tell you directly NOT to tow from the front with a loaded trailer due to the pulling forces placed on the axle via towing that the axle may come in contact with the oil pan. If Volvo sez don't do it guess what?, I ain't gonna do it. Hookin29 the axle does actually move that far. The bushings are larger than normal for a softer ride and the composite materials are designed to flex for the same reason. Plus guys look at it from a mechanical point of view, its a big difference moving the unit by pulling on the front axle than it is moving the same load by pushing it by the rear drives, think about it.

 

 

[John L Hawkins]

Copied from a Tow411 post in 2007:

 

I have gotten several phone calls about Freightliner adding the Henderickson Air Tek front axle to their product line. This is version 3 and ironically, the original fork that we offered again fits the lower spring saddle. BUT, here is the problem. We are now dealing with the DETROIT oil pan again, because of the placement of the sump and drain plug. Clearance is at a minimum.

 

Here are the photos