Auxiliary

The axle is rated based on the lowest capacity component fitted to that axle.  As an example; running certain single tire and rim combinations on an axle with a Trailer type spindle, for example, an ‘N’ or ‘P’ spindle, can significantly reduce the rating approved by the hub manufacturer. The installer should check that the tire and rim combination meets the load requirements.  The rating information on the Hendrickson vendor provided hubs can be found at:

For KIC wheel-ends (standard fit):
https://www.accuridecorp.com/resources

For Conmet wheel-ends (optional):
https://conmet.com/literature/

A non-steerable lift axle that is not raised when turning, especially in a tight corner, will scrub concrete and impose high lateral stress on the wheels and chassis components of your vehicle. Raising the fixed axle when cornering will help decrease tire wear, reduce maintenance costs, and ensure proper functionality of the auxiliary lift axle when in use.

It is also important to be aware of the regulations within the states that your vehicle will operate in. Some state authorities prefer the auxiliary lift axles stay lowered and in operation when turning or that the auxiliary controls remain outside of the vehicle's cab. In these cases, it may be best to specify a steerable auxiliary lift axle for your vehicle.
 

The COMPOSILITE brand consists of both steerable and non-steerable lift axles with a two-piece fabricated axle system. This axle system with integrated brakes allows for ease of use and maintenance with common components for both steerable and non-steerable single tire applications.

The TOUGHLIFT brand boasts Hendrickson’s round tube axle concept for rigorous environments in steer and non-steer applications. This proven fully integrated axle system increases rigidity and is perfect for heavy-duty on- and off-highway single or dual tire applications.

Monday - Friday 8AM – 5PM EST at 800-660-2829

Application ride height is calculated by taking the loaded vehicle frame to ground measurement and subtracting the loaded tire radius of the selected lift axle tire. The difference will be the application ride height.

If the loaded frame to ground dimension cannot be obtained, then the application “sag” (primary suspension deflection spec plus 1” for primary tire deflection) can be subtracted from the unloaded measurement, giving a reasonable approximation of the loaded measurement.
See illustration below:



Ex: 30” loaded frame to ground – 17” loaded tire radius = 13” application ride height

This would translate to a 12.5” Auxiliary Axle ride height (rounded down to maximize under tire ground clearance)