Trailer on air suspension for cattle body

[stablegirl]

I have a very good 22ft cattle body but the trailer is worn out.

All our tractors have air and I'd like to replace the old trailer with a fresh one on air brakes and suspension.

With the idea I can lower the suspension to make it easier to load?

Is it worth the bother?

If I start with the drag from a wagon and drag preferably on mini super singles will I end up with a decent usable outfit?

 

[Andrew]

I have a very good 22ft cattle body but the trailer is worn out.

All our tractors have air and I'd like to replace the old trailer with a fresh one on air brakes and suspension.

With the idea I can lower the suspension to make it easier to load?

Is it worth the bother?

If I start with the drag from a wagon and drag preferably on mini super singles will I end up with a decent usable outfit?

Yes, I would have air suspension if I could.
A drag trailer should be fine, if has LED lights it should work straight away, if you have bulbs you will need to change them to 12v. The trailer ABS won’t work though.

 

[stablegirl]

But the air brakes would work without it.

Would the ABS work on a fastrac?

How fast would it be to lower and raise on the air suspension?

 

[Andrew]

But the air brakes would work without it.

Would the ABS work on a fastrac?

How fast would it be to lower and raise on the air suspension?

Yes the brakes would work without it. The drag abs will be 24v Fastrac will be 12 so won’t work.
Depends on the plumbing and the air tank size. Not long, maybe 20-30 seconds?

 

[stablegirl]

I was thinking something like this

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www.commercialmotor.com

Maybe take front axle off?

 

[Pistonbroke]

I've got an eighteen foot on a drawbar trailer that was 24 ft originally. Took six ft off behind the back axle

 

[Mur Huwcun]

It will be flipping heavy though!! Ideally if you could find a curtainsider type trailer as they’re lighter than a flat or low loader/plant/skips type

 

[Ormond]

We have a drag trailer on air....works well. I've even dropped the body off a couple of times.... Jacks in with the suspension at high......then let air down very low and drive out. Only down side to air is our takes a fair bit of charging up...two tanks and 6 airbags take filling. So I can't hook up and go in a hurry. I've done the drop the suspension down to load....works well enough...takes a bit of height off.......im on 19.5" rims so it's not that high to start with. Air rides nice too

 

[Colliedog]

I presume from your choice of trailer your box is designed to sit on a flatbed rather than fixing to chassis rails? This makes your job a lot easier. I spend ages last year looking for one for an old milk tanker we use a a fertiliser bowser but gave up in the end and built a chassis from scratch. The one you have found looks nice and the idea of removing the front axle sounds a good idea as drags have their axles close to the centre of the bed which could be an issue if your box was shorter than the trailer. Have you thought about a catchment tank? As they are getting hot on that now.

 

[Ormond]

There's a little more going on with air so get a few spare joiners and fittings just incase....oh...and a get of mole grips in case a bag burst....might need to nip the pipe to get home

 

[stablegirl]

The Drag trailers are all competely balanced with the axles in the middle, how do they tow behind a tractor? Wobble? i assume not good in a field because theres no weight transfer but ok on the road?

I was thining id need a tri axle and take the front one off to get some weight transfer and to make it look right?

 

[Mur Huwcun]

The Drag trailers are all competely balanced with the axles in the middle, how do they tow behind a tractor? Wobble? i assume not good in a field because theres no weight transfer but ok on the road?

I was thining id need a tri axle and take the front one off to get some weight transfer and to make it look right?

The one in the link has a lift axle? You could always run with it up to gain drawbar weight

 

[Andrew]

The Drag trailers are all competely balanced with the axles in the middle, how do they tow behind a tractor? Wobble? i assume not good in a field because theres no weight transfer but ok on the road?

I was thining id need a tri axle and take the front one off to get some weight transfer and to make it look right?

Most drags will impose a small bit of weight, but IIRC the couplings are only rated to 1t vertical load so will be nearly balanced. If it was me I’d get a 20ft drag and extend the front if necessary. Should give enough weight, don’t need that much. Then I’d fit lift kits to the front and rear axle.

 

[v8willy]

We have a drag trailer on air....works well. I've even dropped the body off a couple of times.... Jacks in with the suspension at high......then let air down very low and drive out. Only down side to air is our takes a fair bit of charging up...two tanks and 6 airbags take filling. So I can't hook up and go in a hurry. I've done the drop the suspension down to load....works well enough...takes a bit of height off.......im on 19.5" rims so it's not that high to start with. Air rides nice too

You could hook it up & drag it round to the workshop compressor without connecting the airlines if it has leaked all the air out? Would need to make up a fitting tho.

 

[Mur Huwcun]

You could hook it up & drag it round to the workshop compressor without connecting the airlines if it has leaked all the air out? Would need to make up a fitting tho.

If it’s a commercial drag then the brakes will be on, only the Agri combined hydraulic and air will roll with no air in tanks

 

[v8willy]

If it’s a commercial drag then the brakes will be on, only the Agri combined hydraulic and air will roll with no air in tanks

Depends on the age, plenty of older commercial setups will roll if completly empty.

 

[stablegirl]

Not to bothered about waiting 3 to 4 minutes im the morning.

More how they tow andre scrub on corners are they bad to reverse?

 

[Ormond]

Not to bothered about waiting 3 to 4 minutes im the morning.

More how they tow andre scrub on corners are they bad to reverse?

Ours is a little light on the drawbar....but to its advantage is very handy despite being 28'. Tri axle turning tight does scrub your front and back axle a bit. Six brakes can pull you up very quickly if needs be

 

[Suckndiesel]

Yes the brakes would work without it. The drag abs will be 24v Fastrac will be 12 so won’t work.
Depends on the plumbing and the air tank size. Not long, maybe 20-30 seconds?

Would a 12v to 24v step up converter fitted on the trailer wiring work?

 

[Andrew]

Would a 12v to 24v step up converter fitted on the trailer wiring work?

I was once told it wouldn’t as most tractors run at about 13.5V, double that and its 27V, but I’m sure as long as there was a regulator in there as well it would be ok.On a Fastrac you would then have to go the other way back to 12V to get the warning lights on the dashboard.
Be easier just to fit a new 12v ABS valve. Not that difficult and the sensors are multi voltage IIRC.