Fire Apparatus Suspensions 101 with Bob Albano

On Rig Recon Live, hosts Bruce Quick and Jason Witmier interview Bob Albano of Hendrickson Fire about fire apparatus suspension and why it matters beyond comfort; protecting firefighters, electronics, cab/chassis, and keeping trucks in service over long lifecycles. Bob outlines front options (beam/straight axle with multi-leaf or parabolic springs, and independent front suspension via air or mechanical torsion) and rear options (multi-leaf/parabolic, rubber ride, and air ride), emphasizing how front and rear should work as a system and how wheel travel affects handling and stopping by keeping tires in contact with the road. He discusses durability issues driven by corrosion and “rust jacking” in long-leaf springs, benefits of parabolic springs and zinc-rich coatings, air-ride stigma and serviceability, load-leveling advantages, and how tire pressure and maintenance capability influence ride complaints and spec decisions.Chapter Markers:00:00 Tradition vs Innovation01:14 Show Intro and Sponsor01:59 Meet Bob OB Bono03:44 Why Suspension Matters05:07 Front Suspension Options06:23 Rear Suspension and Air Ride07:50 Handling and Stopping09:20 Corrosion and Spring Failures11:13 Parabolic Springs Upgrade12:14 Rear Setup and Matching14:23 Air Ride Myths and Maintenance17:56 Dumping Air and Ride Height19:06 Preventing Corrosion20:30 PM Schedules and Costs23:12 Spec Advice and Wrap Up25:04 Final Takeaways and OutroMore - https://rigrecon.com/podcast/Send us Fan Mail