Cummins Says Fleets Can Save by Servicing Air Springs and Shock Absorbers Together
Fleets can extend component life and reduce downtime by coordinating suspension servicing.
Source: Cummins, Newsroom ↗
Cummins Inc. is recommending that fleets schedule air spring and shock absorber replacements at the same service interval rather than addressing each separately. The reason? Cummins says wear in one accelerates failure in the other.
Cummins Inc. explained the cost differential: A planned air spring and shock service runs about $950 per axle, and a roadside breakdown repair jumps to around $2,350. If towing is required, that figure climbs to roughly $3,150. And the company said that if a 10-truck fleet avoids one suspension-related breakdown per vehicle per year, that could result in $14,000 to $22,000 in annual savings.
The mechanical case rests on load-sharing between the two components. A worn shock allows excessive suspension travel, and that forces air springs to flex harder and shortens their service life. A compromised air spring shifts additional load to the shock, and that increases premature failure risk. Cummins recommends suspension inspections at 50,000-mile intervals and says the program works best by treating air springs and shocks as a connected system, with technicians using each service event to identify developing issues before they become roadside events.
Cummins did not disclose what labor rates or parts pricing underlie the per-axle cost estimates.
