New product: Base Air suspension system

Australian company Base Air has been developing its suspension modification systems for air-suspended trucks and trailers for 15 years. The products are now being distributed around Australia by PACCAR Parts.

At Trucksales we can get a bit nervous writing about products that make changes to vehicles that have been manufactured by competitive, cashed-up and highly resourced original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

However, we’re also conscious of the fact that Australia’s relatively small but demanding heavy truck market often dictates OEM-level changes to vehicle specifications that are primarily designed for overseas markets.

There are many instances where OEMs have modified overseas vehicle specifications to cope with the realities of Australian trucking, in a market where some of the heaviest and fastest road-going trucks and trailers in the world run on a largely under-developed road network.

Kenworth’s post-release change to the airline diameters in its Airglide truck suspension is just one case in point.

Modifications are not an OEM-only preserve, but aftermarket modifiers need to be very clever and careful, particularly when making changes to truck and trailer air systems. One such innovation is the Base Air suspension system.

Victorian-born founder and director of Base Air, Matthew Vaughan, initiated his business venture in 2008, after conversations with truck-driving friends highlighted a need for improved handling characteristics.

Vaughan spent many years patenting and testing variations of his Base Air product in the United States. Trucksales has unearthed a 2018 report on one of the early Base Air systems, compiled by the Center for Vehicle Systems and Safety, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA.

‘The results of a multi-domain simulation study in AMESim and TruckSim indicate that the proposed suspension configuration is capable of providing balanced airflow to the truck’s drive-axle suspensions, resulting in balanced suspension forces in response to single lane change and steady-state cornering steering manoeuvres,’ the report states.

Vaughan pointed out that this evaluation was done on a less-developed Base Air prototype and that the results of the system today are even better.

Although much of the Base Air development work was done in the USA, Matthew Vaughan’s decision to first introduce Base Air in Australia was an easy one, he said.

“As a country boy, I’ve grown up around many who work in and for the industry and have heard stories about driver fatigue and safety first-hand,” he said.

“It is a no-brainer for me that Base Air should show its impact here first. Soon after, we will emerge in overseas markets.”

Since inception, Base Air has received significant financial backing – in excess of $12 million – from major industry players, particularly across rural Australia.

The company’s managing director since August 2021 is Mark Thiele, who came to Base Air after some 45 years in the road transport industry. Thiele says he was impressed by the Base Air system during trials on Toll vehicles.

The company’s advisory board includes high-profile journalist, Ray Martin, who said he was won over by Vaughan’s enthusiasm and commitment.

Prior to Base Air, other Aussie inventors have come up with air suspension developments and one of the best known is the Albury-based HaireBag system. We asked Base Air’s patent attorney about conflict with this system and were told the Base Air system was different.

“Base’s patents have been examined and granted in numerous jurisdictions around the world, meaning that Base’s technology is novel and inventive over prior technologies,” we were told.

Base Air is not a replacement suspension, but it adds precision air-management to existing air-spring suspensions.

Air is independently delivered to each suspension air-spring, significantly improving the vehicle’s handling. The system actively adjusts the suspension in real time, in response to changing vehicle dynamic and driving conditions, including offset weight, weight shift, load changes, body roll, axle input and braking and acceleration.

The Base Air system comprises two purpose-designed height-control valves (HCVs) and one dual-pressure protection valve (DPPV), which are linked together by air lines of equal length and diameter.

That’s in contrast to most truck and trailer suspensions that use a single HCV. In fact, Hendrickson points out in its installation instructions for most of its air-spring suspensions that twin HCVs must not be used. However, in the case of the Base Air system, Hendrickson makes an exception.

“In April 2021, Hendrickson Asia Pacific approved the use of the Base Air system on trailers equipped with Hendrickson’s INTRAAX range of air suspensions, maintaining it would not affect or change the conditions of its Australian warranty,” Base Air told Trucksales.

“Base Air will continue to be responsible for the warranty of its own HCVs on these vehicles.

“Further testing is needed to determine any recalibration required for Hendrickson systems on prime movers before warranty can be approved.”

Direct sway control is not Base Air’s purpose, but it provides tighter control over the spring rates of similarly loaded air springs than a single-circuit system, thanks to equal-length air lines front-to-back and independent side-to-side dynamic suspension control.

Consulting engineer, Dion Simms, from Smedley’s Engineers, responded to our questions about the operation of the Base Air system. We were concerned that the fitment of a Base Air system might alter load sharing and road friendly suspension ratings, but he pointed out that even with some air spring pressure increase the road-friendly relationship is preserved.

Simms also explained that electronic stability control (ESC) function on trailers is also unaffected by the Base Air system. In tests with and without Base Air connected, the ESC system performed identically.

On the prime movers Smedley’s Engineers tested there was also no behavioural difference in ABS action when the Base Air system was activated.

When fitted to any heavy-duty vehicle, Base Air’s compact air-management system is said to give drivers best-in-class ride and load stability. That, in turn, is said to reduce tyre wear and freight damage, while increasing safety for all drivers on Australian roads.

Unlike many new products, the Base Air system has already proved its worth, being in service with many fleets around Australia. Some of the fitments are early developments and some are later products.

Base Air is fitted to more than 120 vehicles in some of the country’s biggest fleets, including Toll, Martins Stock Haulage, Wickham Freight Lines and Blenners Transport.

Base Air has testimonial videos on its website, in which executives from these fleets cite improved stability, reduced tyre wear, more driver comfort and less fatigue, as well as a dramatic reduction in freight damage.

Martins is fitting Base Air progressively to all of its prime movers and more than 260 trailers.

Drivers from some of these fleets also feature in the videos and back up what their bosses say.

An unexpected endorsement for Base Air has come from the conservative PACCAR organisation, which has begun supplying Base Air kits through its PACCAR Parts division. This step happened after in-house testing at PACCAR Australia.

The Base Air kits are assembled in Yatala, near Brisbane, using quality valves and components. There are around 40 variations available, covering various axle combinations.

Pricing varies between $3500 and $4500 per kit, not including installation by an approved installer. Installation time varies, but typical labour time is said to be between five and six hours.

If a Base Air kit is installed by an OEM, no modification plate is required, but if the installation is a retro-fit, then a mod-plate is required.

For more information on the Base Air system click here.