Ridewell Suspensions Extreme Air Installation Manuals

Height Control Valve
Kit Installation Guide
Part No.: 9710008
Doc: HCV-Install-RevJ-09-23-16
Suspension
Ports Supply Port
Alignment
1/4" Flanged Nut
Notch
Drive Cap
1/4" T-Bolt
Exhaust Valve
Lever
Self-Tapping
Screw
1/4" Flanged Nut
Upper Pin
Grommet
Vertical
Link
5/16" or 1/4"
Flanged Nut
Clamp
P-Connector
Lower Pin
Figure 1.
Refer to engineering drawing 63300AAAA00-R for available
height control kits.

Pressure Dump Valve Configurations

(Offset Lever Shown)
Figure 2.
Pressure-Dump (Normally Open), Zero-Pressure Dump (Normally
Closed) and Non-Dump HCV configurations are available.
The Extreme Air™ Lo-Flo is available for air control systems that
need a slower reacting, slower flowing Height Control Valve.

Pre-Installation Notes

• A pressure protection valve (PPV) must be installed at the
air reservoir, when the reservoir is shared with air brakes.
• The exhaust port (rubber boot end) of the height control
valve (HCV) must be installed at, or below, the horizontal
position.
• All HCV ports use push-to-connect (PTC) fittings to con-
nect to 3/8'' tubing.
• The dump pilot port cannot be plugged in the Pressure-
Dump valve configuration. The pilot port must be
plumbed with at least 6" of air line open to atmosphere at
one end.
• NOTE: The dump pilot port must be plumbed in the
Zero-Pressure Dump configuration. The Zero-Pressure
Dump HCV requires a pressure of 75 psi to operate.
• The installer is responsible for making sure that air system
requirements comply with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safe-
ty Standards (FMVSS) 121 for Air Brake Systems.

Service Notes:

Always wear safety glasses and other required personal protec-
tive equipment when working on the air system. Park vehicle
on a flat, level, debris-free surface. Chock the vehicle wheels
to prevent movement. Raise the suspension/axle system to the
desired ride height and support.
Failure to provide proper support, chock vehicle's
wheels or exhaust the air system could allow vehicle movement
that could result in serious injury.

Height Control Kit (HCK) Installation Procedure

Refer to the vehicle or suspension manufacturers instructions
for mounting position and valve orientation (Figure 5). Inspect
all air line tubing, fittings and components for air leaks and
repair before installation.
1. Check location of alignment notch on drive cap, place lever
arm into drive cap slots and attach lever (Figure 2). Torque
screw to 50-55 in-lbs. Make sure lever arm rotates up to fill
("FILL") and down to exhaust ("EXH").
2. Mount the height control valve (HCV) with lever arm to
the vehicle frame or mounting bracket with two T-bolts
(Figure 3). Torque to 60-80 in-lbs.
3. Attach the vertical link "P-Connector" to the lower mount-
ing bracket with lower pin. Torque to 90-120 in-lbs. Make
sure lever arm in the center position, slide vertical link
(rod) up-or-down through P-Connector until grommet is
at the same height as lever arm. Connect vertical linkage to
lever with upper pin. Torque to 60-80 in-lbs.
4. Slide vertical link up-or-down through the P-Connector
until lever arm reaches desired angle (Figure 3). Tighten the
band clamp on the P-Connector to hold vertical link in
place. Leave approximately 1" of the rod beneath the "P"
connector and cut off excess.
5. Install air lines to the HCV supply port and the suspension
and dump ports (Figure 2)
6. Pressurize air system and check for leaks (Figure 6).
7. Remove the suspension/axle system supports. Lower sus-
pension/axle to ground.
Universal
Mounting
Bracket
Lever
Height Control Valve (HCV)
Vertical
Link
Figure 3.
HCV-to-lever angles between 20- and 45-degrees provide full
jounce and rebound travel.
Figure 4.
Example of Height Control Valve (HCV) installation on vehicle
frame with linkage attached to the axle.
8. Move suspension through entire travel range to ensure no
linkage binding, toggling or interference is present at full
jounce and rebound of the suspension system.

Operational Check

Raise the suspension by manually rotating the lever arm 20-30
degrees towards the "FILL" position. Hold lever in place until
air springs inflate. Release the lever to exhaust air springs. If
air springs do not inflate:
• Verify air supply pressure is sufficient to open the pres-
sure protection valve (usually greater than 70 psi).
• Check to make sure that any suspension dump/exhaust
feature is not activated.
• Check to make sure lever is oriented properly. The drive
bearing cap may need to be rotated 180 degrees and the
lever re-positioned.
If air springs are inflating properly, manually rotate the lever
arm 20-30 degrees towards the "EXH" (Exhaust) position.
Hold lever in place and check that air is escaping from the
exhaust port.
If steer axle is used, be sure the wheels do not inter-
fere with the HCV and linkage system when turned.

Maintenance

• Drain all moisture from air reservoir at regular intervals.
• Periodically check for pinched/damaged lines or loose
fittings on components that could cause an air leak in the
system. Repair any problems found.
• Routinely inspect the HCK system to make sure that the
HCV is maintaining the desired ride height. Adjust the
linkage and re-torque fasteners as necessary.
Ridewell suggests the following Technology &
Maintenance Council (TMC) publications:
TMC RP 619B Air System Inspection Procedure
TMC RP 634A Ride Height Concerns and
Adjustment Procedures for Truck/
Tractor Air Ride Suspensions