Bilstein or Koni?

[keegan8]

ok, crawled under there, sp3 are in the front and sp1 are in the back.

BUT, found something else, This rig has either standard or aftermarket overload bounce gizmos, They look two rubber donuts sandwich together mounted to the frame, no I didnt take pic yet, but will. And no the shop didn't bother to mention that little tid bit.

They are completely squished down to the top of the leaf spring, so I have no suspension, bounces like red rubber ball from the tires. Which is why i did new tires and shocks. My neighbor is 30yr auto mechanic, and he said I have no suspension in front because these overloads are riding on the leaf springs. There is no space between. And the shocks appear to be to short for this rig also, contributing to less wheel travel.

That's a problem in my common sense book. So what the hell is that and did the leaf springs sag that much? I dont how anyone could drove it that way!

95 Sahara, 5.9 c, Elliptiride, Allison MD3060, Magnum 22E230 Blue Streak
I'Im going to Oregon , hopefully Henderson's can help with, but I would to see some comments on this.

[TDJohn]

Sounds like someone might have installed sumo type springs the wrong way, to attempt to get rid of the bouncing and porpoising that the original style shocks caused. I'm only guessing, will be able to have a better assessment once I see some pictures. If the front shocks seem to long, then more than likely your springs should be fine, and it will be just a matter of removing these springs, but will know more once we see the photos.

[keegan8]

this is what it looks like, like a sumo spring, but one piece.

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[keegan8]

John,

I called Henderson in Oregon and the parts person said the shock should be 88-1458SP2 which 25.67 inches extended. 88-1641SP3 which is on there on , 20.25". So I think it is wrong shock for this rig. 5 inches of travel is better is it not?

This is what I cut off, it was jammed down on that leaf spring so hard, I could not cut it off until I jacked the front end up with the level leg.

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[TDJohn]

Either Hendersons misspoke or they are incorrect. The number he gave you is for the rear shocks, as the rear suspension has much more travel, and the shock mounts are placed differently, requiring a longer shock. Further I would add, that the rear shock should end in SP1, as it has less dampening on compression compared to SP2, and does give a noticeably smoother ride. I tried both shocks and there IS a difference. That Sumo spring was placed incorrectly, as it does not allow for much, if any downward suspension travel. If it was truly needed, it should have been placed as a pseudo helper spring. Meaning, it comes in contact when the suspension compresses too far down, preventing a harsh bottom-out. I would suggest removing those springs and taking the coach for a ride, preferably on a road that has some dips heaves. Like I mentioned before, someone was trying to mitigate the problem of the very poorly specd shocks that originally came with the coach. This was all researched by Ralph Andrews (RIP), who owned Pioneer Metal Works, which designed improved aftermarket suspension parts like the TigerTraks and the Radius Arms, and at one point he even designed an adapter that allowed for Quad shocks (4) up front. After a lot of research and actual, extensive road testing he found that the 88-1641SP3 worked the best for the font of the coaches. It worked so well that he deemed that the quad shock was no longer needed, essentially negating the sales of the adapter that he designed and built. He was a kind, smart, tenacious, and honest individual, who voluntarily dedicated hundreds of hours of research to improving the ride and handling of our Safari coaches, so there is no need to reinvent the wheel. This is your coach, your money, and obviously your decisions, but I will say this much, with total confidence, if you deviate from the 88-1641SP3 shocks for the front axle, you will not fix your issues, but you will make them even worse. Again, my suggestion is to remove those Sumo springs and take the coach for a ride.
All the best, let us know how you make out.

[keegan8]

Thanks, The issue now is to get those Sumo type donuts off. Like I showed, I cut the front ones off already, but the rear is difficult to get at. The tires have to be removed, they are heavy. It rides better in the front, but the rear is another story. I've already spent money on the shocks, so they stay, and they are the numbers you say.

[TDJohn]

I have no visual of the Sumos on the rear axle, but maybe, if there is room, cutting them out with a sawsall. Also, maybe lifting the back end up high enough will give you the needed room from underneath? Maybe the shop that installed the shocks could remove the sumos?

In any case, sounds like you have some improvement already, I hope you will be able to get them removed for a better ride.

[astrnmrtom]

Interesting thread.

Looks like rather than being a "Sumo Spring" they are upgraded bump stops, and from what I could gather on my research, there's should be a gap between the stop, and the suspension when the rig is unloaded. I'm not familiar with this chassis, but from your description, either the wrong part was installed, or your leaf springs have sagged bringing the suspension into heavy contact with the stop. This would certainly make for a harsh ride regardless of what shocks you are using. Makes me wonder if they were installed because a previous owner ran the rig heavily loaded. If you remove the entire bumper assembly make sure you replace it with a standard bump stop, and if possible check your ride height.

I expect Henderson's will have a much better idea of the issue.

Good luck.