Ride height (1 Viewer)

chewy

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My Bavvy It's a variant made by Pilot on fiat 2.3 ( an A class) with Alco chasis 2008. Has a very low ride height even when unloaded from new. It has no spare wheel..the wheels are 15" with 225/70 camper tyres 5 hole & I think @130 pcd. I have been following the airbag (suspension assistors) fitting thread ,whilst may be inevitable that I have to fit these as the torsion bars get tired over the years but..it is expensive. I have been considering bigger wheels (maybe alloy...get 5 for weight of 4?) or higher profile tyres (80 is about 26mm bigger dia and 85 is about 50mm on dia) I realise this will higher the overall gear ratios and make the speedo read slow. My questions are a) has anybody gone down either of the 2 latter solutions and what where and how etc?......... &b) is there any adjustment of the torsion bar starting position on the Alko chassis?
 

pappajohn

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the alko torsion bars are set at factory and cant be adjusted....

they consist of 3 round bars per side or later ones have ,i think, 5 flat bars in a stack...much like a road leaf spring.

its just possible one of these may have broken in each side, doubtful but possible.

from what i remember on another thread a new axle is around £1500 + fitting. :Eeek:
 
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chewy

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the alko torsion bars are set at factory and cant be adjusted....

they consist of 3 round bars per side or later ones have ,i think, 5 flat bars in a stack...much like a road leaf spring.

its just possible one of these may have broken in each side, doubtful but possible.

from what i remember on another thread a new axle is around £1500 + fitting. :Eeek:
Thanks for the thought papajohn. I read that thread also and promptly got my greas gun out!.. I seriously dont think there's any breakages I had it from new and only done 6k miles. Just hopeing somebody will come up with yes I've done that bougt the whels at ??? etc. or high profile tyres will roll a lot etc etc..PS whots a URL?

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pappajohn

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Thanks for the thought papajohn. I read that thread also and promptly got my greas gun out!.. I seriously dont think there's any breakages I had it from new and only done 6k miles. Just hopeing somebody will come up with yes I've done that bougt the whels at ??? etc. or high profile tyres will roll a lot etc etc..PS whots a URL?



i think the problem with larger wheels/higher profile tyres is the reduction in pulling power.
unless the hills are very slight and there isnt a headwind then you can forget 5th gear most of the time.


go like the wind downhill though.
 

pappajohn

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does the van sit as it did when new......low but level, or is the back end sinking ?

2 years sounds a short time for the suspension to be going weak.
 
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chewy

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does the van sit as it did when new......low but level, or is the back end sinking ?
Yes it's just low......... speed ramps in France for example ground out the silencer ..Unloaded silencer to ground is 5 inches. I carry two competition motorbikes in the garage (total 125 kg ) and it settles by 20mm with that in running tyres at 60 psi which is probably a few below reccomended but takes the jarring out of minor road bumps eg. cats eyes. So now I put my email adress into the trackback box ????

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American Dream

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I have just received a set of air shocks from mobilerv for just that reason and to increase stability...

Mind you..my bus is 31 years old...:Cool:

I'd be very annoyed if this happened to a new one....

2 years seems a very short time to encounter this problem.:Sad:

Yes..airshocks/assistors will sort it..but...isn't it under warranty still?
 
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chewy

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I have just received a set of air shocks from mobilerv for just that reason and to increase stability...

Mind you..my bus is 31 years old...:Cool:

I'd be very annoyed if this happened to a new one....

2 years seems a very short time to encounter this problem.:Sad:

Yes..airshocks/assistors will sort it..but...isn't it under warranty still?
It's under warranty but there's nothing wrong with it ... I just want a bit more ground clearance. I supose I'd best have a look at setting the exaust system up a little better before going any further........ If you follow any of the Fiat threads you will know how hard it has been to get the gearbox/clutch mods done.. I still have an outstanding "complaint" re battery going flat..... I 'm not keen on main dealers either (obligatory for warranty work) £80/hour and treat you like a dummy.
 

lunarman

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Chewy'

You say that it is expensive to have Air Suspension fitted and yet you are considering a new set of alloy wheels and tyres. At a cost of several hundred pounds. Surely the cost of AS is marginal considering the other problems that mat arise with going down the route youare considering.

The extra for AS will also give you improved ride and adjustable height for levelling and ferry entry/exit.

My advice - get yer money out!!:roflmto:

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American Dream

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So...

The ride height is as standard...

You want to change the wheels...Why?

Get air suspension with onboard compressor and you can adjust to the current road conditions...and load in the motorhome.

A set of wheels/tyres surely won't sort the exhaust clearance problem?

Yes Cut and reweld the exhaust up a bit but....

Air suspension is really the way to go.Will sort the handling too.
 
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pappajohn

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Yes it's just low......... speed ramps in France for example ground out the silencer ..Unloaded silencer to ground is 5 inches. I carry two competition motorbikes in the garage (total 125 kg ) and it settles by 20mm with that in running tyres at 60 psi which is probably a few below reccomended but takes the jarring out of minor road bumps eg. cats eyes. So now I put my email adress into the trackback box ????

sorry mate...you lost me at the trackback bit...:Blush:
 
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chewy

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sorry mate...you lost me at the trackback bit...:Blush:
Thats me and computers for you I.ve since found that I can be notified by email of further posts in this thread.. Had a look underneath this AM.. I think I can easily gain an inch and a half by rehanging the silencer and tailpipe a little more carefully than whoever did it in the first place. General opinion/coclusion is Air assisters from AS (Warrington) I might hold off on that for time being (£1150 plus 400 for fitting) and see how it goes.. I have to keep reminding myself that my "problems" are only refining what I want i.e spare wheel and exhaust not grounding out. i 've also started dreaming about tyre inflator take off from on board compressor that comes with air assited setup;.. even if only good for my beloved motorbikes! Big thanks to all

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American Dream

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Thats me and computers for you I.ve since found that I can be notified by email of further posts in this thread.. Had a look underneath this AM.. I think I can easily gain an inch and a half by rehanging the silencer and tailpipe a little more carefully than whoever did it in the first place. General opinion/coclusion is Air assisters from AS (Warrington) I might hold off on that for time being (£1150 plus 400 for fitting) and see how it goes.. I have to keep reminding myself that my "problems" are only refining what I want i.e spare wheel and exhaust not grounding out. i 've also started dreaming about tyre inflator take off from on board compressor that comes with air assited setup;.. even if only good for my beloved motorbikes! Big thanks to all

Sounds like you're quite handy with a welder as well.

Fit them yourself.....I'm going to.

I have airlift units and it all seems straightforward.

I might just weld the brackets on though.:thumb: I am a firm Believer in "Belts and braces" job.
 
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