Solving "Saggy Bottom" Syndrome on Pegeot J5/Citroen C25/Talbot Express Chassis-cab (1 Viewer)

BGD

Banned
Aug 20, 2007
88
1
Costa Blanca, Spain.
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We have "saggy bottom" syndrome on our recently purchased 1992 Eura Mobil (on a Peugeot J5 van base) - after 15 years of carrying the motorhome body the rear leaf springs are very tired, and were actually bending up in the middle rather than down.

Ride was very wallowy indeed, and taking corners at anything above a crawl induced an alarming rate of lean.

After much research, and very useful advice from others, I ordered a pair of spring assisters from Grayston Engineering for my van (actually the spring assister kit recommended by them for a motorhome body on the Peugeot J5 chassis-cab is their "heavy duty" version, which consists of 2 coil springs per side rather than one).
The kit, which includes all the bits needed, cost £135 inc postage to a UK address.

Took a little while to get the kit sent on to here from the UK address I'd had to give them (they won't post to Spain), but I finally received the kit yesterday and have just fitted it.

FANTASTIC!!!!!

Handling is simply MILES better - there's still good suspension there, but much stiffened; no more wallowing at all, steering response is much sharper, and overall handling is totally incomparable with before.

This was money HUGELY well spent on our old dog of a van.

If anyone else is tempted to go the same way, self fitting is a fairly easy DIY job if you're handy with the spanners (takes maybe a couple of hours), but you do need a couple of beefy jacks (and of course axle stands) - one trolley jack to raise the body and allow the axle to drop down - and then another placed between the axle and the body to push the axle further away from the body to allow the springs to be fitted into their cups (supplied) on the top of the axle and the underneath of the chassis.
Also, although the (very straightforward) instructions don't mention it, the use of a coil spring compressor tool makes the job of actually locating the coil springs into place a helluva lot easier if your leaf springs have sagged and as a result the gap between the top of the axle and the chassis above is small.

I know this kit ain't as sophisticated as the bolt-on air ride assister kits you can get and it isn't ride-height adjustable, but for the money (less than half the price of even the cheapest air-assist kit) I really am enormously impressed with its effects on our vans handling.

So we now have a pert bottom!!!

Cheers,

Bruce.
 

American Dream

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Aug 20, 2007
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Glad to hear your "Rear end" is now sorted.
That wouldn't be Grayson Engineering From Chessington,Surrey,UK would it.
I've used them before and always found them very helpful. Used to live just up the road from them before we moved out of the smoke.
 
OP
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BGD

BGD

Banned
Aug 20, 2007
88
1
Costa Blanca, Spain.
Funster No
133
Glad to hear your "Rear end" is now sorted.
That wouldn't be Grayson Engineering From Chessington,Surrey,UK would it.
I've used them before and always found them very helpful. Used to live just up the road from them before we moved out of the smoke.

Hi AD -

Yes that's the company, although I think their name is Grayston, rather than Grayson.

For anyone considering a similar fix, they have a website, which is:
www.springassisters.co.uk:

http://www.springassisters.co.uk/

(I should mention that I have no connection with the Company, I'm simply singing the praise of their coil spring assiters as fitted to my van)

Bruce.

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American Dream

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Hi Bruce,

Typo error.It is Grayston.
You're right.Too much Emmerdale I'm being subjected to! :Confused:
Glad you're sorted.
I might revisit them for mine.

Steve.
 
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BGD

Banned
Aug 20, 2007
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Costa Blanca, Spain.
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Update - now completed 4,500 kms since the Grayston spring assisters were fitted, including long tour up to North West coast of Spain.

Still ecstatic with them.

I can heartily recommend them if your beloved has developed a soggy bottom!!
 

Jim

Ringleader
Jul 19, 2007
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Update - now completed 4,500 kms since the Grayston spring assisters were fitted, including long tour up to North West coast of Spain.

Still ecstatic with them.

I can heartily recommend them if your beloved has developed a soggy bottom!!


Hi Bruce, you can put a link to them in the new Link Removed

And review the product and company Link Removed

Thanks in anticipation ::bigsmile:
 

wildcamper

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Jul 26, 2007
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Hi Bruce,

Thanks for your information, I have the same problem:Eeek:
I had ordered mad springs from Ashley Banks LTD, but after waiting nearly 2wks and still no signs of delivery:Angry: and reading your post last night, I've today phoned Grayston and will hopefully be receiving them this week:thumb:
Just got to fit em then & hopefully my saggy bottom will be cured:roflmto:

Thanks.
 
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OP
BGD

BGD

Banned
Aug 20, 2007
88
1
Costa Blanca, Spain.
Funster No
133
Hi Bruce,

Thanks for your information, I have the same problem:Eeek:
I had ordered mad springs from Ashley Banks LTD, but after waiting nearly 2wks and still no signs of delivery:Angry: and reading your post last night, I've today phoned Grayston and will hopefully be receiving them this week:thumb:
Just got to fit em then & hopefully my saggy bottom will be cured:roflmto:

Thanks.




I'm sure you'll be really chuffed with them once fitted.

Just a quick thought which may help you if you're going to self fit:

If your existing leaf springs are very soggy (ie actually bowed downwards between the front and rear spring-hangers as mine were), you may have a devil of a job in prising the axle down far enough (even with the back wheels off the ground) to get the new coil springs to fit into the top and bottom cup mountings that you'll by then have attached to the chassis and axles.
It'll maybe save you a lot of swearing if you go and hire for a day 2 pairs of coil-spring compressors from your local garage/toolhire shop before you start the job.
(I say two pairs as I assume you have ordered the heavy-duty coil spring assister kit from Grayston, and that comes with two coil springs per side, and thus you need two coill-spring compressor clamps to make the job easy.)
Using them it's a piece of cake to compress the new coils and locate them into their cups, then unwind the compressors so that they expand into place.

Good luck, and let us all know how you get on with the fitting, and how you find the ride afterwards.

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wildcamper

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Hi Bruce,

Well I must say so far I'm really impressed:thumb:
Ordered the springs around 3pm yesterday and they were at my door at 12 today,
Fitted them this afternoon and although I've not yet taken her out for a drive, can see & feel the difference. The springs are now bowed up the way and its raised the backend by 2" - 3" and no more swaying when entering the camper.

:thanks2:
 
OP
OP
BGD

BGD

Banned
Aug 20, 2007
88
1
Costa Blanca, Spain.
Funster No
133
Hi Bruce,

Well I must say so far I'm really impressed:thumb:
Ordered the springs around 3pm yesterday and they were at my door at 12 today,
Fitted them this afternoon and although I've not yet taken her out for a drive, can see & feel the difference. The springs are now bowed up the way and its raised the backend by 2" - 3" and no more swaying when entering the camper.

:thanks2:



So that'll be £20 you owe me then Ken..............:Cool:
 

wildcamper

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:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
If I get to meet you at a rally/get together, I'll buy you a drink or two:beer:

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marjolijnc

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I want to buy the motor home from my father.
It has a Peugeot J 5chassis, a Knaus 620 top and a Fiat 2.5 Turbo Diesel motor.
I want to go to Morocco for holiday and also to buy fossils for my shop. Can anyone tell me what extra weight I can put in it?
Does it make a difference if I put more suspension on? Do I have to change the logbook than?
Thanks, Marjolijn
 

hilldweller

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Dec 5, 2008
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From Aug 2007
We have "saggy bottom" syndrome on our recently purchased 1992 Eura Mobil (on a Peugeot J5 van base) - after 15 years of carrying the motorhome body the rear leaf springs are very tired, and were actually bending up in the middle rather than down.
Bruce.

That was very common in the 60s. I remember taking springs off a TR3a and taking them to a spring repairer who heated them up and re-set them. Do such services exist now ?
 

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