Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 06-26-2007, 02:19 PM   #1
RonS
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: New Lisbon, Wisconsin
Posts: 317
Hard Ride in Dually

I have a 2004 4x4 Chevy Crew Cab dually with Duramax and I'm getting a very hard bucking ride, both when towing 36TK3 Mobile Suites and when running empty. I put on firestone air assit bags even though I did not need them hoping that they would help the ride, they did not do much if anything, and I kept adjusting the air pressure, with no good results. Next step was new shocks went with the Rancho 5100s, and in my opinion they were the same as stock. Should have maybe gone with the bilstens, but to late now. Next step was lowering air tire pressure to 65lbs all six new Michelin LTX M/S tires, still pounds my back.
Does anyone have a FIX ???
__________________

RonS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-26-2007, 11:18 PM   #2
wingnut60
Site Team
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Where we park it
Posts: 2,838
Air bags will do nothing for unladen ride, only for loads. They may even make it worse since there has to be some air in the bag even when unloaded. Do you need all of the Chevy capacity? How about taking a spring leaf out? Take it to a spring/axle shop and ask them about it.
__________________

__________________
2016 Tiffin 40 QBH
2015 38RSSA, traded
2005 TK3 #1869, 10 yrs of memories,
2017 F450 KR--one more Ford is it
2009 F450 4x4-died; 2010 F450-retired
wingnut60 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-27-2007, 08:04 AM   #3
hitchup
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Currently: working on the road
Posts: 770
Is this at one particular speed range?

We would experience some bucking when going much over 62 mph pulling with our previous TV, 2005 Chevy 3500. That was without any changes to the TV, but Suite does have Trailair pin box. Haven't experienced the problem with the F450.
__________________
2014 Mobile Suite Estates 38RSB - custom home
2014 F450 KR CC 4x4 ...... his office
2015 Lance 1172 - traveling Motel (solar and generator)
Working Fulltimers since 3/2005
hitchup is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-27-2007, 10:37 AM   #4
RonS
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: New Lisbon, Wisconsin
Posts: 317
Yes it does it at all speeds both towing and running empty. I also have the trailair pin box and trailair center point air on the 5th wheel.
No I did not need the air assist on the dually, but wanted to try it before I messed with the springs.
Called Dale at Trailair this morning and he said to try more air in pin box, have been carring 87 lbs will bump it up next trip out.
Maybe I'm expecting too much for the ride in the dually, had 2500HD single rear wheel last truck, and got a much better ride when towing. When running empty if I wanted a better ride I just put some weight in the box. Also had Bilstein shocks and a smaller 5th wheel.
Thanks for the replies.
RonS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-28-2007, 12:37 AM   #5
MDTdriver
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Ca. winter/USA summer
Posts: 233
This my help

My truck has 12,500lb air ride bags in rear, with Michelin 19.5 duel tires run at 75lbs min. presure by MFG for 12.600lb. carry wt.
I run 55 to 60 lbs. in my Trail Air pin box. with a pin wt of 3,000lbs. for 5er. Your 87 lbs maybe to high.
Just a thought.

Larry & Kathy
__________________
Fulltime June 2000 SK#82498
Our Home is Where we Park IT
International 4700 Low Profile 530 power:Full Air Ride
Prowler Regal AX6 :Trail Air pin box/spring over axle: Verizon internet: 2 Verizon cell phone
MDTdriver is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-28-2007, 09:50 AM   #6
billr
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 857
Ron,

I didn't know there was a set pressure for the pinbox? I never check ours, just set it to the arrows and thats it. With it set at the pressure you mention, is that what it takes to line it up?

The empty Dually ride is a rough one for sure, but is usually better when loaded. A few things to check (you may have already done this), is the trailer attitude level as well as the truck? If the truck is too high in the rear the springs may not be doing their job, and if the trailer is too high in the front, you may not be transferring enough pin wt fwd to allow the trucks suspension to work. A MS should have plenty of pin wt, but worth a look anyway.

The more air you run in the truck's rear airbags will make the ride harder. Run just enough when loaded to have the truck level.

It's all a bit of a balancing effort to get the hitch and pinbox heights, airbags, and trailair box set to the right height.

Cheers,
Bill
__________________
Bill and Joan
4 Collie pups
05 M/S 38RL3 #2046
01 Volvo VNL770
05 Smart Passion Loaded piggyback
https://picasaweb.google.com/billandjoan
Weigh-It Portable RV Scales
https://www.weighitrv.com
billr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2007, 12:05 PM   #7
RonS
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: New Lisbon, Wisconsin
Posts: 317
Thanks for all the replies. This is what I did - Removed all the stoppers/brackets for the overload springs, as when hooked up for towing the overloads were in play, but back of dually still too high. This gave me mor flex and dropped the rear a little. Then I put 23 lbs of air in my air assist bags, and this helped when running empty. as now rideing on air and not the rear springs. When hooked to trailer without adding any more air to the bags it went to 40 lbs of pressure, truck and trailer now much more level. I think it helped tame down the bucking ride. Only went a couple miles for the test yesterday, but tomorrow will give it a real test with a few hundred mile trip.
If it dont work I can put all back the way it was, and only out my labor. Does anyone see a saftey issue with removing brackets??
RonS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-13-2007, 10:39 AM   #8
Charlan
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: On
Posts: 6
Had the same problem, added more weight to front of fiver ( filled water tank half full) no more bucking.
__________________

Charlan is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:45 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
×