Koni Shocks/Airbag Replacement

[0533]

One of the problems you might be experiencing Bruce is related more to front end weight and that affects your air bags more than your shocks.

To give you an example, my front will rise when the air bags reach about 100 to 105 PSI.

I know some early coaches that had batteries and generators located near the front, marble floors, and other heavy weight on the front axle requiring as much as 120 PSI to raise the front. There are some coaches whose front is so heavy that when leveling in a campground the owner has to lift the tag in order to get the maximum extention on the front air bags. Once they are fully inflated then the tag can be lowered.

That means that the force to compress the air bag and the resultant rebound is greater than lightly loaded air springs. A shock is calibrated to dampen a certain force or rebound. It may be if you air bags have considerable pressure you may wish to consider the dual front shock set up some coaches once had. However, I think you have IFS and I do not know whether your coach would be set up to accomodate that change, or if you have to have higher air spring pressures because your axle weight may already have components sized to deal with the loads.

My real problem Jon is that I expect every vehicle that I drive to handle like a Porsche. I always want to drive too fast, corner to fast and stop too quickly, and seem to expect that 50K LBS will handle like its 3K.

The facts about the coaches front end weight are this: We have no extra weight issues up front that jump out at me. Cork floors, there is a slideout tray under the front bumper with a stainless storage box in it, this has weight, the Howard active steering system a spray unit for the windows, not much else.

I am simply banking on the hope that with some new rubber and some new gas up front that I will at least have the best chance of getting a better ride over some of these uneven roads that our tax dollars are repairing.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Bruce,

You do not know if you do not have a weight problem until you scale the coach and each axle, comparing the results with the Prevost limits.

If you think you can make a sports car out of it, before you mess with anything else, work on the brakes. Our stopping power, especially at higher speeds truly sucks. We have about 2.5 to 3 times the stopping distance of the average car, and if that doesn't make your butt pucker I don't know what will. We can all drive fast. But none of us can stop.

[0533]

Bruce,

You do not know if you do not have a weight problem until you scale the coach and each axle, comparing the results with the Prevost limits.

If you think you can make a sports car out of it, before you mess with anything else, work on the brakes. Our stopping power, especially at higher speeds truly sucks. We have about 2.5 to 3 times the stopping distance of the average car, and if that doesn't make your butt pucker I don't know what will. We can all drive fast. But none of us can stop.

So your thought is to weigh the beast first to see were it is on the Prevost limits. I can do this. I would think though that Marathon would have considered this in the original build process. I have an electric shade over the drivers seat (assume you all do) that says the weight overall is like 49K?? plus or minus. Will check the front axle and report.

Three times the distance is about right I would guess. Not bad considering that the coach is almost 3x's long and 12x's as heavy as the average vehicle. I actually am a defensive driver, don't trust anyone to do the right thing. Just live in Florida in the winter when all of our retired friends are visiting and you would never drive any other way, and never ever ride a motorcycle down here in sunny so. Fl in the winter time, it suicide.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Yes, check the weights. If for nothing else you need them to know the tire inflation pressures. The pressures vary depending on the weights at each location.

There are a number of coaches here on POG whose axle limits have been exceeded so while the converter may have delivered it with the weight limits in conformance, the new owners may have exceeded the limits when they brought their tooth brushes on board.

[truk4u]

Bruce,

You'll find your Marathon steer axle right at gross and possibly over. My 97 was within 200 lbs of gross with very little in the front bay. The generator and battery placement are the cause.

Real important to weigh it, so you know what your dealing with.

[0533]

Bruce,

You'll find your Marathon steer axle right at gross and possibly over. My 97 was within 200 lbs of gross with very little in the front bay. The generator and battery placement are the cause.

Real important to weigh it, so you know what your dealing with.

Where is the genset in a country coach?, same as a Marathon, in the C/S #1 bay. I also thought that some coaches had cruise air units up front as well under the front bumper??

Jon mentioned tire pressure based on axle weight, what should the tire pressure be??

[Jon Wehrenberg]

If we knew your weights we could answer your tire pressure question Bruce.

http://www.michelintruck.com/micheli...ion-tables.jsp

Scroll down to your tire size to see what pressures are required when you weight the bus. Weigh it with full fuel, water, and all that you normally carry when departing on a trip.

[dale farley]

Burce, My Marathon had the batteries and generator in 1st bays and the cruise airs behind the front bumper, so I was very close to max in front end weight.

My CC has roof airs, the generator is in the 2nd bay and I think the batteries are are in the 3rd bay, so the weight is more evenly distributed.

[dale farley]

Bruce, My Marathon had the batteries and generator in 1st bays and the cruise airs behind the front bumper, so I was very close to max in front end weight.

My CC has roof airs, the generator is in the 2nd bay and I think the batteries are are in one of the 3rd bays, so the weight is more evenly distributed.