yabanja
Explorer
My thought process exactly and this is why I have not installed suspension seats in Fido.
Frame flex and type and kind of spring?
- Thread starter Flameffects
- Start date
You do not need a massive budget to have a good suspension under your truck. You do, however, need to select quality components and do some R&D if you want a good ride. Would you build a deck on your house using bits of plywood and old scraps of fence posts? Of course not. There is a right way and a wrong way to do things.
Atlas, Deaver, Alcan, National and several others will build custom spring packs. It is CRUCIAL that you corner weight the truck, completely finished, with people, gear, water, food, dogs, etc. Multiple thinner leaves will ride better than one or two thick leaves. Getting the right measurements is also very important. The factory FE/FG springs ride like crap because they are poorly designed, thus, there is quite a bit of head room for improvement here, without investing hundreds of hours or tens of thousands of dollars. Rough estimate: $1000 per corner for good springs.
Damping control is essential. A high quality, cheap damper does not exist. Quality costs, once. Get something that is adjustable, such as a Rancho RS9000, if Radflo, ORI or ADS is not in the budget. You can upgrade later. Rough estimate: $150 per corner. If you can afford it, add an off-the-shelf air bag with a manual controls for load leveling. Air bags are NOT shocks, but they are springs and can assist in damping vibration.
This is really about the best option for an inexpensive suspension that rides well. You don't need millions of dollars, but taking time to do it right, once, instead of guessing or using inferior components will make your camper much more usable and enjoyable in the long run.
Atlas, Deaver, Alcan, National and several others will build custom spring packs. It is CRUCIAL that you corner weight the truck, completely finished, with people, gear, water, food, dogs, etc. Multiple thinner leaves will ride better than one or two thick leaves. Getting the right measurements is also very important. The factory FE/FG springs ride like crap because they are poorly designed, thus, there is quite a bit of head room for improvement here, without investing hundreds of hours or tens of thousands of dollars. Rough estimate: $1000 per corner for good springs.
Damping control is essential. A high quality, cheap damper does not exist. Quality costs, once. Get something that is adjustable, such as a Rancho RS9000, if Radflo, ORI or ADS is not in the budget. You can upgrade later. Rough estimate: $150 per corner. If you can afford it, add an off-the-shelf air bag with a manual controls for load leveling. Air bags are NOT shocks, but they are springs and can assist in damping vibration.
This is really about the best option for an inexpensive suspension that rides well. You don't need millions of dollars, but taking time to do it right, once, instead of guessing or using inferior components will make your camper much more usable and enjoyable in the long run.
rruff
Explorer
I've seen so many reports that these don't last. It's nice to be able to turn up the damping for a heavy load, but one long trip down washboard and they overheat and fail. If you want high damping then you need big shocks and good cooling (reservoirs?)... don't think there's any way around it.
rruff
Explorer
On the other hand... washboard and similar rough dirt and gravel is the majority of what I need to deal with. I'm not getting air and blasting through ravines and moguls. Do I really need high damping for washboard? Should I adjust to a low setting for that, and turn it up on the highway? Does the adjustment on a RS9000 change compression, rebound, or both? EDIT: It's both.
I've used the Rancho 9000's on three Dodge/RAMs. Very good shocks for that app. The loaded weight of these trucks can vary by 40% so having variable damping really helps with control. The longest mileage was 180k miles and they were not worn out. Max weight on that truck was only 12k lbs, usual weight was 8k lbs. These have a lifetime warranty, which includes wear. Not expensive, I usually find them for $100 ea.
If there was an app for the FUSO, it seems these would be a very good first attempt in finding the right setup. The only down side is that they may not have enough power for the weight of the FUSO and you'd need to make a bracket to double up the front dampers.
There's a universal chart, L1-L1 is eye to eye, there's probably 15 different sizes.
If there was an app for the FUSO, it seems these would be a very good first attempt in finding the right setup. The only down side is that they may not have enough power for the weight of the FUSO and you'd need to make a bracket to double up the front dampers.
There's a universal chart, L1-L1 is eye to eye, there's probably 15 different sizes.
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Getting back to the original premise: Suspension tuning is an art, and one that is made more difficult to practise when your chassis/frame flexes considerably or when it is topped with a box flopping around, undamped. While this behaviour is exacerbated by amplitude, it exists at all speeds and therefore must be addressed if a comfortable ride is desired by the driver and his passenger.
Cummins 6.7 HO engine - 1075 ft/lbs of torque. Grunt, grunt, grrr.
Aussie Iron
Explorer
No problems with mine lasting. Lots of corrugations and dirt roads and I haven't found that they overheat at all. Maybe I don't drive fast enough in the rough.
Dan.