Foretravel Owners' Forum For owners and Fans of Foretravel Motorcoaches September 09, 2025 ...

Get rear kickdown springs back on

June 07, 2019, 02:25:27 pm

Had to take off a rear kickdown spring so I could get the new actuator on and the old one off.
Now I can't get the springs back on. Both springs fell down and the connecting bar came off one side.
Anybody got it figured out??

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Re: Get rear kickdown springs back on

Reply #1 – June 07, 2019, 03:18:18 pm

Forget the first post.
This morning I took that big, 180# 8D battery off the storage shelf, carried it over and put it in the back of our Vue. Then drove the Vue out to the coach (50'), lifted that 180# battery out of the Vue, carried it to the coach and lowered it down into the battery well under the steps and then hooked it up.
Now I got both of the kickdown return springs attached. It is absolutely amazing what a little "shop talk" and a lot of temper can accomplish!!  

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Re: Get rear kickdown springs back on

Reply #2 – June 07, 2019, 06:35:34 pm

To lengthen HWH jack springs to install, use SHIMS between the coils to lengthen the spring.

Bend the spring one way, insert a shim, bend it the other way, insert a spring in another coil.........

Anything will work-- have used pieces of HD paint stir stick, old wood clothes pins, etc.

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Re: Get rear kickdown springs back on

Reply #3 – June 07, 2019, 09:23:05 pm

Thanks Brett. I forgot about that method (senior moment)
I was laying under the coach and saw that the leveling jack was extended almost 2". I went into the coach and turned on the HWH system. I had to figure out a way to keep the retract valve open so I could collapse the jack. The DW is in the hospital where she just had three stents put in, in the nick of time, so I wedged a remote control between the seat and the toggle lever and then went out & under the coach and collapsed the jack. Smooth sailing after that, with a little bit of shoptalk and temper and a vice grips on the inside spring, then pulled the spring end down until it entered the hole in the baseplate..

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Re: Get rear kickdown springs back on

Reply #4 – June 07, 2019, 09:28:23 pm

Smart guys always can find a cheap fix, educated people not so much. Springs are always a somewhat dangerous pita. Glad you got it fixed

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