Adding air bags to our '89 ORED GV

Topic: Adding air bags to our '89 ORED GV (Read 1497 times) previous topic - next topic

Adding air bags to our '89 ORED GV

March 21, 2018, 07:52:14 am

Was at HWH yesterday morning (3/20/2018) and talking to Lon and his guys.
They recommended adding air bags to the front of our 1989 ORED GV to help/improve the handling & ride.
Anyone done this? Have part numbers? Source?
Did it help?
With the fresh water tank (up front under the dash) empty our coach jumps around like a kangaroo on Speed drugs.
Not fun when on narrow highways.
Apparently the coach is configured to run with full water & fuel tanks to offset the DD engine in the rear.

Re: Adding air bags to our '89 ORED GV

Reply #1 – March 21, 2018, 09:30:30 am

Do you have bags in the front and rear now?
Adding spring rate of any type will stiffen the ride.

Re: Adding air bags to our '89 ORED GV

Reply #2 – March 21, 2018, 09:58:31 am

No bags now. HWH recommended adding bags to the front end.
Front axle rated at 7,500#
So would I need a bag (on each side) rated at 3,750#?

Re: Adding air bags to our '89 ORED GV

Reply #3 – March 21, 2018, 11:01:45 am

Are you removing the current springs?

Re: Adding air bags to our '89 ORED GV

Reply #4 – March 21, 2018, 11:12:31 am

Quote from: nitehawk – March 21, 2018, 07:52:14 am

Apparently the coach is configured to run with full water & fuel tanks to offset the DD engine in the rear.

Very well could be, though a friend has a '89 ORED with a CAT that has no problems with ride/steering, I think his coach has bags. Has the front end been aligned and bearings checked for wear, shocks new? Just looked at BEAMALARM and your coach has "Air ride suspension"

Re: Adding air bags to our '89 ORED GV

Reply #5 – March 21, 2018, 12:07:29 pm

Not readily refitable. Spring coach. Hydraulic disk brakes. Either add weight under the front or maybe take out a few of the short springs in the pack? Or both. Adjust tire pressure to exact load? Possibly newer Michelin type tires might ride better.

I sold these new. Your comment about keeping the coach full was a help, hence my adding weight comment

Re: Adding air bags to our '89 ORED GV

Reply #6 – March 21, 2018, 12:31:52 pm

Beamalarm does not have listed the specs for my coach. I tried to get him to change/add specs for our coach and even sent him a marked up sheet about three years ago. Never got changed/added.
Our coach was aligned at FOT, the wheel bearings were repacked last year, the front tires are at 90 PSI, were balanced last year.
The right side front spring has "relaxed" so that side of the coach is 1.5" lower.
No idea on the shocks.
We do NOT have air bags. We DO have leaf springs. I have crawled around under the coach enough to identify almost every feature. NO air bags. Disc brakes.
Drove the coach south to HWH last fall without water in the fresh water tank, then on to Stromsberg, NE. Coach was all over the road. Filled the fresh water tank at Stromsberg and handling was like we had gone to a much newer coach!!

Re: Adding air bags to our '89 ORED GV

Reply #7 – March 21, 2018, 12:59:19 pm

Sounds like you may have a front end problem with the "relaxed" spring, shocks, alignment or all of the items. Your 8.2 Detroit is a lightweight compared to the two cycles Detroits so no big deal with the weight in the rear. I would get the spring looked after right away as it can also cause chassis flexing as the spring rates will be different side to side. A sagging spring may also affect the alignment. With the springs in good order, the shocks working properly, any wandering is probably an alignment issue. The front end should have a little toe in or it may wander, especially on uneven surfaces.

And no, when the coach is configured to go down the road with spring rates the same and shocks also the same, it should be exactly like the '89 ORED with the CAT.

Pierce

Re: Adding air bags to our '89 ORED GV

Reply #8 – March 21, 2018, 01:20:33 pm

On my Vogue I had the springs re-arched and leafs added on the '81 FT I had the front springs just re-arched.

Re: Adding air bags to our '89 ORED GV

Reply #9 – March 21, 2018, 01:21:59 pm

The soft spring could be compensated by adding the air bags and leveling the nose. The bags would need separate fill ports. The bags will increase the total spring rate, and running with full water may soften the ride. .

Re: Adding air bags to our '89 ORED GV

Reply #10 – March 21, 2018, 08:13:44 pm

That coach for sure needs to have a full water tank for the best driving. It needs the weight up there.

Re: Adding air bags to our '89 ORED GV

Reply #11 – March 21, 2018, 08:22:20 pm

I had several 815 chassis coach put 500 pounds of concrete weight above the front axle

Re: Adding air bags to our '89 ORED GV

Reply #12 – March 21, 2018, 08:30:11 pm

90 psi may be a tad high for your coach. Have you weighed the front and rear axles, I use local grain elevator scales. BTW your straight pipe coach sounded good. My ored likes a full water tank.

Re: Adding air bags to our '89 ORED GV

Reply #13 – March 21, 2018, 09:01:48 pm

Previous owner (according to his notes) ran the front tires at 100 PSI and the rear duals at 90 PSI.
Tires are three year old Michelin 235/80/22.5s

Re: Adding air bags to our '89 ORED GV

Reply #14 – March 23, 2018, 08:07:21 am

Went to Wausau Spring & Alignment yesterday.
The tech crawled under the coach & checked the front and rear springs and parts. Definitely front spring.
It has a shape like a compound bow!!
Now the problem begins. I have my Oshkosh truck Service Manual and the spring listed by number & shown is nothing like what is actually there. The number is for a monster spring like goes on a (ahem) garbage truck!! Yikes!! 4" wide, 12 leafs, and $750 plus installation per side.
Will wait and see what the tech finds out after he does some research.

Re: Adding air bags to our '89 ORED GV

Reply #15 – March 23, 2018, 10:46:03 am

The tech should be able to count the leafs and their thickness and build you something. As I posted earlier they re- arched the ones on my'81 but that was many years ago.

Re: Adding air bags to our '89 ORED GV

Reply #16 – March 23, 2018, 10:52:23 am

Craneman, I am waiting on the tech to find out what they can do or get.
Either buy or re-arc the spring

Re: Adding air bags to our '89 ORED GV

Reply #17 – March 24, 2018, 10:31:15 am

Whats your front axle number?

Re: Adding air bags to our '89 ORED GV

Reply #18 – March 25, 2018, 03:09:57 pm

Here is what information I just read off the Dana tag fastened on the front axle:
Part #101BN202-2
Serial #I75-0000748H
Date: 12/15/88
I measured the large spring on the passenger side as being 3-1/8" wide and about 54" eye to eye.
The spring stack consists of 9 leaves.
Foretravel specifies the front axle as 7,500# capacity and the rear as 15,000# capacity.
The chassis is an Oshkosh chassis model #V-815-2
Their service manual has part #1569570 spring assembly. Leaf assembly (main leaf) is #2Dl868

Re: Adding air bags to our '89 ORED GV

Reply #19 – March 25, 2018, 11:13:25 pm

If you get the spring rebuilt, have them put the low friction separators between the leaf tips (tips
move the most) . Or better yet have them polished and a generous application of dry Teflon lube. as separators tend move and fall out. Your ride will be much improved.

Re: Adding air bags to our '89 ORED GV

Reply #20 – March 26, 2018, 05:20:11 pm

First contacted Foretravel. Scott at FOT gave me Freightliner's number. Talked to Les Michaels there.
He emailed me the bad news, but better numbers for our springs. The Oshkosh Truck manual has wrong information.
My front spring numbers are 6JA668 and/or P106708.
He also included a note that reads NLA from NDTN or whoever that was. I understand the NLA means No Longer Available because we have been searching the internet and no luck.
Attached is the correct spring drawing and assembly drawing, with B/M

Re: Adding air bags to our '89 ORED GV

Reply #21 – March 26, 2018, 06:39:59 pm

If you are needing total new springs this company in Richmond, Va. I'm sure could fix you up. You probably have someone closer but these guys are real good.
Spring Sales And Service – Boat Trailer Springs

Re: Adding air bags to our '89 ORED GV

Reply #22 – March 26, 2018, 11:56:16 pm

Quote from: nitehawk – March 21, 2018, 07:52:14 am

Was at HWH yesterday morning (3/20/2018) and talking to Lon and his guys.
They recommended adding air bags to the front of our 1989 ORED GV to help/improve the handling & ride.
Anyone done this? Have part numbers? Source?
Did it help?
With the fresh water tank (up front under the dash) empty our coach jumps around like a kangaroo on Speed drugs.
Not fun when on narrow highways.
Apparently the coach is configured to run with full water & fuel tanks to offset the DD engine in the rear.

HWH may be talking about air bag helper springs. I did that on my 89 Georgie Boy. The rear of the coach was sagging. Leaf springs can deform after a few years with a constant load on them. RV's are not like a truck that gets loaded and unloaded. The bags improved the ride and handling.

Re: Adding air bags to our '89 ORED GV

Reply #23 – March 28, 2018, 08:48:37 am

NH. You may want to advise the tech that there is a good chance that the front axle studs/nuts are "staked" and will need to be die grinded on the last 3 threads to get the axle nuts off. If not done, the 10 min of removing the nuts can take all day.
Your chassis is about the same vintage as mine.

Re: Adding air bags to our '89 ORED GV

Reply #24 – March 28, 2018, 08:59:14 am

Thanks.
Both front springs will be replaced around April 20.
Springs & labor $1,700. Decent price considering shipping included.
All this place does is springs & alignment and so far am quite impressed with their knowledge and expertise.
I and the DW looked everywhere and couldn't find the springs, but they did.

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