Grand Villa U-240 ride

Topic: Grand Villa U-240 ride (Read 1254 times) previous topic - next topic

Grand Villa U-240 ride

March 02, 2020, 10:09:47 am

Good morning, Have recently returned from a trip Magnolia MS to Pasadena CA and back. We enjoy the old highways and byways.
I knew there would be some rough stretches. Then we hit the interstates from time to time. Oh my gosh I-10 has miles and miles of some of the roughest highways I have been on.

So here is my question, I have relatively new rubber on the ground. 85 psi rear 90 psi in front, New Blestin shocks up front and the ride height is set at 31.5 there bouts. I have checked every bolt and nut in the front end for tightness. Whenever we hit bumps it rattles everything so bad you want to take out your teeth and tell the wife to tighten up her bra straps.

So I am looking for suggestion from the group on what may I do to wear my false teeth full time.

Re: Grand Villa U-240 ride

Reply #1 – March 02, 2020, 10:23:44 am

Looking at the inflation chart for your steer tires what is the least PSI specified for your axle weight? And what brand are your new tires?

That's where I would start.

Re: Grand Villa U-240 ride

Reply #2 – March 02, 2020, 10:27:37 am

Try taking secondary roads instead of the Interstates. As we head into spring, the damage from the weather and big rigs is the highest. Going across the country, the most interesting towns are on the smaller roads. Heading to the Southwest, we spend the extra hour or so and go to Reno and then down 395. I-5 and 99 can have surprises when you least expect it.

Dropping tire pressure won't get rid of the pot holes.

Pierce

Re: Grand Villa U-240 ride

Reply #3 – March 02, 2020, 10:30:27 am

Just checked the shock warehouse site for your coach, the Bilsteins are the cheapest one of your choices,the consensus on the
forum is the Koni's are the best shock for a Foretravel,there are 3 Koni choices for with or without velvet ride, bite the bullet with
those rattled teeth and get Konis.

Re: Grand Villa U-240 ride

Reply #4 – March 02, 2020, 10:35:31 am

What tires are you running. That will determine the correct PSI along with your actual load.

Still 9R's or 255/80R22.5 or ??

Agree that the Konis will give a better ride-- less dampening on compression-- dampening on compression adds to ride stiffness. Vast majority of Koni dampening is on extension.

Ride height at 31.5 is correct.

Any play in the torsilastic shackles (verify that the metal is centered in the rubber top and bottom links).

Re: Grand Villa U-240 ride

Reply #5 – March 02, 2020, 10:36:41 am

Konis didn't fix the ride for me on I-10, but lower tire pressure sure did.

Re: Grand Villa U-240 ride

Reply #6 – March 02, 2020, 10:55:58 am

Saw this warning sign?
Been on roads so rough I wrapped my dentures in bubble wrap and the DW put on three extra bras.

Re: Grand Villa U-240 ride

Reply #7 – March 02, 2020, 11:33:53 am

Would play with tire pressure,won't cost anything.

Re: Grand Villa U-240 ride

Reply #8 – March 02, 2020, 11:45:41 am

Quote from: John44 – March 02, 2020, 11:33:53 am

Would play with tire pressure,won't cost anything.

Let's see what tires he has. Sure don't want to recommend reducing PSI to less than tire manufacturer recommended PSI. Better ride is great, but not if at the expense of higher chance of catastrophic tire failure.

Looking at the Michelin RV tire guide:

For 9R22.5:
85 PSI single carries 3890 pounds.
90 PSI dual carries 7720 (per two tires)

For 255/80R22.5:
85 PSI single carries 4440
90 PSI dual carries 8410

Re: Grand Villa U-240 ride

Reply #9 – March 02, 2020, 12:08:54 pm

Here's the guide for the newer Michelins we have. Has the coach been weighed on all four corners? Sulastic

Re: Grand Villa U-240 ride

Reply #10 – March 02, 2020, 02:36:21 pm

Quote from: POPPASMURFF#1 – March 02, 2020, 10:09:47 am

Oh my gosh I-10 has miles and miles of some of the roughest highways I have been on.

Amen to that. We were coming back from Death Valley a while ago and got on I-10 east bound out of Blythe and at the Arizona border hit THE WORST stretch of highway I've ever driven; even the 18 wheelers were at 30mph and staying out of the slow lane. Even with all the Brett Wolfe -installed bells and whistles (including custom Koni shocks, custom- strengthened to take the extra weight of the CAT Torsialistic suspension, steering stabilizer, force-balanced new Michelins) I rocked and rolled, barely able to do 20 mph!

Re: Grand Villa U-240 ride

Reply #11 – March 02, 2020, 03:43:12 pm

MY GV nose weight is about 8000# with water ,
My H rate tires' chart call for a little over 72psi I run at 80 .

Re: Grand Villa U-240 ride

Reply #12 – March 02, 2020, 03:47:51 pm

I'm running 85 front...80 rear on my 'G' Michelins. The PO had them at 100 all around!

Re: Grand Villa U-240 ride

Reply #13 – March 02, 2020, 04:14:51 pm

Quote from: Protech Racing – March 02, 2020, 03:43:12 pm

MY GV nose weight is about 8000# with water ,
My H rate tires' chart call for a little over 72psi I run at 80 .

Completely different chassis/coach. May also be different tires-- we don't know what tires the OP has.

Re: Grand Villa U-240 ride

Reply #14 – March 02, 2020, 06:12:56 pm

Quote from: POPPASMURFF#1 – March 02, 2020, 10:09:47 am

So I am looking for suggestion from the group on what may I do to wear my false teeth full time.

We have U225 with the lighter engine and those are the tire pressures we use. All I can say is either slow down on the rough stretches, I'm remembering Pennsylvania in our case, or change roads.

As far as the dentures go, I use a mouth guard my dentist made for me.

A firm ride is the trade-off we accepted for the simplicity of torsion bar suspension over the ever so elegant air bags.

Re: Grand Villa U-240 ride

Reply #15 – March 02, 2020, 06:15:31 pm

Quote from: Old Toolmaker – March 02, 2020, 06:12:56 pm

We have U225 with the lighter engine and those are the tire pressures we use.

On what tires-- again, several options with different capacities for a given PSI.

Your coach OE was 9R22.5. Is that still what you have?

Still need to know what tires the OP has.

Re: Grand Villa U-240 ride

Reply #16 – March 02, 2020, 06:44:10 pm

Here we go.

Tires Bridgestone 9R22.5 front tires cold 90 psig, after running for a couple hours pressure runs around 97 to 98 psig.

I will be changing tires before our next trip in April due to some cracking noted about an inch from the rim.

The shocks are new (2 years old) BUT I have no problem making a change. Clarabell "The Classy Lady" will be full time after April 1 for at least 2 years.

Re: Grand Villa U-240 ride

Reply #17 – March 02, 2020, 06:54:20 pm

Agree with Pierce...it's probably not the tires, the shocks, the airbags, or the coach. Most of the interstates are dominated now by heavy haul trucks, and were never engineered for this degree of constant structural abuse....extremely dangerous during inclement weather or at night. Just finished a regrettably hurried 1500 miles on I-40 and it's blown apart in AZ and NM by the trucks. I try to plan extra time for a trip, avoid freeways, and use the US highways, which are more frequently used by local truckers, not loaded down to the max, and who don't need to stare at a laptop or GPS while driving to stay ahead of the federal regulations governing their duty limitations and time schedules. See Sunday's fatal pileup in WY on I-80 for an example of what carnage can fall upon you if you get caught in the midst of a bunch of trucks trying to make up time in spite of road conditions. Just my $.02 FWIW. Woody.

Re: Grand Villa U-240 ride

Reply #18 – March 02, 2020, 07:26:04 pm

Quote from: POPPASMURFF#1 – March 02, 2020, 06:44:10 pm

Here we go.

Tires Bridgestone 9R22.5 front tires cold 90 psig, after running for a couple hours pressure runs around 97 to 98 psig.

I will grant you that there are tires with softer sidewalls than the Bridgestones*. If it's that important to you try the Michelin X tires.

*I lost my glass pie plates to Bridgestones on my previous rig.

Re: Grand Villa U-240 ride

Reply #19 – March 02, 2020, 07:38:16 pm

Quote from: Old Toolmaker – March 02, 2020, 07:26:04 pm

I will grant you that there are tires with softer sidewalls than the Bridgestones*. If it's that important to you try the Michelin X tires

Yup, I'm more than happy with mine! Pierce is right: even with a 'Coach by Brett', I thought we'd rattle apart. Granted, I had 100 psi then, which caused me to have her weighed and contacted Michelin, which helped, but THOSE ROADS will do it!

Re: Grand Villa U-240 ride

Reply #20 – March 02, 2020, 08:51:45 pm

Michelin X Multi Energy require the least amount of air (by 5 PSI) of any other tire I have found.
Compared to the Continentals I had that required 110 PSI for my axle weight they're real comfortable.

Re: Grand Villa U-240 ride

Reply #21 – March 02, 2020, 09:41:19 pm

On our notoriously choppy freeways here in so cal ending up with H rated Michelin's at 97/87 and Koni FSD's works very well. Plus the coach steers well

Re: Grand Villa U-240 ride

Reply #22 – March 02, 2020, 09:56:34 pm

We have 265/75R22.5 Toyo's that I run @90 and 85, red Koni's and the 19000# rear torsion beams. It rides ok but can be pretty jarring on rough roads. It had Bilsteins when we got it and they did not ride as well.

Re: Grand Villa U-240 ride

Reply #23 – March 02, 2020, 10:02:33 pm

Red tops do not have the dual internal circuits that seem to be necessary to bypass the dampening internally on choppy roads that the FSD's have and be able to handle the slower movements

Re: Grand Villa U-240 ride

Reply #24 – March 04, 2020, 10:56:47 am

I don't have the inflation table for the 9R22.5 Bridgestones, but suspect that going to the Michelin 255/80R22.5 can carry the same load at a lower PSI and with that and softer sidewalls give a better ride in front.

The other change, as mentioned is changing to Koni shocks in front.

Your coach is the heaviest of all the U240's (1995 was the only year of the 102" vs 96"), so the move to the larger tire size and lower PSI will certainly benefit you.

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