Community Forums

S-n-L · 05-07-2017, 11:26 PM

Randy & Kathy, you have the closest to what I would consider "real life experience" with these. Your coach is almost exactly the same as my coach. I would love to hear your impressions as soon as you have some feedback. Please post something as soon as you can. If I do have the installed it will be within the next few weeks.

Van nice description of the properties of shocks. It seems like it is a bit of a gamble as to what you will get from a change.

I will call Source Engineering and get more information. From what they told me the Bilstein shocks they sell have been extensively tested on each coach and tuned for optimal performance specific to that coach.

I wish there were more people who had real life experience, before and after, with these shocks.

Randyman1 · 05-08-2017, 08:28 AM

Will do Stuart, heading out today, will post a report of my initial feelings tonight. Randy

Jeff753 · 05-08-2017, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vanwill

Bingo! No shock manufacturer has managed to defy the laws of physics. Those laws state that you must make a trade-off between rebound control and ride softness. There is not now, NOR HAS THERE EVER BEEN, any shock absorber which affords a smoother ride AND greater rebound control. Someday, electronically controlled shocks may become commonplace and a much better COMPROMISE between rebound control and ride smoothness may be available. NOT TODAY.

The problem stems largely from the misnomer "shock absorber". They are "hydraulic dampers", plain and simple. Shocks absorbers DO NOT "absorb" shocks. They TRANSMIT shocks to your coach in varying degrees, depending on how stiffly they are valved. A very stiff shock transmits much shock to your coach while rapidly controlling rebounding. A very "mushy" shock transmits little shock to your coach but allows greater rebounding. Rebounding is commonly termed "porpoising" (love that word!).

When someone spends over $1500 for "shock absorbers" based on "expert advice" he got from the Internet, he IS going to notice an improvement--human nature. But that "best of both worlds" result could never be supported by physics, engineering, or empirical evidence.

So, you make your choice--If you want a smooth ride, it will require a "mushy" shock. If you want great rebound control, it will require a stiffly valved shock. There simply is no shock that can give both--it's the laws of physics.

I have found this subject interesting enough that I removed ALL four front shocks from my coach and took it for an extended drive on varied terrain. That experiment taught me that I prefer ride smoothness to rebound control. Luckily, that also presented me with choices of shocks that are a fraction of the price of the ones held in highest regard among Internet bloggers.

I am not trying to be critical of anyone's opinions or choices. I'm just saying that increased ride smoothness AND increased rebound control cannot be found in any single presently available shock absorber.

There are quite a few sacred cows comfortably grazing among us. This is one of them.

Yes but where is that sweet spot of the trade off. I'd probably trade some firmness I have now for a little porpoise. Looks like my rear drive wheel bilstein tore up through the mount.
Odd?

Pogo397 · 05-08-2017, 05:24 PM

Anyone have the part number for Monroe shocks for a 2007 Monaco Camelot. My new bilstein Shock make the ride too stiff. I have the stud on the top of the front shock.

10Boomer · 05-08-2017, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pogo397

Anyone have the part number for Monroe shocks for a 2007 Monaco Camelot. My new bilstein Shock make the ride too stiff. I have the stud on the top of the front shock.

What tire pressures do you run, add your tire manufacture and weights if you have them. There's more than a shock in the ride quality equation.

S-n-L · 05-08-2017, 06:37 PM

Thanks Randy,

An in input is appreciated.

Stuart

Randyman1 · 05-08-2017, 06:44 PM

Jeff, that is the problem that Jim at Source told me about. The Bilsteins that Monaco used only had a rubber grommet through the bolt hole and they would wallow it out and in your case broke the grommet out completely and then just slopped around until it tore it out. I said I would give a report and now I have driven a little over 300 miles since putting on the new shocks and I think it made a positive difference. The coach still rides and drives just like it always did nice and smooth but when we hit the bridges you still get the jar of the expansion joint which we knew wouldn't go away but the bounce effect seems more controlled and is really a lot nicer. Also when you are on the interstate and you pass a semi you sometimes get a push of wind off their front end and the coach would sway just a little and that feels a lot different now in a good way. It's hard to describe but my wife and I both thought it was worth having had done because we noticed a definite improvement. I know everybody's coach will be different but it appears that my shocks must've been worse than I thought they were because it definitely feels like a more controlled ride than it did before. Stuart, I would recommend it and I would like to hear your feedback once you have it done to see if you feel the same way I do because I think it was worth doing. Randy

S-n-L · 05-08-2017, 11:23 PM

Thank you Randy,

Just to clarify, did you have all 10 shocks replaced? Also do you feel the hard bang when going over a sharp pothole or sharp expansion joint was softened?

I will be at Elite for an appointment a week from today. If I have it done it will be within the next few weeks. I'll keep everyone up to date.

Stuart

Randyman1 · 05-09-2017, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by S-n-L

Thank you Randy,

Just to clarify, did you have all 10 shocks replaced? Also do you feel the hard bang when going over a sharp pothole or sharp expansion joint was softened?

I will be at Elite for an appointment a week from today. If I have it done it will be within the next few weeks. I'll keep everyone up to date.

Stuart

Yes Stuart, replaced all 10@ $169 each, not cheap, but nothing good ever is. You still feel the jolts, but hard to really say if they are softer having not been on these roads before to have a comparison on say the same rough spot. I just think, in my coachs case, that it feels like we've tightened up the ride and are not as mushy feeling. And that is a good thing I'm talking about. You still maintain the same soft ride just have a more controlled feeling if that makes any sense. You can tell Jim at Source that the guy with the cleanest undercarriage Navigator that he has ever seen says Hi and that I'm well pleased.

S-n-L · 05-09-2017, 11:09 PM

Randy,

I will say hi to Jim for you. How do you keep your chassis so clean. Mine always gets so filthy. We have been fulltiming timing for 3 years now and just when I get things clean I find myself driving through rain and mud.

I spent a week in Death Valley about one month ago and I am still trying to get rid of some of the grit we picked up.

Clean or dirty we are having the time of our lives!

Stuart

Randyman1 · 05-10-2017, 08:53 AM

Stuart, I've owned this coach for 3-1/2 years and done nothing to the underside. That's why his and his mechanics comments caught me off guard. I do know that I am totally rust free underneath. Just dusty looking to me. I do bust my but keeping up the topside of the coach, but they didn't notice that.

10Boomer · 05-10-2017, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randyman1

Stuart, I've owned this coach for 3-1/2 years and done nothing to the underside. That's why his and his mechanics comments caught me off guard. I do know that I am totally rust free underneath. Just dusty looking to me. I do bust my but keeping up the topside of the coach, but they didn't notice that.

It has the manic cleaning gremlin that Happycarz uses all the time. You can almost eat off any part of his coach! Lol
But we still love him, one of many helpful members and friend.

Jandringa · 05-10-2017, 05:03 PM

Well after reading about shocks until I was blue in the face and how every shock is better than the next I am going to do the unthinkable, MONROE shocks on my 06 Monaco Camelot. I have bilsteins now and not happy with them so for 50.00 each I can't wait to see how they do. Btw top stud and bottom eye Monroe shock is part number 557044.

96 Wideglide · 05-11-2017, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jandringa

Well after reading about shocks until I was blue in the face and how every shock is better than the next I am going to do the unthinkable, MONROE shocks on my 06 Monaco Camelot. I have bilsteins now and not happy with them so for 50.00 each I can't wait to see how they do. Btw top stud and bottom eye Monroe shock is part number 557044.

Since I bought my coach used @ 5yrs old, and a touch over 30,000 miles, I never got to feel how it rode with fresh Monroe shocks. When I started replacing them, ( with Bilstein's ) at about 36,000 miles, the Monroe's coming off were shot.
My guess is your going to initially feel a soft, reasonably controlled ride. As you put on the miles, the control will gradually decrease, untill you decide to change them out again.