Ride quality

[96 Wideglide]

Originally Posted by ga traveler

For several years I would not consider a Ford chassis because of the slat springs. After installing a couple of Ride Rite air bags on Fords, I was so impressed with the ride improvement that I bought a F53 in 2007. Every customer I installed Ride Rites on their coach, was happy with them.

I've just ordered Ride Rites for the back of mine. Now, looking at the installation instructions, I'm concerened I've allready used two of the holes on the passenger side frame rail, on the trac bar.
Anyone running both, Ride Rite's, and a trac bar, on a 18,000lb F53 coach?

[Schoolsout2]

Thanks for all the info. I will be adding suspension parts as soon as we get a new MH if gas or we decide to not update. It will be before we take a long trip again.

[geno-heidi]

Hey School.....Swind 32 here, '04 f53 v10, our first class a m.home....ditto most what has been offered here....this is where we get lots of help:-) .
We found our rear sway bar bushings were gone, melted...replaced with poly.
Weighed all four corners and correct tire sixe psi.
All suspension checked and greased. Attention to steering box.
Installed front axle "Steer-Safe".....wow here!
Our m.h. came with rear air-bags....50 psi for now.
Results: Great ride and very good handling, an improvement from initial ride!
(Its not a car or pickup....:-) :-)
I believe in the k.i.s.s. principle...(keep it simple stupid) :-) :-)
Enjoy the journey... :-) :-) " the journey IS the destination"

[JimM68]

As for the air bags.... unless you also modify (remove leafs) the leaf springs, the only thing the air bags can possibly do is increase the spring rate, which will make it ride even stiffer than it does.

[ka7suz]

Get a front end alignment and don't over look the front bushings....

Voice of experience

JoAnn
1999 Tradewinds 7371 (formerly, 1991 Pace Arrow)
Spokane Valley WA

[ga traveler]

Originally Posted by JimM68

As for the air bags.... unless you also modify (remove leafs) the leaf springs, the only thing the air bags can possibly do is increase the spring rate, which will make it ride even stiffer than it does.

When you install the airbag between the axel and frame, it offloads the spring. I don't see why you think it would compress the spring. It does just the opposite. It causes the spring to relax. I have installed several of these and every customer was happy with the results. I can't speak for people in your area, but I can tell you for sure if you talk a Georgia guy into spending over six hundred dollars on airbags and they don't see a big improvement, you will hear about it.

[JimM68]

Originally Posted by ga traveler

When you install the airbag between the axel and frame, it offloads the spring. I don't see why you think it would compress the spring. It does just the opposite. It causes the spring to relax. I have installed several of these and every customer was happy with the results. I can't speak for people in your area, but I can tell you for sure if you talk a Georgia guy into spending over six hundred dollars on airbags and they don't see a big improvement, you will hear about it.

Total and complete bullpucking....

If the springs take 1000 pounds to compress them 1".....

Then adding an air bag and pumping it up so it needs 500 pounds to compress it one inch... means u have increased your spring rate from 1000 pounds per inch to 1500 pounds per inch.....
This is a stiffer spring rate, and it will make yoyur rig ride stiffer.

As we are talking about an f53, which allready rides like it has no springs at all...

Adding additional spring rate won't help....


If your tail is dragging, and u need additional spring rate to lift it, air bags will help vlift the back of the rig vy increasing the spruing rate.

[JimM68]

Damn android....

Some coaches, such as certain workhorse chassis's, have leaf springs to weak to adequately carry the load, and come from the factory with air bags to augment the leafs and provide a way for the owner to adjust the ride quality and hieght depending on the load.

F53's are just plain stiff.
And adding an air spring can only make it stiffer, unless you also remove a leaf of 2 from the stock leaf springs.

[ga traveler]

Originally Posted by JimM68

Total and complete bullpucking....

If the springs take 1000 pounds to compress them 1".....

Then adding an air bag and pumping it up so it needs 500 pounds to compress it one inch... means u have increased your spring rate from 1000 pounds per inch to 1500 pounds per inch.....
This is a stiffer spring rate, and it will make yoyur rig ride stiffer.

As we are talking about an f53, which allready rides like it has no springs at all...

Adding additional spring rate won't help....


If your tail is dragging, and u need additional spring rate to lift it, air bags will help vlift the back of the rig vy increasing the spruing rate.

Have you ever installed airbags on a F53 chassis? I have installed several sets. Every set I installed improved the ride. When you fill the bag with 25
psi of air, the front end raises about 4 inches. This is he air cushion you are riding on. That is 4 in LESS of spring tension.

[Hurricane Owner]

JimM68,
It's obvious you have not installed airbags. GA traveler is correct in what he is posting. I have had the same results. I run 60 psi on the rear of my coach, and it unloads the spring. The result is the leaf spring has less spring rate, improving the ride. The airbag does have a spring rate, but it is much less than the steel spring. This improves the ride. It's not fair that you post information that is not correct for others to take into consideration. Also, I replaced my steel wheels with aluminum wheels for less unsprung weight. This also impoved the ride greatly. I added airbags to the front springs, but the difference wasn't much. I hope I'm not coming across rude, that is not my intention.

[JimM68]

I'm not intending to be rude either.. .

But if your coach went UP, but the weight stayed the same, then the spring rate went up. This is simple math. And yes, I've installed my share of air. Bags and air shocks on a number of different vehicles, you jack em up, they ride rougher, period.

Air suspension can ride smoother because air bags are progressive, the more they are compressed the harder they become to compress more.

But if you pump em up enough to lift the coach 4" off the all ready very stiff leaf springs, then u have stiffened the suspension.

I'm out of this one, don't have a horse in this race anyway. Fixed my F53's ride by rading it in on dp