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Ride Height Question

Yahoo Message Number: 66199
I am taking my Inspire in Thursday for some maintenance and want the ride height checked. If I ask them to adjust the ride height past the specs in the front, is it necessary to also raise the rear? I have had some bottoming out in dips. For those that have had the ride height adjusted how much higher did the trick? I will also have them check/adjust the shocks if necessary.

Thanks,

Judy

2006 Inspire 51760

Re: Ride Height Question

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66200
Check tire air pressure for correct lbs.
Then, adjustment should be checked on the rear first. There are 2 valves in the rear and 1 in the front. The rear will affect the front side to side adjustment of the front.
Example, raise the left (drivers) rear and this will drop the right (passenger) front. Someone here has the info/location of the specs for your coach. Some members have adjusted up slightly the right (pass) rear up to compensate for road crown.
This can be a little tricky for just any shop to adjust the ride height as it requires getting underneath to do. Having a level surface and underground pit is the ideal way. Some of the forum members have built drive on ramps for front and rear. Then the air bags or frame rail locations can be measured, without the possible coach falling on top of them.
Another is a truck alignment shop with a drive on in ground alignment pit.

AL

00 affinity

Re: Ride Height Question

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66202
Judy, here are your Coach ride height dimensions should you not have them already. As AL has mentioned in his reply to you the Rear Valves can be in a range of height as explained below to get the FRONT Independent Front Suspension as close to 17 3/4" as possible, this will keep your coach going straight down the highway.
In my opinion and experience if you raise the Front Dimension to much in order to reduce "bottoming" you'll affect the driving and cornering of you coach.
REAR: 19 inches nominal - Bottom Frame Rail to Bottom of Equalizing Beam near axle

Measured vertically adjacent to, and behind of, the axle tube Bottom Frame Rail to Bottom of Equalizing Beam height to average 19" between left side and right side, Each side to be more than 18 1/2" and less than 19 1/2" as necessary to adjust front suspension to level.

FRONT: 17 3/4" +/- 1/16"

Any question please feel free to contact me.

Mike 03 Allure 1st Ave. #30898

Re: Ride Height Question

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66209

Hi Judy:

Changing front ride height on the Inspire is so simple even a caveman can do it. (Apologies to all cavemen on the list.) Really, it is very simple.
The best way to approach the bottoming issue is to simply add about 1/4" ride height increase at a time until the bottoming out stops. There is really no specific answer for all coaches as the weight on the front end of a 36' model like ours is less than for a 40' plus whatever is stored in the various compartments. It all matters and makes each coach unique.
To adjust the front ride height look at the center of the anti-sway bar which faces the back/rear of the coach. You will see a black plate in the center of the bar with a couple of u-bolts clamping it to the sway bar. Moving this plate back and forth changes the ride height. Loosen the u-bolts until it takes a tap with a light hammer or similar tool to move it. Be careful, a large movement coulde cause the coach to drop quickly. Just be careful, it is very simple.

The shocks should be set at the firmest setting.
According to Mikee our resident suspension guru unless you make a large adjustment to the ride height alignment should be OK if it was correct in the first place. We did not have our rig re-aligned and everything is fine. If you musdt have a number we added about 1/2" to our ride height. That means nothing. If yours is incorrect in the first place it could take more. Take an initial distance between any two appropriate points - CC for the Inspire used the moutning bolts of the shock. Measuer the distance between the top and bottom bolt, raise it 1/4", go for a ride. Wnat more control, add another 1/4", go for a ride, repeat until happy.

Also easy to drop back down later.
We did not change the rear at all. Unless it causes some problem (none for us) I would rather keep the center of gravity as low as possible for best handling. These things are tall enough too.

Bob (rthandren@...)
'05 Inspire 51178

Re: Ride Height Question

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66210
Mike, Are the measurements the same for a 05 Allure? Thanks, Marianne

Re: Ride Height Question

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66228
Marianne,

For your Independent Front End suspension the answer is YES same as Judy's, however for the Rear I need to know if you have only a Drive Axle or Drive and Tag Axle, then I can give you the spec's.

Thanks, Mike 03 Allure 1st Ave. #30898

Re: Ride Height Question

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66231
Robert, I would like to make two comments to your instructions.

1. Prior to adjusting the Front Adjusting Plate, it is critical to first make sure the dimension of the (2) shocks (center of lower bolt to center of upper bolt center) are as close as possible to 17 3/4" otherwise the coach could pull to one side making a Front End Alinement a waste of money.

2. The more you raise the Front the lower you make the Rear Suspension, you need to keep it in Spec as well.

Thanks, Mike 03 Allure 1st Ave.

Re: Ride Height Question

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66235

Hi Mike:
1. This first comment makes no sense. As there is only one ride height adjustment valve on the front suspension of Inspires and Allures of the vintage we are discussing, this valve controls both sides at the same time. It is impossible to adjust the front ride height side to side. It is highly likely that due to differences in components and other factors the two sides will not match, for instance slight differences in the resistance of the air spring would give different heights at the same air pressure and weight applied. Coaches also seldom weigh the same side to side. The bottom line is, for the front suspension, the individual side is not separately adjustable from the other. The rear suspension has valves at both sides and would be adjustable. But ask any tech, getting them both the same is sheer luck. I also see no way to adjust the individual length of the shock, it is bolted to suspension components. The only ways to change the shock length are by adjusting the ride height valve or finding new holes for the mounting bolts. I would not suggest using a file to elongate a hole to get them to match as the bolt will shift under load and eventually it could fail.

2. The comment on alignment was not originated by me - although I agree with it. Mikee, who has his own chassis business which several list members have visited to have suspension problems solved, plus he designs and builds suspensions from scratch for various vehicles, made the comment. More completely stated SMALL adjustments of front ride height should not affect tire wear or steering feel, action, pull, etc. I believe I said, more than once, that small incremental changes should be performed and then tested, I did not suggest radical changes in ride height. Of course, if the alignment is affected it should be adjusted.
 One of the goals of an independent front suspension is to maintain caster, camber and toe throughout the normal range of movement the suspension is expected to experience. If a small increase in ride height solves the bottoming it will PROBABLY not be necessary to go through the expense of an alignment.
 In our specific case the coach was weighed and 4 corner laser aligned at Josams in Orlando before any ride height adjustments were made so the alignment was correct to start with. The ride height was changed some time later after too many experiences with excessive suspension travel even with maximum shock stiffness adjusted. No more than 1/2" was added according to my measurements which for a number of reasons are impossible to take to multiple decimal places. Once I reached the point where only the most severe road conditions could cause the suspension to contact I stopped adding height. It worked.
 We now have about 10,000 miles on a new set of tires installed some time after the adjustment. They are wearing true, the coach tracks better than it ever has and I see absolutely no evidence or need to spend hundreds of dollars on something that isn't broken.
 As for the absolute necessity of keeping all alignments within spec, to bring the coach back to "spec" would require lowering it back down and reproducing the problem. Not my idea of a solution. We are also dealing with a minimum 36' coach. I don't have my specifications handy but I'd guess the front and rear axle separation is on the order of 20'. Some simple trigonometry should show how much 1/2" at the front will affect the rear suspension. I'd probably need a micrometer to physically measure it. It is negligible.
 This topic has been kicked around for several years on this list, at least dozens of owners have SUCCESSFULLY fixed the bottoming out problem with a simple ride height adjustment alone, some after spending thousands on shocks, alignments and other "solutions".
 As far as I am concerned this is a proven solution when used as described which is with common sense and caution.

Bob (rthandren@...)
'05 Inspire 51178

Re: Ride Height Question

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66239
Robert, that was an excellent post on the continuing in and outs of ride height and alignment. I think many of the forum members have benefited with the correct way to have the million dollar ride possible with a CC. Many owners feel that one simple procedure will fix all the issues we experience bouncing down the interstate.
I remember taking the Affinity in for it's first alignment and requested a 4 point check. The tech said he does lots of RV's but he could count on one hand RV owners requesting that procedure up front. Usually after the cure they were after was'nt reached by a regular alignment is when they now start looking for the reason.
CCO group are better informed.
Best regards
AL

00 Affinity...no bidet

 

Re: Ride Height Question

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66247
Al & Robert, My post of information was taken from Country Coach Specifications Revised 6-14-07 covering procedures and spec's for both front & rear suspensions by Coach model. I've pasted the spec's for the Inspire Front and Rear Suspensions as you read the reason for the "range of dimension" used in the rear allows you to bring the front into 17 3/4" +/- 1/16".

Used through Model Year 2006

Model Year 2007 uses ADL-123 Revised 6-14-2007 MHI, MHL, MIN w/ADL-120

**Equalizing Beam Bottom to Frame Bottom height should average 19\" between left side and right side, measured adjacent to and behind the axle tube. Each side to be more than 18 1/2\" and less than 19 1/2\" as necessary to adjust both front shocks to 17 3/4\" length.
***** SAI difference from left to right may not exceed 0.75° Chassis STW - Leveling & Suspension Page 114 of 126

Thanks, Mike 03 Allure 1st Ave. #30898